Merkel: Pope must clarify Holocaust stance

[David Zephyr]

Source: Associated Press

BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Pope Benedict XVI to make a "very clear" rejection of Holocaust denials after the Vatican's rehabilitation of a former bishop who questioned whether 6 million Jews were gassed by the Nazis.

Merkel's rare and public demand came amid increasing outrage among Germany's Roman Catholic leaders over the pope's decision to lift the excommunication of British-born Richard Williamson.

Merkel said she "does not believe" there has been adequate clarification of the Vatican's position on the Holocaust amid the controversy.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090203/ap_on_re_eu/eu_germany_pope_holocaust

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Kudos to German Chancellor Angela Merkel! She apparently is breaking the silence of international leaders who have let Ratzinger get away with honoring a jackass who dimisses the Holocaust. Ratzinger, who was involved in Nazi youth activity needs to quit dodging this controversy with cryptic statements that appear to me to suggest that he agrees with the lie that the Nazis didn't torture and murder 6 million Jews.

President Obama should equally speak out. I have been outraged by this shit from the Vatican.

[nichomachus]

1. Oooh -- sounds like someone needs a neck rub

[BootinUp]

2. If we ever need a court jester, I would suggest

that buffoon might make a good choice.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

3. That picture always makes me giggle. nt

[SurfingScientist]

10. Kudos to "Angie" Merkel.

I am German (living in the US for 5+ yrs now), and am glad to have her as a chancellor.

It was about time someone spoke up about the Vatican's disgraceful decision.

German news magazine "Der Spiegel" (similar to Time magazine) has an online article about a very right-wing "Pius-Brotherhood" that's gaining/demanding influence within the catholic church (possibly related to that particular decision? - need to check).

As mentioned in another thread, Angie is also a REALLY smart one - former physics professor (yes!).

[roguevalley]

14. its good for her to do this. the burden of the Holocaust is so great

that no one should ever not challenge this sort of thing. I applaud her.

[wryter2000]

17. Welcome to DU

:hi:

Physics professor. I didn't know that. So sorry our buffoon manhandled your Chancellor.

[acmavm]

4. This is a pretty weird deal. How could anyone ever deny such a well-documented

historical event? Can someone ever truly believe that? Yeah, that's what I want to know. Is that really possible to believe.

It was not only Jews, it was Slavic peoples, homosexuals (or anyone they thought of as 'deviant'), the 'gypsys', anyone and everyone that offended them. No one can REALLY not know this didn't happen. I do not believe that.

Why would the church, or anyone, want anything to do with someone like this?

[nichomachus]

5. You have to remember

that the pope and his followers have built an empire on a fable, for which there is no solid historical evidence. So, this is kind of the flip side of that.

[acmavm]

7. Nah, there's nothing in your statement to remember.

[nichomachus]

8. Brilliant refutation -- you must have gone to at least fourth grade

[acmavm]

9. No, third. And I'm in awe of your brilliance and wit. Now carry on.

[Bluenorthwest]

13. Right. What you have to remember is that Ratzinger

is a former Hitler Youth member, and this is kind of the flip side of that.

[Beregond2]

11. I'm trying to think of any human enterprise that HASN'T

been built on fables, and I'm coming up dry. Even science is built on the a priori assumption of the possibility of objectivity, which is fantastical, as quantum physics is proving.

I think a better objection would be to those parts of the Christian fable that have traditionally cast the Jews as villians, not to the fact that that is is a fable per se. In fact, that aspect of the story has been rejected by most Christians for many years. Ratzinger, of course, comes from an era prior to that revisionism, and from a country that was the worst offender.

I am constantly amazed by the Catholics who revere the memory of John Paul II, while reviling the current pope. Don't they realize he would never have been elected if not for JP2's packing the college of cardinals with reactionaries?

[ck4829]

6. Political motivations, maybe?

"Take away the Holocaust and what do you have left? Without their precious Holocaust, what are the Jews? Just a grubby little bunch of international bandits and assassins and squatters who have perpetrated the most massive, cynical fraud in human history...I recall seeing a television program on revisionism a few years ago which closed with Deborah Lipstadt making some statement to the effect that: the real purpose of Holocaust revisionism is to make National Socialism an acceptable political alternative again. I normally don't agree with anything a Jew says, but I recall exclaiming, 'Bingo! Got it in one! Give that lady a cigar!'" -- "On Revisionism" by Harold Covington (writing under the pseudonym Winston Smith), NSNet Bulletin #5, July 24, 1996

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Socialist_White_People%27s_Party#Covington.27s_comment_on_Holocaust_denial

[IndianaGreen]

12. This is the same Pope pushing for canonization of controversial Pope Pius XII

I agree with you that President Obama should speak out and condemn the Pope's appeasement of Holocaust deniers. Millions died because no one gave a shit!

PS: Nice to see you again, David!

[David Zephyr]

19. I'm back.

Tom Daschle can be blamed for my return. LOL.

Thanks, IG. You know I love you.

[LeftishBrit]

15. Glad Merkel's speaking out...

Wonder if Dear Tony will say anything; after all, he recently officially converted to Catholicism.

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. It's not just WIlliamson's holocaust denial - it's the Society of St. Pius X's anti-semitism

The Pope acts as if he was surprised to hear holocaust denial from Williamson; but the organisation that he and the other un-excommunicated 'bishops' belongs to has a long history of anti-semitism.

Here is an article about it; the link to the article "The Mystery of the Jews" on the SSPX site still works. I would link to that directly, but frankly it is so anti-semitic that it would break DU rules to do so.

[Sedona]

18. This is what happens when make the Hitler Youth Pope

[IndianaGreen]

20. Had the war lasted a little longer, Ratzo would have joined the Waffen SS

and he would be growing mandioca and cotton in Paraguay today with his other nazi pals.

[Hekate]

21. Good for Chancellor Merkel! Just for that we'll keep Bush off her neck!

This is really excellent on her part.

Hekate