"when you stand praying, forgive, that your Father in heaven may forgive your trespasses."- Mark 11:25
It was the Biblical writer and Christian disciple Luke that wrote: "Take heed to yourselves: If your brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him." Luke was clear on the subject of forgiveness. Forgiveness begins with an apology and when an apology isn't forth coming, a rebuke is certainly in order.
Judging by the spiritual law that governs Pope Benedict XVI the rebuke coming out of Israel, America, England, Australia, Asia, India, Russia and the world over (yes even in Italy and Germany) are all justifiable.
The issue is about the Vatican, whose been acutely aware that Israel had hoped for a public apology upon the Papal visit to the Holy Land, but Pope Benedict has had an unrepentant spirit. Instead of a spirit of cooperation and respect as he asked of Israel. The facts as they stand are at best egregious.
What's there to apologize for? First, for the decisions made early in this Pope's life when he joined the Hitler Youth and was drafted into the German forces, deserting only towards the end of the war. Second, the Pope has allowed priests that have been anti-semetic to stay within the church (Bishop Richard Williamson and the "Society of Pius X" clan). Moreover, the Pope has made plans to declare Pope Pius XII a saint; for those who may not know, Pope Pius XII has been often referred to as the Nazi era pope, whom by his inaction and back turning, allowed Hitler to murder Jews.
This does not include the most recent trespass of the Pope during this visit to Israel, when he sat through a politically placed venomous speech by leading Palestinian cleric Sheikh Tamimi, at what was billed to be an evening devoted to interfaith dialogue. Pope Benedict stayed to hear the one-sided rants about Israel killing children, destroying homes and mosques in Gaza, of course, without even a scant mention of the thousands of rockets that Gaza has fired into Israel or the suicide bombers allowed to exist without impunity. The Pope didn't leave immediately but rather walked out, but not before shaking the hand of the hateful cleric, and only towards the end of this gathering.
All this was happening while Neo-Nazi's attacked survivors of the holocaust at a nearby memorial service for those who died in the concentration camps. Yes, in the wake of Pope Benedict calling Israel to peace and forgiveness and the giving up of more land to it's enemies, Neo-Nazis screaming 'Heil Hitler' attacked concentration camp survivors during a memorial service for the 345,000 killed (as had been reported by UK's Daily Mail).
It suffices to say that Jews, Jewish religious leaders, Christians and Christian leaders alike have a reason to rebuke this Pope for not having apologized as a German for the genocide, as a Catholic for their ignorance and as a Christian as The Bible commands us to do.
In spite of this the Vatican is already defending it, even to the ridiculous extent of denying the Pope's participation in the Hitler Youth. I predict that it won't be long before the Catholic League's Bill Donahue justifies it too.
A PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR...
Let's be real clear on this (Do you hear me Bill? Are you listening Vatican City?) Pope Benedict XVI must apologize if Catholics ever want to win the trust of fellow Christian faiths... yes, that's right, Christian faiths such as Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Baptists and the like... because like the Jewish community, we don't trust the motives of today's Catholic leaders. As for the Jewish people, I think the Pope has lost them.
Judging by the spiritual law that governs Pope Benedict XVI the rebuke coming out of Israel, America, England, Australia, Asia, India, Russia and the world over (yes even in Italy and Germany) are all justifiable.
The issue is about the Vatican, whose been acutely aware that Israel had hoped for a public apology upon the Papal visit to the Holy Land, but Pope Benedict has had an unrepentant spirit. Instead of a spirit of cooperation and respect as he asked of Israel. The facts as they stand are at best egregious.
What's there to apologize for? First, for the decisions made early in this Pope's life when he joined the Hitler Youth and was drafted into the German forces, deserting only towards the end of the war. Second, the Pope has allowed priests that have been anti-semetic to stay within the church (Bishop Richard Williamson and the "Society of Pius X" clan). Moreover, the Pope has made plans to declare Pope Pius XII a saint; for those who may not know, Pope Pius XII has been often referred to as the Nazi era pope, whom by his inaction and back turning, allowed Hitler to murder Jews.
This does not include the most recent trespass of the Pope during this visit to Israel, when he sat through a politically placed venomous speech by leading Palestinian cleric Sheikh Tamimi, at what was billed to be an evening devoted to interfaith dialogue. Pope Benedict stayed to hear the one-sided rants about Israel killing children, destroying homes and mosques in Gaza, of course, without even a scant mention of the thousands of rockets that Gaza has fired into Israel or the suicide bombers allowed to exist without impunity. The Pope didn't leave immediately but rather walked out, but not before shaking the hand of the hateful cleric, and only towards the end of this gathering.
All this was happening while Neo-Nazi's attacked survivors of the holocaust at a nearby memorial service for those who died in the concentration camps. Yes, in the wake of Pope Benedict calling Israel to peace and forgiveness and the giving up of more land to it's enemies, Neo-Nazis screaming 'Heil Hitler' attacked concentration camp survivors during a memorial service for the 345,000 killed (as had been reported by UK's Daily Mail).
It suffices to say that Jews, Jewish religious leaders, Christians and Christian leaders alike have a reason to rebuke this Pope for not having apologized as a German for the genocide, as a Catholic for their ignorance and as a Christian as The Bible commands us to do.
In spite of this the Vatican is already defending it, even to the ridiculous extent of denying the Pope's participation in the Hitler Youth. I predict that it won't be long before the Catholic League's Bill Donahue justifies it too.
A PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR...
Let's be real clear on this (Do you hear me Bill? Are you listening Vatican City?) Pope Benedict XVI must apologize if Catholics ever want to win the trust of fellow Christian faiths... yes, that's right, Christian faiths such as Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Baptists and the like... because like the Jewish community, we don't trust the motives of today's Catholic leaders. As for the Jewish people, I think the Pope has lost them.
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