Deep Pencil - the musings of Morgan Bell

Some of my friends live in our yard, others visit it, still others live elsewhere and I visit them. Come and read about all my feathered friends...

So off to the gas chambers they went, without so much a taxi or a loaf of bread.

Why care about the dealings of ANY religious body, since your posts have celarly demonsrated your belief that the religious are irrational bigots who are the source of the worlds woes?

Hitler did rise to power on a platform of ridding Germany of Jewish people, i know many people believe the rise of Hitler and the Holocaust were approved by the Catholic church, and supported by Catholic people

Hitler did rise to power on a platform of ridding Germany of Jewish people, i know many people believe the rise of Hitler and the Holocaust were approved by the Catholic church, and supported by Catholic people

"At a time when the heads of the major nations in the world faced the new Germany with cool reserve and considerable suspicion, the Catholic Church, the greatest moral power on earth, through the Concordat expressed its confidence in the new German government. This was a deed of immeasurable significance for the reputation of the new government abroad."

The author has been praised for attempting to bring into the open the debate on the Catholic Church's relationship with the Nazis, but also accused of making unsubstantiated claims and ignoring positive evidence. Some commentators have characterized the book as having since been "debunked". The author, himself, has since retracted his accusations in substantial part, saying that it is "impossible to judge the motives" of the Pope. but that "Nevertheless, due to his ineffectual and diplomatic language in respect of the Nazis and the Jews, I still believe that it was incumbent on him to explain his failure to speak out after the war. This he never did."

hi Ruby,

maybe shes including it because the victims of the holocaust were selected based on their religion?

Hitler did rise to power on a platform of ridding Germany of Jewish people, i know many people believe the rise of Hitler and the Holocaust were approved by the Catholic church, and supported by Catholic people

also i find American Atheists anticipate certain well-worn arguments, such as the common erroneous assertion that Hitler was an Atheist, i dare say Laci was over-compensating by placing sole blame in the opposite direction

Vatican apologises over holocaust


The Vatican has apologised to Jews on behalf of the entire Roman Catholic community, for failing to speak out against the Nazi holocaust during World War Two.

The Vatican's long-anticipated response to the killing of six million Jews was published in Rome on Monday.

The Head of the Vatican Commission, Cardinal Edward Cassidy, said the Vatican's statement amounted to an act of repentance as well as an apology.

The document asks whether persecution was made easier because some Christians held anti-Jewish prejudices.

But it also declares that many people were unaware of Hitler's so-called "final solution".

Pope John Paul has said he hopes the apology will help to heal the wounds of past injustices and misunderstandings between Christians and Jews.

But the document makes no criticism of the Pope of the time, Pius XII, who has been accused by the Jews of pro-German tendencies.

The Vatican mentions that Pius XII saved hundreds of thousands of Jewish lives himself or through his representatives.

But the document fails to explain why Pope Pius never took sides during World War Two by speaking out against the holocaust while it was actually taking place.
The Vatican has always maintained he did everything he could behind the scenes to stop the slaughter.

The US Jewish community voiced disappointment at the Vatican's statement .

"We are very sad, very disappointed," said Rabbi Leon Klenicki, director of the Department of Interfaith Affairs of the Anti Defamation League.

"The document falls short of the mark, it's taking a step backward," Rabbi Klenicki said.

The World Jewish Congress (WJC) issued a terse statement saying "those of us engaged in the dialogue have not yet succeeded."

Catholic Bishops in France, Germany and Poland admitted they were at fault for their failure to react to Jewish persecution half a century ago.

But it was not until 1965 that the Vatican eliminated the phrase "perfidious Jews" from the liturgy of a Holy Week service.

Catholic Bishops in France, Germany and Poland admitted they were at fault for their failure to react to Jewish persecution half a century ago.

But it was not until 1965 that the Vatican eliminated the phrase "perfidious Jews" from the liturgy of a Holy Week service.

But Morgan is correct in saying that there is such a debate. But simply talking about it does not make one an anti-Catholic bigot.