Catholic scholars urge pope to slow Pius sainthood

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ROME (Reuters) - Top Catholic scholars have written an unusual and impassioned private letter to Pope Benedict urging him to slow down the sainthood procedure for wartime Pope Pius XII, accused of turning a blind eye to the Holocaust.
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The letter, which was made available to Reuters by a source familiar with the initiative, is extremely rare because in the past it has mostly been Jewish groups and not Catholic academics who have written to popes about the issue.
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The 18 Catholic scholars from United States, Germany and Australia, used the word “implore” twice in the letter, saying that if Pius was made a saint before the historical record is cleared up, it could irreparably harm Catholic-Jewish relations.
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“Holy Father, we implore you, acting on your wisdom as a renowned scholar, professor and teacher, to be patient with the cause of Pius XII,” the scholars wrote in their letter.
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Read more at: reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61G28Y20100217
 
Well - it doesn’t mean anything to me unless I know who the mysterious “18 scholars” are. Once they reveal that, then we can talk. Otherwise it could be written by anyone.

~Liza
 
lizaanne said:
Well - it doesn’t mean anything to me unless I know who the mysterious “18 scholars” are. Once they reveal that, then we can talk. Otherwise it could be written by anyone.

~Liza
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Sorry, the article doesn’t say who the scholars are.:o
 
Just as a matter of interest from reading threads about making people saints because there’s something I don’t understand about what is going on.

Surely whether a person is a saint or not wouldn’t depend on the Church? Isn’t it a case of it being a process to do with whether the Church recognizes them as being saints or not?
 
Kaninchen said:
Just as a matter of interest from reading threads about making people saints because there’s something I don’t understand about what is going on.

Surely whether a person is a saint or not wouldn’t depend on the Church? Isn’t it a case of it being a process to do with whether the Church recognizes them as being saints or not?
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You’re absolutely correct.There are Billions of Saints in heaven who will never be declared Saints by the Church.Those who are declared Saints have lived lives of heroic virtue(Blessed Mother Theresa comes to mind)and God confirms their EARTHLY elevation or more acurratetly Recognition of Sainthood by God by at least two VERIFIABLE medical miracles.The Public earthly recognition of a Saint is meant for the Faithful to serve as an example of faithful deportment and to indicate to us that that persons intercessory prayers are worthy of us to seek.However due to the charism of Infallibility such a designation will never be wrong.:)(by the way St Christopher was never declared a saint by the Church but was a popular legend amongst the faithful.;))
 
lizaanne said:
That’s my point. The article is nothing but scuttlebutt and rumor unless it has names attached to the claim.

~Liza
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We do know where it came from - Bya Source. She is loaded with investigative talent and the pride of Reuters. 😃

(I here she’s Jewish)
 
Since both authors of this letter (Frs. Spicer and Pawlikowski) specialize in antisemetism, it is hard to believe that this is not the motivating factor in the letter, in other words, fear of reaction as opposed to objective reality. In any case, I think their concern needs to be considered, but it should not necessarily delay anything. If God chooses to heed his intercession, and this can be confirmed, then we can know he is a Saint. Let God decide.

We conform to Truth, no the other way around.
 
There’s an excellent book on this subject by Rabbi David Dalin called “The Myth of Hitler’s Pope.” He goes into some detail exploding the myth that Pius XII was in any way complicit in the Shoah. Rabbi Dalin goes on to discuss the clear historical evidence that the intervention of Pius XII saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jews, and that prominent Jewish intellectuals and politicians at the time heaped praise on the Pope for this reason.

Rabbi Dalin’s contention, and I think he is right about this, is that all the calumnies against Pius XII can be traced back to a play called “The Deputy” written by a dissident (liberal) Catholic. Ever since then, those liberals who want to discredit traditional Catholicism have used this web of deception and calumny to advance their cause, and unfortunately tricked many Jewish people into going along with it. Rabbi Dalin’s conclusion is that these liberals have shanghaied the tragedy of the Holocaust to serve their own agenda, which is an internal dispute to the Church. Rabbi Dalin sees this as a shameful and crass use of the Holocaust tragedy, and I agree with him.

Anyone interested in Pius XII and/or Catholic philosemitism should read the book.
 
Kaninchen said:
Just as a matter of interest from reading threads about making people saints because there’s something I don’t understand about what is going on.

