Not only has Joseph Alois Ratzinger, better known as terrible person Pope Benedict XVI, faced his own criticism about the Holocaust, he’s been taking a buttload thanks to his paving the way for Holocaust-era Pope Pius XII to become a saint, despite widespread criticism that Pius did little to nothing to save Italy’s Jews from the Nazi regime. But now the Vatican is on a whole new warpath to ensure Pius gets his due: insist the Church was working, covertly, to save the Jews!
Speaking to Jewish leaders in a synagogue, the pope, without mentioning Pius by name, insisted at the time the Vatican “itself provided assistance, often in a hidden and discreet way.” You see, the silence from Pius — who served as pope from 1939 to 1958 — wasn’t proof that he didn’t care; it’s that he was working ever so quietly to secure safety for the Jewish people without making a sound!
Now where have I heard this before?
Am I comparing Barack Obama to the deceased pope? No, not directly. Mostly, these are apples and oranges. But the twosome’s methodology for supposedly preventing harm and oppression done to a people they claim to want to protect is eerily familiar. Pius supposedly worked behind the scenes, without making a public fuss, over the extermination of Jews. Meanwhile, Obama has remained all but silent on the proposed extermination of gays (in Uganda), and has remained all but silent and inactive on one LGBT equality fight after another.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Nick
Right on, Queerty… great comparison.
James UK
Public gestures of support can change minds, or at least soften hearts.
Princess Diana hugging and holding the hand of an AIDS patient in front of the ever present news media at the height of the moral panic is perhaps a case in point.
But then again, she wasn’t elected and didn’t need to worry about mid-terms.
Change you can believe in?
More like the king is dead, long live the king.
ossurworld
Pius used to have private, two-way conversations with the Virgin Mary. So far, Obama has not been on the Ouija board with Oscar Wilde.
1EqualityUSA
Pope Benedict XVI will have some pope in the future glossing over his crimes too. Twisted gang.
Jeff K.
To be fair, I don’t think the comparison is very apt because we gays are not yet being systematically exterminated.
At least not yet. Wait until the Ugandans take over the world.
Lynn
Wow. I am not knowledgeable enough to take a stand on this issue. But Pius XII has had advocates for decades, long before Pope Benedict pushed his canonization. Here is a an article from a Catholic apologist who cites several Jewish sources in support of Pius XII:
http://www.catholic.com/library/HOW_Pius_XII_PROTECTED_JEWS.asp
He is certainly a controversial pope. I recall one famous book called him “Hitler’s Pope.”
christopher di spirito
This is an overreach of epic proportions, Queerty.
Kieran
To be fair, if you’re going to talk of the “Holocaust Pope”
you should also mention the “Holocaust President” Roosevelt and the “Holocaust Prime Minister” Churchill, because they didn’t do very much to stop the extermination of the Jews either.
elliot bassman
Pius’ silence unhinged the sacred core of The Testaments-
“The Word.”
In choosing to deny “The Word”- the cornerstone expressing God’s Will and Message, Pius villified himself and the Church.
And in doing so, his silence and overt complacency barred the Holy Ghost from saving a Europe gone Mad, And by his silence he condemned as well, the Son’s family and the family’s survival.
He betrayed Sanctuary.
He joins hands with the German neighbors who claim to have seen nothing unusual, and he is likened to the leaders who washed their hands from sending aircraft to destroy the tracks leading to torture and death.
The unholy silence pivoted a resolute mania.
Now the blood of innocents bleed throughout the halls of the Vatican.
Opulent floors and gold pillars are flooded with the endless tears of innocent children. And the glorious statues of MOSES and DAVID
have crumbled in the path of a civilization destroyed.
***************
And so be wary too, Mr. President, … to break one’s words and promises…..to lie and to raise false hopes, to navigate betrayal…….it does not matter if Pius is ordained a saint- the throne of the Truth pulses in our hearts.
—————–elliot bassman, artist and commentator
rudy
Pius was not merely silent in the face of the Holocaust – he entered into agreements (concordats) with both Hitler and Mussolini that stated the Vatican would not criticize their actions in exchange for the nazi and fascist regimes guarantee that they would interfere in the appointment of bishops or confiscate church lands.
schlukitz
No. 4 · 1EqualityUSA
Pope Benedict XVI will have some pope in the future glossing over his crimes too. Twisted gang.
There is no shortage of throw-down weapons at the Vatican.
schlukitz
No. 7 · christopher di spirito
This is an overreach of epic proportions, Queerty.
An overreach of what Pope Pius XII did, or words President Obama has failed to keep?
If you fail to see the comparison, then you haven’t been paying attention.
christopher di spirito
Schlukitz — Wrong again. The failure is your read on history.
The complacency and the silence of the Roman Catholic Church during WWII is one of the components that allowed for the deaths of 6 million Jews and thousands of gays and lesbians to unfold.
Please enlighten us, Schlukitz. How has anything even remotely similar happened in the USA during the 12 months since Obama has been president?
This ought to be good.
1EqualityUSA
Christopher Di Spirito asked, “How has anything even remotely similar happened in the USA during the 12 months since Obama has been president?” in post #12. Many steps need to happen before such an atrocity can take place. Complacency speeds the process. True, Obama’s comparison is an overreach. The disappointment comes from a political character appealing to the gay communities hurt, only to ignore us once in power. If such a man can flip-flop so readily, then what are other politicians capable of allowing? Complacency, on the part of any community, is the first note of a very sorrowful symphony. “Paying attention” is necessary.
jason
This is a very good comparison from the editors of Queerty. Silence speaks volumes.
terrwill
Many were defacto nazi partners during the holocust simply by being silent and not acting to prevent the genocide from continuing……..It seems that Pope Bendadick is still ticked off that he couldn’t do more as a boy nazi to assist in the anilhation of the Jews. With all that is known now about what happened, his actions are reprehensive……..
schlukitz
Thank you, 1EqualityUSA for saying it far better than I could have.
terrwill
@schlukitz: Hey stranger, you notice a certain vermin isn’t infecting these threads any more? I think the link to that site giving info that was gathered about him and that there was a possible FBI investigation into his antics have made him scurry away………….
schlukitz
No. 18 · terrwill
@schlukitz: Hey stranger, you notice a certain vermin isn’t infecting these threads any more?
Plop. Plop. Fizz. Fizz.
What a relief it is! ;P