My Jewish friend's opinion on the "Hitler Youth" Pope

[Mizmoon]

"It was intentional. They didn't like John Paul making friends with us."

Ugh. Ratzinger was a really bad choice.

[Tinoire]

1. Your Jewish friend

needs to spend less time listing to dumb rumors and more time researching.

Ugh. It's pathethic that too many people in this country know SO little about the world and people around them that they believe the first thing they hear. It shows an incredible lack of awareness that people don't realize that Cardinal Ratzinger was Pope John Paul II's lead collaborator on rapprochement with the Jewish people and with Muslims. He was also one of the prime movers in the Catholic Church on ecumenical dialog but knowing that would require research. Hopefully your friend will trust the ADL more than vapid, unfounded opinions. Of course, what the hell would the ADL know :shrug:

ADL Welcomes Election of Cardinal Ratzinger as New Pope


New York, NY, April 19, 2005 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed the election of German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as the new Pope, Benedict XVI. Under his leadership in Germany and Rome, the Catholic Church made important strides in improving Catholic-Jewish relations and atoning for the sin of anti-Semitism. Cardinal Ratzinger has been a leader in this effort and has made important statements in the spirit of sensitivity and reconciliation with the Jewish people.

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

We welcome the new Papacy of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. From the Jewish perspective, the fact that he comes from Europe is important, because he brings with him an understanding and memory of the painful history of Europe and of the 20th Century experience of European Jewry.

Having lived through World War II, Cardinal Ratzinger has great sensitivity to Jewish history and the Holocaust. He has shown this sensitivity countless times, in meetings with Jewish leadership and in important statements condemning anti-Semitism and expressing profound sorrow for the Holocaust. We remember with great appreciation his Christmas reflections on December 29, 2000, when he memorably expressed remorse for the anti-Jewish attitudes that persisted through history, leading to "deplorable acts of violence" and the Holocaust. Cardinal Ratzinger said: "Even if the most recent, loathsome experience of the Shoah (Holocaust) was perpetrated in the name of an anti-Christian ideology, which tried to strike the Christian faith at its Abrahamic roots in the people of Israel, it cannot be denied that a certain insufficient resistance to this atrocity on the part of Christians can be explained by an inherited anti-Judaism present in the hearts of not a few Christians."

Though as a teenager he was a member of the Hitler Youth, all his life Cardinal Ratzinger has atoned for the fact. In our years of working on improving Catholic-Jewish ties, ADL has had opportunities to work with Cardinal Ratzinger. We look forward to continuing that relationship.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.

http://www.adl.org/PresRele/VaticanJewish_96/44698_96.htm

[Mizmoon]

2. The JDF better communicate it better

because my buddy is pretty serious about his Judaism and he's pretty well convinced Ratzinger's an anti-semite.

I can understand how he feels even taking what you have posted into conisderation. It's hard to trust a person who has been associated with people who wanted to wipe your people out, his youth at the time notwithstanding.

[NYC2099]

3. Your buddy maybe serious about his judaism...

but he is none too bright...

[in_cog_ni_to]

6. how do you know how bright his/her friend is?

My husband, who is one of the most intelligent people I know, said the same thing. Are you Jewsih? Just wondering.

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. Your friend is entitled to his personal opinion.

My husband is Jewish and said the same exact thing last night. IT'S A PERSONAL OPINION. We'll see how happy the ADL is when Benedict swings into action, won't we? At the very least, it's a distasteful history he has and not one many Jews would embrace on a PERSONAL level.

[KharmaTrain]

5. A Nazi Is A Nazi...

At the outset, let me say I could care less about who was selected Pope, theology or 99% of what this man has or will do since it has such little affect on my life.

Being Jewish, I know a lot of people who harbor great antipathy towards Germans and Poles for the treatment of their grandparents, great-grandparents and so on. Many of us have grown up under a constant reminder of the Holocoust, and along with it other forms of state and church sponsored terrorism against the Jews of Eastern Europe.

Press Releases are a nice thing, but there's still resentment by Jews about the Catholic Church (it still hasn't really come clean about Pius and its connections to the Odessa network) that exists.

[Tinoire]

7. I don't know what else they can do. They put out press releases

& went on TV but reason is once again drowned out just as it was after 9-11. I really hope people start asking questions and thinking real, real quick because certain pseudo-Christians, pseudo-Jews and pseudo-Muslims have been trying to stir up religious wars for the last few years and they're on a real role. Ratzinger was vociferously against this war and earned no points with those people when he clearly stated so. The neos know full well that Ratzinger was John Paul II's right hand man on the war and on ecumenical dialog. They're eager to do as much damage to neutralize him now as they can. I hope thinking people don't fall for this emotional manipulation but seeing how readily we accepted the propaganda against Islam after 9-11, I don't have much hope for the average person but I do know that the ADL's statements will carry much weight for those who are aware of them. Please point it out to your friend. Ratzinger worked hand in hand with John Paul II on inter-faith dialog. It would be a shame to see John Paul II praised to high heavens and Ratzinger slurred during these desperate times when his voice is very much needed.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[in_cog_ni_to]

9. Pope John Paul didn't join the Hitler Youth.

They DID have a choice.

[theboss]

10. Pope John Paul II was six years older and in Poland

In 1941, a youth in Germany (which this Pope was) had no choice.

I guess you can demand that a 14 year old boy stand up to a dictatorship, but I won't make those kinds of demands.