It seems a large part of the controversy stems from the movement to canonize Pope Pius XII - speculation still arises regarding the perception that Pius XII did nothing to aid the Jews being persecuted by Nazi Germany.
http://www.catholic.com/library/HOW_Pius_XII_PROTECTED_JEWS.asp
"Quite possibly he saved more Jews than all of the world's religious and political leaders combined. Moreover, in the true spirit of heroism, he did all this with the direct threat of German rifles leveled 200 yards beneath his very windows." http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-26179
http://www.zenit.org/article-28048?l=english
The vindication of Pius XII has been established principally by Jewish writers and from Israeli archives. It is now established that the Pope supervised a rescue network which saved 860,000 Jewish lives - more than all the international agencies put together.
After the war the Chief Rabbi of Israel thanked Pius XII for what he had done. The Chief Rabbi of Rome went one step further. He became a Catholic. He took the name Eugenio. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/piusdef.html
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One thing I'm not so clear about... I understand the desire for peaceful talk and relationship with the Jews, but TRUE ecumenism means we're still praying and hoping for their conversion. I understand we should not be "carrying a big stick" to beat them into submission - but we need to also be firm that our goal is their conversion to Jesus Christ - THEIR Messiah!
ReplyDeleteWe must be careful not to be preaching appeasement to the Jews. Salvation truly is NOT through their religion anymore. The Old Covenant has been fulfilled and salvation is through the New Covenant through the Church which Jesus Christ built.