Posted on 10/15/2013 1:29:27 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows
ROME (CNN) - The Italian branch of schismatic Catholic sect with a history of anti-Semitism has agreed to hold a funeral for a convicted Nazi war criminal, despite protests from Jewish groups and the local mayor.
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But the conservative Society of St. Pius X, whose leaders were excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 1988 for ordaining their own bishops without Vatican approval, agreed Tuesday to hold funeral rites for Priebke.
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The society also said that it "reaffirms our repudiation to any form of anti-semitism and racial hatred."
But the Society of St. Pius X has a long history of controversial statements toward Jews.
Its founder, the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, sharply disagreed with the Roman Catholic Church's softened stance toward other faiths, including Judaism, after the Second Vatican Council in 1962-65.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, the Society of St. Pius X is "mired in anti-Semitism."
"Jews are described in SSPX documents as being cursed by God for the sin of deicide" (killing Jesus), the ADL says in an online report.
"Jews are accused of being in control of world financial and cultural institutions and of plotting to create a 'world empire' or obtain 'world dominion,'" the ADL report continues.
“The Society of St. Pius X never fails fail to shock," Foxman, a Holocaust survivor, said Tuesday. "First, they denied the Holocaust, and now they’re denying the acts of a perpetrator.”
Under Pope Benedict XVI, the Catholic Church tried to bring the ultra-conservative society back into the fold, lifting the excommunication of several bishops and allowing for wider celebration of the Mass in Latin, a favored practice of SSPX.
One of those bishops, Richard Williamson, was later found to have denied elements of the Holocaust, including its death toll of 6 million Jews.
(Excerpt) Read more at religion.blogs.cnn.com ...
And what’s the motive for pride you might ask? A lot, as long as Christianity and the bible are honored in the world. Without a Christ, what would an anti-Christ (fake Christ, but one of hate and not of love) ever have to imitate? Love chastens, but love does not keep a frown permanently glued on!
This sure doesn’t look too optimistic, though as you said who knows what happened between then and the time he actually did leave this mortal coil (also, was this lawyer putting the muscle on him at the time?)
ADL would show more character if they said they firmly disagreed with honoring a man with a sanctuary funeral under such circumstances, and then left it. After you’ve said what God would presumably have to say, what else is there to say? ADL has unfortunately gotten whiny in many cases and that’s a shame. It undermines their credibility.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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Another thread which discusses the Vatican's position and refusal.
Rome debates funeral for Nazi war criminal (Roman Vicariate says "No")
As to those suggesting or questioning whether he repented, both his statements during life and his release after death, the proper question would be what sins. He did nothing wrong, just followed orders, and the Holocaust is largely a myth anyway. The ovens were kitchens as we all know. I can see how this would be a problem for the Vatican.
I won’t begrudge any man, even a Nazi, hope of reconciling his actions here on Earth with G-d.
As for the Catholic view of Jesus' death: in the Nicene Creed, recited by all Catholics at every Sunday Mass since 325 AD, the only human implicated by name is the Roman governor ("...suffered under Pontius Pilate...")
From a theological point of view, the whole human race is responsible for His death, since our sins (individually and collectively) required so great a Savior. In a sense, the Jews --- as always --- represent the whole world as a kind of microcosm:
"He came unto His own, and His own received Him not."
That's all of us.
I'd want to see a business plan before buying in to that one.
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