Is the Black Legend at last dissolving?
Despite the work done to clear Pius XII's name, it seemed to many of us that little headway was being made to defeat what we knew to be the greatest calumny of the twentieth century. We knew that not only was Pius XII innocent of the charges, but that he was the very opposite both in deed and belief. Anti-Semitism and Nazism were abhorrent to him, and he did all that was in his power to save as many Jews from Hitler's extermination plans as he could.
But there has been a change, a change so great that it now looks like the Black Legend is dissolving. If it is, it is happening in no small part due to the efforts of an American Jew, Gary Krupp, of the Path the Way Foundation (http://www.ptwf.org/index.htm).
In a number of interviews and written pieces, Gary Krupp says that he 'grew up hating Pius XII, believing him to be an anti-Semite and a Nazi collaborator.' Through a 'providential' set of circumstances, related in an article in Galus Australis (Jewish Knight defends Pope XII), he became exposed to documents and oral histories that told a very different story. He said, 'my eyes were opened to a reality that was literally shocking. My emotions went from shock to anger. We discovered that we have been deceived by those whom we trusted for historical accuracy – that is, the scholars and historians.'
It was the beginning of a tenacious and feverish search for supporting evidence and documentation. In the four years since, he has uncovered literally thousands of documents demonstrating the calumny of the Black Legend, for which there is increasing evidence that the Soviet KGB was its originator.
I want to sincerely thank and pay tribute to Gary Krupp and the Pave the Way Foundation for the work they have done and are doing in undoing a terrible injustice. Immediately below are links to an interview with Gary Krupp and an eye-opening power point display which I strongly urge the reader to follow.
Gary Krupp interview on EWTN on the research of Pope Pius XII
Is Pope Pius XII a Righteous Gentile or Hitler's Pope? Watch this 56 minute narrated Power Point then you decide
More at GerardCharlesWilson.com
Pius XII image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
I agree with you. Bias in the Catholic Church is responsible for the sacking of Father Peter Kennedy and the driving of his congregation out of St. Mary's Church.
ReplyDeleteThat Pius XII, certainly sounds like a bad fellow. Jews aren't Christ Killers like he said and we should treat them better.
It seems Anonymous we would probably not agree on much.
ReplyDeleteFr Peter Kennedy was sacked for a variety of reasons one of which included his rejection of core Catholic beliefs. Most of his supporters who attended St Mary’s Catholic Church South Brisbane than chose, of their own free will, to follow him out of the Catholic Church even though they had been encouraged to stay. As such your contention that Fr Kennedy’s congregation was driven out of St Mary’s seems incorrect.
With regard to Pope Pius XII, the overwhelming evidence indicates he was a great man. Just read the many kind words spoken about him by Jews not long after World War II:
From Golda Meir (Former Israeli Prime Minister):
“We share in the grief of humanity [at the death of Pius XII]…. When fearful martyrdom came to our people in the decade of Nazi terror, the voice of the pope was raised for the victims. The life of our times was enriched by a voice speaking out on the great moral truths above the tumult of daily conflict. We mourn a great servant of peace.”
From Rabbi Louis Finkelstein, chancellor, Jewish Theological Seminary of America:
“No keener rebuke has come to Nazism than from Pope Pius XI and his successor, Pope Pius XII.”
From Rabbi Alexander Safran, chief rabbi of Romania:
“In the most difficult hours of which we Jews of Romania have passed through, the generous assistance of the Holy See…was decisive and salutary. It is not easy for us to find the right words to express the warmth and consolation we experienced because of the concern of the supreme pontiff, who offered a large sum to relieve the sufferings of deported Jews…. The Jews of Romania will never forget these facts of historic importance.”
From Rabbi Isaac Herzog, chief rabbi of Israel:
“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.”
From Moshe Sharett (who later became Israel’s first foreign minister and second prime minister):
“I told [Pope Pius XII] that my first duty was to thank him, and through him the Catholic Church, on behalf of the Jewish public for all they had done in the various countries to rescue Jews…. We are deeply grateful to the Catholic Church.”