Those with dirty hands in this matter, including the Vatican, wish the memory of the Holocaust would go away. It almost had when Stephen Spielberg brought out "Schindler's List".
Never forget.
--Those with dirty hands in this matter, including the Vatican, wish the memory of the Holocaust would go away.
Those with dirty hands such as the USA, Great Britain, France, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, etc.. etc..
Did anyone reach out to the Jews?
Uh-huh...
". . . the Catholic Church, under the pontificate of Pope Pius XII was instrumental in saving at least 700,000, but probably as many as 860,000, Jews from certain death at Nazi hands."
Pinchas E. Lapide, THREE POPES AND THE JEWS (1967)
"When fearful martyrdom came to our people, the voice of the pope was raised for its victims."
Golda Meir, Israeli Foreign Minister (October 9, 1958)
"I should like you to take this occasion to express to His Holiness my deeply-felt appreciation of the frequent action which the Holy See has taken on its own initiative in its generous and merciful efforts to render assistance to the victims of racial and religious persecution."
Franklin D. Roosevelt to Myron C. Taylor (August 3, 1944)
. . . I told him [the Pope] that my first duty was to thank him , and through him, the Catholic Church, on behalf of the Jewish public, for all they had done in the various countries to rescue Jews, to save children, and Jews in general." .
Moshe Sharett, First Israeli Foreign Minister (April 1945)
"In all these painful matters, I referred to the Holy See and afterwards I simply carried out the Pope's orders: first and foremost to save human lives."
Angelo Cardinal Roncalli, Patriarch of Venice, Later Pope John XXIII (1957) "
"What we can say already, in light of what we have learned, is that the Nazis considered Pius XII and his collaborators as their greatest enemies and that, reciprocally, the Pope and his entourage saw the Nazis as criminals working for the destruction of the Church and civilization."
Jean Chelini, LE FIGARO (October 8, 1983)
"The gratitude [to Pope Pius XII] of the world Jewish leaders, for deeds to which their own archives are witness, was transformed after 1963 into totally negative commentary. The well-intentioned, informed world Jewish community was downgraded to 'disgraceful testimonials of a few Jews' (NEW YORK TIMES, September 27, 1989,Letters)."
Rev. Robert A. Graham, S. J. (October 1989)
"Anyone who does not limit himself to cheap polemics knows very well what Pius XII thought of the Nazi regime and how much he did to help countless people persecuted by the regime."
Pope John Paul II (1995)
"In his 1942 Christmas message, which THE NEW YORK TIMES among others extolled, the pope became the first figure of international stature to condemn what was turning into the Holocaust."
Kenneth Woodward, NEWSWEEK (March 30, 1998)
That's a pack of filthy lies.
I have a little more sympathy than for the other guilty actors in the tragedy. Many Catholic priests did try to help, and some were very effective. The Pope did try to help some, even though he could have done more, and IMO, has been the target of a smear campaign that's been out to tarnish the rep of the Catholic Church.
"Never forget"
Have you forgotten that the highest ranking Rabbi in Rome at the time was so impressed with the efforts by the Vatican to stop all this that he converted?
Have you forgotten there is a book out by a Jewish Rabbi right now that says this "the Vatican was part of it" hype is false and sings high praises for the efforts by the Pope and many others in the Church?
Have you forgotten that Hitler had the Church on the list as "Next"?
Have you forgotten that many priests were in those camps as well?
You know what you have already answered all these questions, if you but knew it.
I do not have much respect for people who wish to falsify the past to suit their own agenda. I do not have it for Holocaust deniers. I knew people who survived. I also have little time for those who only want to finish what Hitler only just started with the Church.
I see enough roadkill on country roads, I don't need to see it here.