+ Sts. Rufus and Zosimus, Martyrs+
As the war in Israel rages on and anti-Semitism allegations against Pope Pius XII continue to be lobbed, implicating the pre-Vatican 2 Church in the persecution of those practicing the Jewish faith, those accusing the Church of anti-Semitism might wish to consider the article below written by none other than the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in 1958. This article was reprinted in The Catholic Mind in 1959. It will bring sneers from certain LibTrads all too willing to believe the worst of Pope Pius XII and who certainly will now consider him a “Jew lover.” But it should be entered into evidence as proof that far from persecuting the Jews, Pope Pius XII did all he could to assist them and protect them. This of course without ever compromising Catholic belief or the Liturgy in any way. All in perfect accord with the command of the Master: “Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you” (Matt. 5: 43-44).
Wishing you a blessed conclusion of the Advent season this week and every grace.
Dear Teresa,
Thank you, everything is generally understandable and acceptable to me, except that I don’t understand why Pope Pius XII allowed ritual slaughter in the Vatican City? I think there are things the Nazis did right in banning ritual slaughter, whatever their real intent was. It also comes from the Jewish laws of the Old Testament, but it is no longer valid. It’s one thing to have foreign religious rituals, but it’s quite another to feed the hungry and give them shelter.
Blessed Christmas to you and all other true Catholic readers.
A Mary ChristMass and many blessings Rihard.
Hard to say why Pope Pius XII did this but Mussolini had severely restricted the Jews’ practice of their religion during the war years in Italy and I think he was trying to compensate for that as well as show them that the Church at least did not wish to engage in any thing that would be interpreted as anti-Semitic. I have something on this somewhere and when I find it will send it to you.