Pope Recalls Being German POW

Fox News & AP ^ | April 19, 2005

[yoely]

BERLIN — In May 1945, thousands of German prisoners of war trudged down the highway toward the Bavarian town of Bad Aibling (search). Among them — tired but grateful to be alive — was 18-year-old Joseph Ratzinger (search), who just days before had risked death by deserting the German army.

"In three days of marching, we hiked down the empty highway, in a column that gradually became endless," the new pope recalled years later in his memoirs.

"The American soldiers photographed us, the young ones, most of all, in order to take home souvenirs of the defeated army and its desolate personnel."

[BigSkyFreeper]

I saw an article that came out from the AP 5 minutes after the new Pope made his appearance to the world, and they were ripping into the Pope with their usual doom'n'gloom scenario. Sad and funny at the same time. I knew the MSM was in for a total and complete meltdown.

[ohioWfan]

I didn't put any words in you mouth. I asked you if you were calling him a liar.

You said you hoped he was telling the truth. Do you think he wasn't/isn't? Otherwise, why are you asking?

It's not that hard of a question. Stop being so defensive and answer it.

Do you think he's lying about his past?

[Sprite518]

Oh yeah I forget that one. Everyone knows about him? LOL!

[Graymatter]

B-16 was a Nazi, like Zhivago was a Bolshevik!

[muawiyah]

Your statement didn't limit itself to "soldiers" ~ just "German in WWII".

That would include, among others, German-Americans, Volga River Germans, German Mennonites, etc.

[ohioWfan]

And Dietrich Bonhoffer.

[sharktrager]

Schindler ran a plant producing material for the German Army, staffed with concentration camp prisoners. He was well aware of, and profited from, the Nazi treatment of the Jews. I would wager he was more intimately involved in the treatment of the Jews than the vast majority of the German people.

But he then did something very heroic. How is it you can see Schindler as a hero but refuse to accept that any German soldiers might have done something heroic?

[paudio]

Soon he was home with his father, Josef, and his mother, Maria.

Hmmm... What is the name of the new pope again?

[raybbr]

His family was happy to see him. "Of course, for full joy, something was missing. Since the beginning of April, there had been no word from Georg," he remembered. "So there was a quiet worry in our house." Suddenly, in the middle of July, in walked Georg, tanned and unharmed. He sat at the piano and banged out the hymn "Grosser Gott, wir loben Dich," "Mighty God, we praise You" as father, mother, sister Maria and Joseph rejoiced.

I love a happy ending.

[raybbr]

I would not call any German in WWII a hero. Sorry that is just not in the vocabulary.

Hate, in this case a by-product of ignorance, will not bring peace into your world.

[ohioWfan]

Do you NOT know about Dietrich Bonhoffer? And you are admitting that?

[SoothingDave]

Also heard he escaped on Hannity.

Well, who put Hannity in charge of guarding him?

SD

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

"Well, who put Hannity in charge of guarding him?"

Sean O'Hannity guards anyone. You get near the Pope, and he'll Hannitize 'ya.

[Puddleglum]

You're just angry and drunk, admit it.

[prairiebreeze]

Read the danged article FGS! He wrote a book about his experiences. Do you honestly think that after these years of being cardinal, first assistant to Pope John Paul II, that his background isn't thoroughly known through the Vatican?

Give me a break.

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: "They're inter-National Socialists."

As I seem to recall they were invented at the third International (not sure the French spelling which is how it is pronounced) Most people remember them as COMMUNISTS. The infamous hatred of the Nazis and the Communists was just a case of sibling rivalry.

[StarCMC]

REALLY great read ping

[PAR35]

I would not call any German in WWII a hero.

Then you are very ignorant on that issue.

[PAR35]

One of the earlier stories said that he deserted in April, 1944. That didn't sound very credible. This version sounds like it is more accurate.

[nutmeg]

read later