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Pope Recalls Being German POW
Fox News & AP ^ | April 19, 2005

Posted on 04/19/2005 1:38:13 PM PDT by 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."

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News
KEYWORDS: benedict; benedictxvi; gloriaolivae; pope; ratzinger
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To: PAR35

LOL! Now your down to name calling.


81 posted on 04/20/2005 6:42:23 AM PDT by Sprite518
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To: Free and Armed

Exactly that is what I am talking about.


82 posted on 04/20/2005 6:43:47 AM PDT by Sprite518
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To: The_Victor
One of the many problems with leftists is their total lack of historical knowledge. The Nazis were a neo-pagan cult who liked to march around bon fires with Wagner's "Die Valkyrie" playing in the background. Substitute a giant bong for the bon fire and drumming for the opera and you've got your typical meeting of MoveOn.Org.
83 posted on 04/20/2005 6:44:00 AM PDT by katana
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To: Sprite518
Read THIS for starters.

Bonhoffer was a German theologian and pastor who stood up against Hitler and the Nazis and was hanged in a prison camp in 1945.

Read his Prison Letters. Incredible.

He's VERY well known, Sprite. Anyone making claims about the nature of Germans in WWII, as you did, should know about him.

84 posted on 04/20/2005 6:45:51 AM PDT by ohioWfan ("If My people, which are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray.....")
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To: Sprite518

The fact that the quisling leftist media is going after him is actually a good thing. And entirely expected. It demonstrates how threatened they are, and how strong he is.

The Vatican is well aware of his background, his actions of leaving the Nazi army etc. and have been for quite a long time. To suggest they weren't aware of his life experiences prior to voting for him is silly.


85 posted on 04/20/2005 6:45:57 AM PDT by prairiebreeze (Blogs have a strangle hold on the MSM. The MSM is kicking out the windshield.)
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To: an amused spectator
That is a weak argument and insulting. I am not even going to entertain a response. It is also a complete insult of our troops who fought in that war.
86 posted on 04/20/2005 6:48:27 AM PDT by Sprite518
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To: jcb8199
Of course--Nazis persecuted Catholics with ZEAL.

Germany was nominally about half Catholic in those days. Hilter fully intended to punish leaders of the Church in Germany after the war was over. He detested Christianity and the Roman Church in particular. It is one of the neatest tricks of the Left to smear the Christianity as being in some way associated with Nazism.

Nazis believed in a lot of psuedoscientific romantic garbage not much different than what is espoused by the Greens today, less the racial bits. (Green politics is racist in effect, not in name. Banning DDT kills millions of Browns and Yellows, but has almost no effect on Scandinavian populations.)

87 posted on 04/20/2005 6:53:19 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Deadcheck the embeds first.)
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To: ohioWfan
I just think with all the damage the Catholic church has taken by the Seculist in the MSM. One would think they would choose a Pope that did not have any type of possible baggage. I am sure there was more than one qualified person to be the Pope. And like I thought the MSM is out there today yelling "Hitler Youth". One day after the fact. This is only the tip of the iceberg. Mark my words.
88 posted on 04/20/2005 6:54:01 AM PDT by Sprite518
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To: Sprite518
You're SURE there was someone more qualified than God's choice?

Interesting.

I don't think I'll mark your words, though. You're too afraid of what other people think to do the right thing.

Thank God that the Catholic Church has the strength of conviction that you lack.

89 posted on 04/20/2005 6:59:09 AM PDT by ohioWfan ("If My people, which are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray.....")
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To: ohioWfan

I meant in the German Army and not all Germans. I guess you did not see my post where I wrote I stand corrected?


90 posted on 04/20/2005 6:59:57 AM PDT by Sprite518
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To: Sprite518

I saw that. But you still seem very confused about what was going on in Germany, and who the heros were.


91 posted on 04/20/2005 7:01:11 AM PDT by ohioWfan ("If My people, which are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray.....")
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To: prairiebreeze
When did I ever say, "they weren't aware of his life experiences prior to voting for him is silly."


I said perhaps they should have picked someone with less baggage. This is all I said.
92 posted on 04/20/2005 7:01:57 AM PDT by Sprite518
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To: Sprite518
Like I said I just do not think this is a good P.R. move. If this guy by any chance was not upfront about his Service, then this is going to be a can of worms.

You suggested the new Pope perhaps has lied or deceived the Vatican and the world about his background.

Frankly Sprite, I'm beginning to think you are the one with the baggage.

93 posted on 04/20/2005 7:10:00 AM PDT by prairiebreeze (Blogs have a strangle hold on the MSM. The MSM is kicking out the windshield.)
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To: ohioWfan
God's Choice? I guess you do not believe in free will?

No I am just looking at this from a P.R. perspective? I guess you believe no one else was qualified? Hopefully, this choice will not come back to haunt the Vatican.
94 posted on 04/20/2005 7:11:03 AM PDT by Sprite518
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To: ohioWfan

Well name someone in the German army that could be labeled a hero outside the Axis powers?


95 posted on 04/20/2005 7:12:10 AM PDT by Sprite518
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To: prairiebreeze; Sprite518
Thank you for saying that, prairie.

Sprite, you are denying the things you have posted.

You implied that the Pope has not been truthful about his past, and that the Vatican is unaware of what he really did.

Calling a spade a spade, and removing myself from a conversation with moving goalposts.........

96 posted on 04/20/2005 7:13:12 AM PDT by ohioWfan ("If My people, which are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray.....")
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To: Sprite518

Joseph Ratzinger.


97 posted on 04/20/2005 7:13:58 AM PDT by ohioWfan ("If My people, which are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray.....")
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To: Sprite518
God's Choice? I guess you do not believe in free will?

Dear me........... I guess I'll answer that in brief before I leave.....

We have free will only within God's Sovereignty. If we pray, in Christ with repentant hearts, to know God's will for our lives, He will reveal His will to us.

I believe that the Cardinals were sincerely praying for God's will. I have no way to prove that, but you have no way to prove otherwise.

You clearly have some issues that are leading you to your view that this is the wrong man to be the Pope, but there is no way for you to back them up with actual data, so there really is no point in continuing this.

Blessings and peace to you, Sprite.

98 posted on 04/20/2005 7:20:14 AM PDT by ohioWfan ("If My people, which are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray.....")
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To: prairiebreeze

Its quite apparent your the one with baggage. You love to put words in people's mouth. I guess you need to do that in order to counter what I say? If you are incapable of not seeing the Forrest thought the tress, then there is no point in carrying on this conversation. I think you lack the ability to see past the first the layer. We are on a political board, and I am looking at this from a political perspective only.


99 posted on 04/20/2005 7:20:20 AM PDT by Sprite518
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To: mad puppy

I like the fact that he is conservative, hopefully anti-muslim as the last pope was anti-communist. Nevertheless, there are plenty of conservatives not German.


Time will tell. I'm waiting for his first speech on Iraq.


100 posted on 04/20/2005 7:21:04 AM PDT by TomasUSMC
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