Surely whether a person is a saint or not wouldn’t depend on the Church? Isn’t it a case of it being a process to do with whether the Church recognizes them as being saints or not?
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Very ‘on the money’ insight as usual…
 
I hope that Vatican officials might read (though I doubt they’d heed) the arguments of these Catholic writers. A man who shows his heroic virtue by slinking into the shadows and keeping conspicuously silent in the face of the greatest moral outrage of his time hardly rates being fast-tracked for having his image stamped on a medallion.
 
Doesn’t sound like anything more than cowering to “but what will the world think?? it could jeopardize our relations with jews” , they show little faith.

If Pius is meant to be addressed for Sainthood, he’s going to be.
Sonny1954 said:
I hope that Vatican officials might read (though I doubt they’d heed) the arguments of these Catholic writers. A man who shows his heroic virtue by slinking into the shadows and keeping conspicuously silent in the face of the greatest moral outrage of his time hardly rates being fast-tracked for having his image stamped on a medallion.
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This is a fallacious assessment.
 
Sonny1954 said:
I hope that Vatican officials might read (though I doubt they’d heed) the arguments of these Catholic writers. A man who shows his heroic virtue by slinking into the shadows and keeping conspicuously silent in the face of the greatest moral outrage of his time hardly rates being fast-tracked for having his image stamped on a medallion.
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“[Pope Pius XII] was instrumental in saving at least 700,000, but probably as many as 860,000 Jews from certain death at Nazi hands.”
  • Pinchas Lapide, historian, theologian and Israeli diplomat
“No keener rebuke has come to Nazism than from Pope Pius XI and his successor, Pope Pius XII.”
  • Rabbi Louis Finkelstein, Chancellor, Jewish Theological Seminary of America
“The people of Israel will never forget what His Holiness and his illustrious delegates, inspired by the eternal principles of religion, which form the very foundation of true civilization, are doing for our unfortunate brothers and sisters in the most tragic hour of our history, which is living proof of Divine Providence in this world.”
  • Rabbi Isaac Herzog, chief rabbi of Israel
“When fearful martyrdom came to our people in the decade of Nazi terror, the voice of the Pope was raised for the victims.”
  • Golda Meir, Foreign Minister and later Prime Minister of Israel
“The repeated interventions of the Holy Father on behalf of the Jewish communities in Europe has provoked the profoundest sentiments of appreciation and gratitude from Jews throughout the world.”
  • Rabbi Maurice Perlzweig, on behalf of the World Jewish Congress
Those are only a few testimonials. The very idea that Pope Pius XII in any way ignored the plight of the Jews is a huge calumny.
 
This is a fallacious assessment.

This is a vacuous comment. It means nothing and neither proves nor disproves anything.
 
Sonny1954 said:
I hope that Vatican officials might read (though I doubt they’d heed) the arguments of these Catholic writers. A man who shows his heroic virtue by slinking into the shadows…
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As Pope Pius XII is already been Venerable, this is obviously** not** the view of the Church. In fact, this characterization is downright uncharitable.
and keeping conspicuously silent in the face of the greatest moral outrage
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His** first** encyclical, Summi Pontificus, in 1939, denounced racism, cultural supremacy and totalitarianism. Many Jewish leaders of his time, including Golda Meier lauded his efforts during the war. The New York Times declared him the lone voice of opposition to Nazism remaining in Europe.

Only revisionist historians have looked back and criticized him, thinking they could have done better in the most trying of times. Unfortunately, some Catholics have bought the anti-catholic propaganda.
 
I am far from a scholar on this matter, but I have read several pieces concerning Pope Pius XII & the the war years and it seems to me that he did what he could w/out causing more deaths. If I not mistaken it was suggested to the Holy Father that if he came out to strongly it would have actually caused more people to suffer. Most accounts I have read state he may have save several 100,000 Jews. Hind-sight is always 20x20.

As for Catholic Scholars and their institutions I have a hard time taken what they say concerning the Catholic Church w/ a skepticism.

If the process supports sainthood for Pope Pius XII he should be canonized.

Peace & all good
 
In addition to Rabbi Dalin’s book I would encourage Catholic and Jew alike to read the book’The Last Three Popes and the Jews(Pius XI,Pius XII,and John XXIII) by Pinchas E. Lapide an Orthodox Rabbi.He wrote that Pius XII and those under his orders saved 860,000Jews,more than were saved by all other organizations combined.

