"I was not yet three years old when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, and I could have become a good little Nazi in his army. I loved the parades: I wept when other kids marched beneath our window without me. But I was ineligible for the Aryan race, the Master Race that Hitler wanted to purify of Jewish blood and other pollutants so that it could rule the world for ‘a thousand years.'"
I have no doubt that before the week is out, the New York Slimes will have painted Pope Benedict XVI as being more evil than Hitler ever dreamed.
That's why they're the NY Slimes...
Hitler's Rottweiler, no doubt ...
My wife's uncle was a Hitler youth at a very young age.
He is anything but a nazi.
Stalin had a similiar practice i believe. I don't hold children responsible for the assimilation of these entities. They are brainwashed into service, and their parents usually allow it out of fear of reprisal. Clearly as an adult he rejected it, that is what matters.
Cardinal Ratzinger in his homily delivered immediately before the conclave said he does not believe in syncretism, the attempt to reconcile different faiths. He probably would not attend on any occasion the service of another faith.
Now that is interesting. I respect that position, because I refuse to reconcile mine to come to a compromised generic belief. Differences exist for reason. While I have no desire to lose sight of the most important component Christians share in common, Jesus Christ, that doesn't mean I'll dismiss where we do disagree.
Yes, the left is piling on (and not so surprising, already have their "talking points" in order and all are repeating ad naseum, citing "some Catholics") especially with the "Rotweiller" moniker and the Ratzinger's time spent in the Hitler Youth Group.
God, (oops sorry about that. NOT) you would think that he had been a fullfledged member of Heinrich Himmler's SS.
As it turns out, this is what has been reported about this experiencwrote based upon his book, "The Salt of The Earth:"
"In 1941, Ratzinger, 14, and his brother, Georg were enrolled in the Hitler Youth when it became mandatory for all boys. Soon after, he writes in his book, "The Salt of the Earth," he was let out because of his intention to study for the priesthood."
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/04/19/international/i121336D98
I don't know how long he "served" in the Hitler Youth Corps, but his having been released due to his intentions of studying for the priesthood, should (but don't hold your breath) put to rest any question about his loyalties for the Third Reich and Hitler.
Forgive my ignorance, but ....
If St Peter is considered the first pope, and he was jewish, wouldn't he have also gone to a synagogue, thereby making the above statement incorrect.
Just wondering
At the time the Pope visited Israel, Ratzinger wrote some important documents on Catholic-Jewish relations. The MSM dismissed his comments at the time as mere "theology," but that was typical MSM stupidity and blindness to religion. In the end, Catholic-Jewish relations will rest upon theology, not diplomatic niceties, and Ratzinger's position was very much pro-Jewish.
I can't put my hands on his statement at the moment, but there's absolutely no question that Benedict XVI will continue PJP II's efforts to improve relations with the Jews and clear up any lingering antisemitism among Catholics. And it won't just be empty PR or diplomatic mouthings. It's solid theological reasoning that will become the basis of the Church's future relations with the Jews.
---Indeed, some would go so far as to seek to punish a member of their sect if he were to participate in or even attend a joint service commemorating a public event, including memorializing a tragedy such as 9/11.---
Missouri Lutherans.
With no disrespect meant, I wanted to pass along a thought offered by a friend during Bible study last night. He referred to the new Pope as "The German Shepherd".