Is it surprising that a Nazi Pope defends another Nazi Pope?

Question

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18074773/

The Vatican ambassador to Israel threatened Thursday to boycott a Holocaust memorial ceremony next week over a museum’s portrayal of Pope Pius XII’s conduct during the Nazis’ killing of Jews in World War II.

Pope Benedict XVI says he was a reluctant member of the Hitler Youth. Wouldn't it help his cause to release the records of Pope Pius XII’s conduct and clear the air?

Answer 1

+ Pius XII +

No serious scholar contests the evidence that Pius XII took direct and indirect measures to save Jews from the Nazi death machine.

The Soviet Union had been trying to convince the world that the Catholic Church was pro-Nazi since the death of Pope Pius in 1958. Here are some sources:
+ The KGB made corrupting the Church a priority: http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YTUzYmJhMGQ5Y2UxOWUzNDUyNWUwODJiOTEzYjY4NzI=
+ The KGB campaign against Pius XII: http://www.the-tidings.com/2007/021607/difference.htm
+ Pius XII and the Jews: http://web.archive.org/web/20010919100700/http://www.weeklystandard.com/magazine/mag_6_23_01/dalin_bkart_6_23_01.asp
+ http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/a/ww2jews.html

See also "The Myth of Hitler’s Pope: How Pope Pius XII Rescued Jews From the Nazis" by David G. Dalin which has compiled further overwhelming proof of Pope Pius Xii"s friendship for the Jews beginning long before he became pope.

At the start of World War II, Pope Pius XII’s first encyclical was so anti-Hitler that the Royal Air Force and the French air force dropped 88,000 copies of it over Germany. Here is a link to the Summi Pontificatus: Encyclical of Pope Pius XII on the Unity of Human Society, October 20, 1939: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_20101939_summi-pontificatus_en.html

+ Pope Benedict XVI +

Pope Benedict XVI was drafted into the Hitler Youth and the Nazi German Army just like every other non-Jewish German male. He was not given a choice.

The Pope is not and never has been a Nazi. He unfortunately was born and grew up in a country ruled by the Nazi party.

Every draftee into the Hitler Youth and the Nazi German Army was not a Nazi.

Just hope and pray that you do not have to make a decision to be executed or live and fight for a government in which you do not believe.

Thank God that you and I live in a very different world that the Pope did in 1930s and 1940s Germany.

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 2

No objective scholar can seriously deny that Pius XII was at least sympathetic to the ideals of the Nazi's and other Catholic mass murderers such as Mussolini and Franco, at worst, had an active hand in their collaboration.

One particular historic event, which cannot be denied even by the most persuasive of Catholic apologists is the event in 1943 of the clearing of the Jewish ghetto of over 1,000 souls next to Vatican City.

So sensitive were the Germans to such a direct "cleansing" right next door to the home of Pope Pius, that the German ambassador is recorded as pleading on behalf of Adolf Hitler for the Pope to make some kind of negative comment- proving he was against the deportation.

It is recorded as the most extraordinary diplomatic gesture of World War II- a free hit, whereby the Pope could have said anything he wanted with full diplomatic knowledge that Hitler himself had permitted a response. Instead, the pontiff said nothing and all but a dozen were murdered.

To this very day 2007, the Vatican refuses to comment on this crime against humanity within the shadow of St Peter.s To this day, no pontiff has ever apologised to the less than 15 survivors, nor even shown the human decency to meet them.

The stock standard answer tosuch irrefutable proof is to deny- deny it ever happened, if pushed to say it was only a few dozen persons, if pushed hard use other less credible sources to counter the facts, if finally pushed into the corner- attack the answerer and seek to have it removed.

Answer 3

Your portrayal of popes Pius XII and Benedict XVI as "Nazi popes" is very unfair, but I agree that the Vatican should release its records regarding the former's conduct during World War II. There are many questions that need to be cleared up.

Answer 4

Pope Pius XII's conduct, such as the many thousands of Jews whose lives were saved because they were hidden in convents and private Catholic homes throughout Europe, and even in the Vatican itself?

Answer 5

Doesn't surprise me at all.
It doesn't seem like the museum is saying anything other than the pope didn't sign the allied declaration, and remained neutral. If the Vatican has proof otherwise, instead of boycotting maybe they should just provide the proof. Pretty simple fix if you ask me.

Answer 6

+ Pope Benedict XVI + Pope Benedict XVI develop into drafted into the Hitler youthful human beings and the Nazi German military in simple terms like numerous different non-Jewish German male. He develop into no longer given a call. The Pope isn't and not in any respect has been a Nazi. He regrettably develop into born and grew up in a rustic ruled by the Nazi party. each and every draftee into the Hitler youthful human beings and the Nazi German military develop into no longer a Nazi. in simple terms desire and pray which you do no longer ought to opt to be executed or stay and combat for a central authority in which you do not have self assurance. Thank God which you and that i stay in an exceedingly distinctive worldwide that the Pope did in Nineteen Thirties and Nineteen Forties Germany. Or do we? + Adolf Hitler + in spite of the undeniable fact that Adplf Hitler develop into raised in a Catholic family contributors, he left the Church early in existence. automatic excommunication takes place whilst Catholics commit particular offensives. this takes place as quickly by fact the offense is dedicated. Adolf Hitler dedicated here offenses ensuing in automatic excommunication: - Apostasy - the formal renunciation of one's faith. Hitler specifically rejected the Catholic Church, besides as Christianity specifically. He defined himself as "an entire pagan.” - Heresy - a doctrine in theology, faith, philosophy, or politics at variance with those of the Catholic Church. Nazism is unquestionably heretical to Christianity. there develop into no clarification for the Catholic Church to excommunicate Hitler. He did all of it by himself. + With love in Christ.

