The mere fact that Pope Benedict XVI defended his predecessor Pius XII against Jewish critics speaks louder than all speeches to the world. Visits to synagogues by Pope Benedict XVI contending that the Vatican “itself provided assistance, often in a hidden and discreet way” only gives recognition to the church’s failure to stand up to all Nazi atrocities.
Most of Europe (and the United States too) stood silent while the massacre of Jews occurred. What is more astonishing is that millions of non-Jews were also murdered by the Third Reich and the church remained silent.
Pius XII will undoubtedly be declared a saint no matter what the opinion of the rest of the world. Benedict’s decision to revoke the excommunication of a renegade bishop, who had denied that millions of Jews died in the Holocaust, only adds to the proof that religion is no longer a guiding light.
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