In any discussion of the role of Catholicism in World War II, I have heard most often, well, Hitler was a Catholic and that Vatican, you know, they were helping. That sort of thing I have heard quite commonly but I have heard little to nothing about what really happened.
(I have updated the following to include links to appropriate resources. All are required reading for a full appreciation of the point of this.)
Watching "Schindler's List" is only part of what I consider the obligation to be as that invites an array of other questions. One person said Schindler wasn't much, some people saved thousands or even tens of thousands of Jews. Then I began reading and I talked with Cat. She told me that in the Talmud there is something that, very roughly paraphrased, says that saving one life is everything.
I heard the testimony that 'what Schindler did was not so much' but let's ask the Schindlerjuden (Jewish people Schindler helped). Over a hundred were still alive at the time of the shooting of the movie and they have about six thousand descendants now. Let's ask them.
Then I read the list of recognitions in Israel for those who had helped to defend against the Holocaust, those who had given material aid to Jews to rescue them, frequently at risk to their own lives. In that list is a reference to Dorothea Neff, an Austrian actress, who had a Jewish friend, Lili Schiff, who was also an actress. She was hidden in her friend's basement through the war and this kept her alive. Just as with the Talmud, whether it was one person or ten thousand, it was a life saved. Perhaps that makes it clear which life they mean.
Through that review I saw one reference after the other to Catholic priests. Cat said that perhaps only one was from Germany. That's as may be but there were a great many others and they did a great deal to rescue Jews. Note specifically that very few Italian Jews were executed and this was as a direct result of public statements by Pope Pius. Due to the Pope's efforts, Italy refused to send Jews to Germany and that didn't even start until Mussolini was overthrown.
(Cat has a background with Catholicism and she lives near Munich. She was not being negative about Germany or Catholicism but rather was reporting the facts as she knows them and her honesty regarding Germany has shown me more than reading alone ever could.)
My reading did not include anything regarding assistance by German priests and / or the Vatican for Nazis escaping to South America. I am assuming that these stories are, at least to some extent, true but this is a different aspect of sociology and, based on the reports I have been reading, I do not believe this characterizes the mission of the Catholic Church.
As I've said previously, that which seems to be a reality can blow away faster than a tissue in a thunderstorm. What I see now is that there has been a significant and cynical attempt to slander the Catholic Church. I am not a Catholic nor am I an apologist for the Church. Mis-characterizing something as NAZI is one of the gravest insults there can be and that's what offends me.
(I have updated the following to include links to appropriate resources. All are required reading for a full appreciation of the point of this.)
Watching "Schindler's List" is only part of what I consider the obligation to be as that invites an array of other questions. One person said Schindler wasn't much, some people saved thousands or even tens of thousands of Jews. Then I began reading and I talked with Cat. She told me that in the Talmud there is something that, very roughly paraphrased, says that saving one life is everything.
I heard the testimony that 'what Schindler did was not so much' but let's ask the Schindlerjuden (Jewish people Schindler helped). Over a hundred were still alive at the time of the shooting of the movie and they have about six thousand descendants now. Let's ask them.
Then I read the list of recognitions in Israel for those who had helped to defend against the Holocaust, those who had given material aid to Jews to rescue them, frequently at risk to their own lives. In that list is a reference to Dorothea Neff, an Austrian actress, who had a Jewish friend, Lili Schiff, who was also an actress. She was hidden in her friend's basement through the war and this kept her alive. Just as with the Talmud, whether it was one person or ten thousand, it was a life saved. Perhaps that makes it clear which life they mean.
Through that review I saw one reference after the other to Catholic priests. Cat said that perhaps only one was from Germany. That's as may be but there were a great many others and they did a great deal to rescue Jews. Note specifically that very few Italian Jews were executed and this was as a direct result of public statements by Pope Pius. Due to the Pope's efforts, Italy refused to send Jews to Germany and that didn't even start until Mussolini was overthrown.
(Cat has a background with Catholicism and she lives near Munich. She was not being negative about Germany or Catholicism but rather was reporting the facts as she knows them and her honesty regarding Germany has shown me more than reading alone ever could.)
My reading did not include anything regarding assistance by German priests and / or the Vatican for Nazis escaping to South America. I am assuming that these stories are, at least to some extent, true but this is a different aspect of sociology and, based on the reports I have been reading, I do not believe this characterizes the mission of the Catholic Church.
As I've said previously, that which seems to be a reality can blow away faster than a tissue in a thunderstorm. What I see now is that there has been a significant and cynical attempt to slander the Catholic Church. I am not a Catholic nor am I an apologist for the Church. Mis-characterizing something as NAZI is one of the gravest insults there can be and that's what offends me.
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