[americanophile]

I give him credit for trying, but wonder why he bothers trying to extend a hand to those so prepared to slap it. Particularly at a time of such growing apathy throughout Christendom.

[EyeGuy]

A “stiff-necked people” indeed.

[americanophile]

Benedict XVI stoked the flame and laid a floral wreath. Then, having met and conversed with six Holocaust survivors, he pronounced his address: "I have come", he said, "to stand in silence before this monument, erected to honour the memory of the millions of Jews killed in the horrific tragedy of the Shoah. They lost their lives, but they will never lose their names: these are indelibly etched in the hearts of their loved ones, their surviving fellow prisoners, and all those determined never to allow such an atrocity to disgrace mankind again. Most of all, their names are forever fixed in the memory of Almighty God. "One can rob a neighbour of possessions, opportunity or freedom", he added. "One can weave an insidious web of lies to convince others that certain groups are undeserving of respect. Yet, try as one might, one can never take away the name of a fellow human being". "The names enshrined in this hallowed monument will forever hold a sacred place among the countless descendants of Abraham. Like his, their faith was tested. Like Jacob, they were immersed in the struggle to discern the designs of the Almighty. May the names of these victims never perish! May their suffering never be denied, belittled or forgotten! And may all people of goodwill remain vigilant in rooting out from the heart of man anything that could lead to tragedies such as this! "The Catholic Church, committed to the teachings of Jesus and intent on imitating His love for all people", said the Pope, "feels deep compassion for the victims remembered here. Similarly, she draws close to all those who today are subjected to persecution on account of race, colour, condition of life or religion - their sufferings are hers, and hers is their hope for justice. As Bishop of Rome and Successor of the Apostle Peter, I reaffirm - like my predecessors - that the Church is committed to praying and working tirelessly to ensure that hatred will never reign in the hearts of men again. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the God of peace". "Gazing upon the faces reflected in the pool that lies in stillness within this memorial, one cannot help but recall how each of them bears a name. ... Who could have imagined that they would be condemned to such a deplorable fate! As we stand here in silence, their cry still echoes in our hearts. It is a cry raised against every act of injustice and violence. It is a perpetual reproach against the spilling of innocent blood. It is the cry of Abel rising from the earth to the Almighty". Then, in order to "give voice to that cry", the Pope read some verses from the Book of Lamentations which begin: "The favours of the Lord are not exhausted, His mercies are not spent". Having complete the reading, the Pope said: "I am deeply grateful to God and to you for the opportunity to stand here in silence: a silence to remember, a silence to pray, a silence to hope". At the end of the ceremony, the Holy Father signed the Yad Vashem visitors book in which he wrote a verse from the Book of Lamentations: "His mercies are not spent".

[Unam Sanctam]

How ridiculous — they can’t find anything objectionable in what he said, so they criticize that he didn’t say exactly what else they wanted him to say or in exactly the emotional tone they want. And of course this is the main report in the media, not that the Pope went to Yad Vashem, but that he was criticized for what he didn’t say there. Sheesh, talk about bias and people trying to foment controversy where there is none.

[Alberta's Child]

Here's a caption under a photo of Pope Piux XII at Yad Vashem . . .

In 1933, when he was Secretary of the Vatican State, he was active in obtaining a Concordat with the German regime to preserve the Church's rights in Germany, even if this meant recognizing the Nazi racist regime. When he was elected Pope in 1939, he shelved a letter against racism and anti-Semitism that his predecessor had prepared. Even when reports about the murder of Jews reached the Vatican, the Pope did not protest either verbally or in writing. In December 1942, he abstained from signing the Allied declaration condemning the extermination of the Jews. When Jews were deported from Rome to Auschwitz, the Pope did not intervene. The Pope maintained his neutral position throughout the war, with the exception of appeals to the rulers of Hungary and Slovakia towards its end. His silence and the absence of guidelines obliged Churchmen throughout Europe to decide on their own how to react.

If I were Pope Benedict XVI, I wouldn't have even bothered to show up at the place at all.

[Thorin]

>>>>>I give him credit for trying, but wonder why he bothers trying to extend a hand to those so prepared to slap it. Particularly at a time of such growing apathy throughout Christendom.

Amen.

[giotto]

The Pope behaved correctly. He had no reason to apologize for his actions. As a youth, he was a victim of Nazi propaganda and coercion. He also had no reason to apologize for Germany. He is a representative of The Church, not Germany. As to whether he should have apologized on behalf of the Church, it's debatable. It wasn't the Church that sent Jews to their death. As an institution, it could have done more to help them. But individual Catholics, such as Saint Maximilian Kolbe, acted heroically to shelter and protect Jews in danger.