Even my country dear saintly Canada in the person of then Prime Minister Mckenzie King spurned the Jews:

Prime Minister MacKenzie
King and Immigration
Director F.C. Blair kept
the number of Jewish
refugees small.
As the influence of Nazi-inspired hatred
threatened the Jewish communities of Europe,
Jews tried to head to safety in the United
States, Canada, Australia, and even Cuba.
Between 1933 and 1945,
less than 5000 Jews were
accepted into Canada.
Individual citizens, aid agencies and groups
tried to encourage the government to open its
borders to desperate Jewish refugees. Trying to
appeal to Canada’s economic interests,
companies like Canadian Pacific hand-selected
Jewish engineers for immigration. Skilled
professionals, particularly needed during the
war, applied to come to Canada. They were
almost universally rejected.
Jewish refugees were
placed in a special class.
Entry into Canada relied directly on the
Canadian cabinet. In spite of guarantees that
Canadian families would bear the financial
burdens, even schemes to allow orphans to
enter Canada were rejected.
The SS St. Louis, with
nearly 1000 refugees, was
turned away from
Canada.
On May 15, 1939, 907 German Jews left
Hamburg aboard the SS St. Louis with visas
allowing them to enter Cuba. But when they
arrived in Havana harbour, Cuba denied the
refugees entrance. The St. Louis was then
turned away from Panama, Argentina,
Colombia, Chile and Paraguay. Canada, the last
hope for the refugees aboard that ship, refused
them entry. The St. Louis sailed back to
Europe. Very few of the refugees survived the
Holocaust.

June 7, 1939: Prime Minister Mackenzie King turns away Jewish refugees on board the SS St. Louis.(Moment)
I am sick unto death of the lies and calumny heaped upon our Church and the Sainted Pius XII.

AS A canadian I am ashamed.As a Catholic I could not be prouder.Pius XII is already a Saint,but we must be brave enough to declare him so.Let the rest of the world including our elder brothers the Jews catch up!
 
Soutane said:
In addition to Rabbi Dalin’s book I would encourage Catholic and Jew alike to read the book’The Last Three Popes and the Jews(Pius XI,Pius XII,and John XXIII) by Pinchas E. Lapide an Orthodox Rabbi.He wrote that Pius XII and those under his orders saved 860,000Jews,more than were saved by all other organizations combined.

Even my country dear saintly Canada in the person of then Prime Minister Mckenzie King spurned the Jews:

Prime Minister MacKenzie
King and Immigration
Director F.C. Blair kept
the number of Jewish
refugees small.
As the influence of Nazi-inspired hatred
threatened the Jewish communities of Europe,
Jews tried to head to safety in the United
States, Canada, Australia, and even Cuba.
Between 1933 and 1945,
less than 5000 Jews were
accepted into Canada.
Individual citizens, aid agencies and groups
tried to encourage the government to open its
borders to desperate Jewish refugees. Trying to
appeal to Canada’s economic interests,
companies like Canadian Pacific hand-selected
Jewish engineers for immigration. Skilled
professionals, particularly needed during the
war, applied to come to Canada. They were
almost universally rejected.
Jewish refugees were
placed in a special class.
Entry into Canada relied directly on the
Canadian cabinet. In spite of guarantees that
Canadian families would bear the financial
burdens, even schemes to allow orphans to
enter Canada were rejected.
The SS St. Louis, with
nearly 1000 refugees, was
turned away from
Canada.
On May 15, 1939, 907 German Jews left
Hamburg aboard the SS St. Louis with visas
allowing them to enter Cuba. But when they
arrived in Havana harbour, Cuba denied the
refugees entrance. The St. Louis was then
turned away from Panama, Argentina,
Colombia, Chile and Paraguay. Canada, the last
hope for the refugees aboard that ship, refused
them entry. The St. Louis sailed back to
Europe. Very few of the refugees survived the
Holocaust.

June 7, 1939: Prime Minister Mackenzie King turns away Jewish refugees on board the SS St. Louis.(Moment)
I am sick unto death of the lies and calumny heaped upon our Church and the Sainted Pius XII.
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Why in anyone’s right mind would do such a thing?:mad::mad::mad:
They condemned these Jews to death. While our Church did everything in her power to save as many lives as she could.
 
The fact that these “scholars” don’t reveal who they are speaks volumes about their credibility.
 
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