Write-up by Gene Lalor
In a particular sense, Americans are all Jews, that is, if we only contemplate our Judeo-Christian heritage and disregard the millions of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and so on. who are American citizens. Semi-Jews at heart or no, it hasn’t been smooth sailing between these who adhere to the religion of Abraham and Christians.
The late Pope Pius XII and, by inference, the total Catholic Church, have extended been accused by Jews and the Jewish media of not just sympathizing with WWII fascists and Nazis but of actual complicity in the Holocaust.
That calumny still exists three generations following the Holocaust and despite the historical record that Pope Pius condemned anti-Semitism, interceded on behalf of Rome’s Jews and Jewish folks in Slovakia and other nations, and was even cited as a conspirator in the attempted assassination of Hitler in 1944. Nonetheless, he was accused of not doing practically enough and not publicly denouncing the Nazis.
Residing in Benito Mussolini’s fascist, an ally of Adolph Hitler’s Nazi Germany, it really is entirely possible that had he protested much much more the Vatican could have been lowered to a mass of rubble.
Not to be forgotten either is that hundreds of Catholics protected and saved the lives of 1000′s of Jews and actually hundreds of thousands of Catholics surrendered their lives throughout the Second World War in the cause of freedom and, not incidentally, freed millions of Jews from oppression and concentration camps.
The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) marked a watershed in Catholic-Jewish relations by instituting reforms which included an outreach to Jews in an try to salve the wounds of centuries of antipathies, misunderstandings, and lack of inter-communication.
Regardless of whether all of Vatican II’s reforms and modifications have been beneficial to the Church is still a matter of conjecture though the effort to institute a dialogue with Jews and dispel age-old beliefs of Jews as Jesus-killers who subsequently committed atrocities against Christian children in the Middle Ages was obviously a step forward but some Jewish men and women wanted a lot more and greater actions.
Some many years ago, the radical Jewish Defense League adopted the slogan “Never Forget!” that means Jews would in no way forget the horrors of the Holocaust and, by implication, would by no means tolerate its repetition. The two have been eminently acceptable, if unnecessary, goals.
They were sensible for obvious reasons but unnecessary because Jews and Jewish groups the planet more than have never ever forgotten and, in fact, all also typically invoke memories of Hitler’s “Final Answer” whenever an situation arises which they perceive as somehow exhibiting anti-Semitism.
A main disadvantage to these repetitive, kneejerk reactions is that they serve to worsen rather than alleviate the dilemma, especially nowadays when anti-Jewish sentiment and incidents are turning into more and more typical in various European nations.
In addition, when Jews use the Holocaust as an instrument to interfere with the internal affairs of the Catholic Church, they are foolishly overstepping the bounds of reconciliation.
However, some Jewish groups have carried out exactly that by protesting the Vatican’s attempt to heal its own home by engaging in dialogue with the traditionalist Society of Pius X and trying to reunite that “breakaway” sect with the Church. In large aspect, objections center on alleged anti-Semitism inside the Society and the so-called “Holocaust-denying” Bishop Richard Williamson.
What the Society professes are beliefs shared by millions of “mainstream” Catholics and go far past dissatisfaction over the abandonment of the Latin Mass and with other promulgations at Vatican II. What the Society does not profess or indoctrinate is anti-Semitism. If something, they stand as a rare Christian voice in the modern wilderness declaiming societal corruption and disintegration.
However, according to Ynet.com and Jewish World, the U.S. Director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham Foxman, lectured Pope Benedict XVI and the Holy See on requiring the Society’s acceptance of the Church’s “optimistic teachings” about Jews before any reconciliation.
In Foxman’s words, “It would be unthinkable for the Vatican to let a Catholic breakaway sect that includes a Holocaust-denying bishop, Richard Williamson, to be reintegrated into the church although nonetheless getting permitted to market anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism.”
What’s much more unthinkable is for any non-Catholic American to try to influence the policies of the Supreme Pontiff and leader of one.two billion Catholics throughout the world.
In what seemed a lot more a threat than an provide of assistance, Elan Steinberg of the American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors and their Descendants, went even additional to exert pressure on the Catholic Church’s efforts to advertise Christian ecumenism.
Steinberg predicted “catastrophic effects” on Catholic-Jewish relations unless the Vatican necessary compliance with Jewish demands.
He extra a distinct note of condesecension and moral superiority when he also said, “We mustn’t allow the moral imperative of Catholic-Jewish amity to fall victim to a policy of appeasement or blithe expediency,” thereby implying the Vatican would act on reunification with the Society of Pius X based on expedience as a substitute of principle.
The comments by Foxman, Steinberg, and other folks in the Jewish community reinforce the standard stereotype of Jews as a people who tend to overstep and manipulate in their very own interests that which is past their purview and competence. It would be far better for all concerned for Jews to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and attone on Yom Kippur for presuming they have the appropriate to run the Catholic Church and dictate Church doctrine.(See all sources at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=5593.)
Sukkot with Jewish Muslim Compassionate Listening Group in Olympia (Thanx to Eden for the Conventional Jewish song !) Check out Temple Beth Hatfiloh – www.bethhatfiloh.org Go to the mosque site @ www.islamiccenterofolympia.org Start off a listening group in your city by obtaining your Rabbi and Imam to talk to each and every one more, make a decision on a date for pot-luck and gather everybody in a huge room ! Conversation takes place ! DIALOGUE Participants speak as people, from their very own encounter. Thoughts are shared to create a frequent understanding of the issues, beliefs and values of the participants. There is an exchange of ideas that construct upon the tips of others. Listening allows the listener to recognize and achieve insight into the issues of other folks. Questions are asked from a position of curiosity. New details surfaces. LISTENING Participants speak as people, from their personal knowledge. Listening allows the listener to realize and gain insight into the concerns of others. Quiet listening offers the speaker the knowledge of actually being heard, and can provide an chance for more self reflection without having dialogue. Questions are only posed by the speakers themselves for self reflection purposes. New info may possibly surface.
Video Rating: four / 5