Answer 7

This pope looks evil, he looks like satan trying to disguise himself as a Godly many, i mean look at him, does he look pious to you or an evil man kidnapping kids into his basement?

The last pope looked nice and the face is a cover to the contents, this pope was a Nazi youth and I dont trust him one bit, I say the world should not respect this former Nazi collaborator.

Answer 8

Pastor Billy says: why do you propagate ignorance?

As I haven't seen any additional comments explaining why you choose to spread incomplete news releases lets take a look at the missing paragraphs msnbc and the other major American broadcasters didn't want you to read

Nuncio in Israel: enough with false interpretations on Pius XII
A caption on the “dubious reaction” of Pope Pacelli to the Holocaust, on display at the Yad Vashem Museum, has pushed Archbishop Franco to announce that he will not participate in the Shoah commemoration. “They are not even taking into account,” he explains to AsiaNews, “recent historical findings.”


Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – No one is calling for history to be changed, but for a change in the interpretation of history, this yes, especially when recent studies show that such a change is called for. This is how Archbishop Antonio Franco, Nuncio in Israel, responds, in talking with AsiaNews, to the controversy created by the Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem. The institute publicly announced the Nuncio’s decision to not take part in the annual commemoration of the Shoah in the case that his request is not met for reconsideration of the use of a photo portraying Pius XII – first displayed by the Museum in 2005 – which carries a caption that the Nuncio judges to be “offensive” and disrespectful of the truth, in that it speaks of a dubious reaction on Pope Pacelli’s part to the killing of Jews during the Holocaust.
News of Archbishop Franco’s decision was given today by Israeli daily Yedioth Aharonoth, in its Y-net on-line edition. The newspaper reports on a statement by the Museum, according to which “The Yad Vashem is dedicated to historical research, and the Holocaust Museum presents the historical truth on Pope Pius XII as is known to scholars today”, as well as statements by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who say, “This is a very sensitive matter which needs to be examined in depth. It is important to us that all diplomatic delegates attend the memorial ceremony,” and “his absence will definitely stand out.”
“Already last year,” Archbishop Franco notes, “Nuncio Pietro Samba wrote to Museum executives calling attention to the caption, to this very negative judgement against Pius XII and asked that it be reviewed or removed. Historical studies and material were also subsequently brought to the Museum’s attention. Nothing was done and given the imminent celebrations I wrote to the President of Yad Vashem’s board of directors, the Mr Avner Shalev who had replied to us last year, specifying that it was an interpretation that was problematic for me – and not just for me, but for all Catholic believers – offensive to the Pope’s dignity – and the Pope is Pope for us – so I did not feel at ease about going to this commemoration. My suggestion was for reconsidering the possibility, shall we say, that the caption be corrected or that the photo be removed. And it was clearly a communication, not a press conference; there was and there is no desire for controversy. They gave it to the press.”
“Now,” Archbishop Franco goes on to say, “the reality is that that caption is an interpretation, not a historical truth. According to Yedioth Aharonoth, the Yad Vashem said that history cannot be changed. We, by all means, agree that history cannot be changed, but this is an interpretation of history. It is regretful for me, because it offends my feelings, my faith and historical research. We know well that there are those who say one thing, but there is a lot of documentation and a lot of historical research that prove the contrary, all that the Catholic Church and Pope Pius XII did to save Jews. “The Righteous”, an essay written in 2003 by Martin Gilbert, the famous English historian who has written much on World War II, Churchill and the Holocaust, highlights all that Pius XII and the Catholic Church did for Jews. And there are many other historical studies, even by Jews, that prove this fact.”
“My letter,” the Nuncio stresses, “was written to draw attention to a problem that for me must be reconsidered and further analyzed and this judgement on Pius XII must be changed. Otherwise, I will never go to the Yad Vashem. That is what I said. I have my responsibility as a person, a Christian, and representative of the Pope. It is difficult for me, as papal representative, to read this judgement that is not historical and is not true.”
As for Yad Vashem’s willingness to continue studying the question if the Vatican allows it to consult its archives, the Nuncio explains that “regarding the historical archives, there are principles that have been put into place by all states and research is done with certain criteria which are historical criteria and not a question of hiding the historical truth. We too have accepted historical truths and we too know how to bow our head down, when there is reason to bow it, but not when there is no reason to do so.”

Answer 9

it could be good. the question is really is, why did the people at the time vote for his chancellor so he could steal the highest position. with out him the mess would have never been. not until we see death facing us, do we know the fear
and do what is asked of us.

Answer 10

There were good popes, there were OK popes, and there were bad popes. They were all human. They just enjoyed the privileges because they supposedly sacrificed their lives to serve god.