I don't think it was unintentional. Good relations with catholic church is an expetion, not a rule for jews. Catholic church was always a harbor of antisemits, and now good relations with arabs are lot more important to catholic church then good relation with jews and Israel. Expect more anti-Israel rethoric and actions from the catholic church in close future.

What a bull s**t !!! He is a catholic pope, not jewish rabbi, so why he should pay more attention for Jews? Firstly he should meet with catholic people and his pilgrimage is build this way. He will be in Auschwitz-Birkenau where he will meet and talk with Jews. It's not true that catholic church is antisemitic or antizionistic. John Paul II always wanted to talk with other religions and always pray for unity and peace. Also did you see any rabbi which pray at the catholic church witch catholic people? I didn't, but JPII did it many times. So firstly think if you want to say that somebody is against Izrael. PEACE

He forgot even to shake the hands of every Jewish in the city ... he must be an anti-simitic Pop .... lol ... you are a trouble makers ..... strange people you are you make problems from the air

"What a bull s**t !!! He is a catholic pope, not jewish rabbi, so why he should pay more attention for Jews?" Here's why: Because Poland is a vast Jewish graveyard. Because Poland was and is a virulently anti-Semitic nation. Because Poland introduced a whole raft of anti-Jewish measures a full five years before she was invaded by the Nazis. Because Poles engaged in pogroms both during and (most incredibly) after the Holocaust. Because, despite their own oppression, the vast majority of Poles openly collaborated with the Nazis in murdering millions of Jews. Because virtually all of the property stolen from Jews that was murdered still lies in the hands of the thieves and their descendants. Because the Warsaw uprising was an act of supreme courage. Because the uprising was not supported in any way by Polish gentiles. Because Poland is still in denial about her role in the Holocaust and her anti-Semitism. Because the Catholic church was the organisation chiefly responsible for anti-Semitism for many centuries. Because the Catholic church in Poland engaged in stirring up anti-Semitism before during and after the Holocaust. Because a large number of Catholic priests in Poland openly encouraged Poles to betray Jews to the Nazis. Because the Pope was a member of the Hitler Youth.

You can not ask for anything more to a Pope who was a "Hitler Jugend" himself. You can not ask for more to the Catholic Church as the Pope Pius XII, in charge during the IIWW, looted jewish property, and gave orders to the French Church not to return thousands of jewish orphans to their families and be raised like catholics. I find even this brief gesture an insult against the combattants of the Ghetto.

iF HE HAD TO SIT THERE AND GIVE BLESSINGS OVER EVERY MEMORIAL HE'D NEVER GET HIS JOB DONE

By not stopping and talking to the people who endangered their lives the Pope sent a very clear message: No acknowledgement of their brave and righteous deeds. It's like if a child brings home a good report card and the parent says very abruptly, "Oh, yeah, very nice." and continues what they were doing.

YNet has 7 rubriques (News, Opinion, Money, Culture, Jewish, Travel, Singles) and it decided to publish this item in the rubrique "Jewish". Do the people who work at YNet understand the word "Jewish"?

It is an admirable summary of Polish crimes against the Jews.

"Because Poland is a vast Jewish graveyard. " Yes. But it's also a vast Polish graveyard. "Because Poland was and is a virulently anti-Semitic nation." Evidence? "Because Poland introduced a whole raft of anti-Jewish measures a full five years before she was invaded by the Nazis." Evidence? What anti-Jewish measures do you have in mind? "Because Poles engaged in pogroms both during and (most incredibly) after the Holocaust." Evidence of Poles as a whole organizing pogroms during the German occupation? Certain Poles, yes. But not Poles as national community. Also: certain French, certain Dutch, certain Hungarians, certain Slovaks, certain Lithuanians, certain Latvians, certain Estonians, certain Belorussians, certain Croats, certain Serbians. [Strange, but Germans are conspicuous by their absence in your comment.] After the war - the pogrom of Kielce is being investigated by the historians. 40 people murdered. And then a mass aliyah to Palestine. There may be some connection between the two facts. But, under historians' investigation are also communist crimes of the period. One of the criminals, Mr. Morel, has on his conscience over 1600 victims. You may contact him and talk to him in Israel. "Because, despite their own oppression, the vast majority of Poles openly collaborated with the Nazis in murdering millions of Jews." Evidence? How vast? Any numbers? If collaborated, then - technically - in what way? Considering that Poland was the only German occupied country that did not possess a collaborationist government? "Because virtually all of the property stolen from Jews that was murdered still lies in the hands of the thieves and their descendants." Evidence? Do you really think the property stolen from Jews (as you call it) has miraculously survived the war in its entirety? Are you certain that people living now in ex-Jewish houses had actually stolen them? Have you ever met with the term: Absentee Property Law? A law called just that is in operation in Israel since 1948. Any comment on impropriety of using such a legal solution in Poland? "Because the Warsaw uprising was an act of supreme courage." Yes, it was. But it took place in 1943, and is called The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The Warsaw Uprising took place one year later, in 1944, and was a military event of much larger proportions. "Because the uprising was not supported in any way by Polish gentiles." Evidence? "Because Poland is still in denial about her role in the Holocaust and her anti-Semitism." Evidence? What exactly is meant by the phrase: "Poland's role in the Holocaust"? "Because the Catholic church was the organisation chiefly responsible for anti-Semitism for many centuries." Evidence? "Because the Catholic church in Poland engaged in stirring up anti-Semitism before during and after the Holocaust." Evidence? Any examples of "stirring up anti-Semitism during the Holocaust"? "Because a large number of Catholic priests in Poland openly encouraged Poles to betray Jews to the Nazis." Evidence? How large? Numbers? Any names? Any at all? ======================== To sum it up: a good example of hatred-mongering. Motivated by? Yes --- by what?

bravo

You hit the nail on the head.

It doesn't matter that the pope didn't slow down. What matters is that the Roman Catholics who helped save their Jewish Brothers and Sisters during the Shoah are at least a foot note in history. Another reason why this matters is b/c today Roman Catholics are willing to fight alongside our Jewish Brothers and Sisters against those who would do the same thing as the Nazis. I think Jews today should look beyond the short comings of past popes, and look to the efforts Roman Catholics who are willing to commit themselves to the protection of our Jewish Brothers and Sisters.

I tend to think the same way, in that in one way it doesn't matter that he didn't slow down, but in another way I think that the Catholic church tends to think mostly of the Catholic Martyrs and dignitaries but maybe not enough of the non-martyrs who still risked their lives. I know that the Catholic Church doesn't want to puff people up too much but to stop for a second would have been nice.

Kate, you should learn more about Polish history. You should read more about Ghetto Uprising '43 (Poles gave food, weapons ect. to Polish Jews, they were also Poles) and Warsaw Uprising '44. You should know history, not empty slogans that Poles are anti-semit nation (it's not true). BTW: what can you know about IIWW situation in Warsaw? My all family members were there, they were also at work camps, so I know what it was like. You even don't know the difference between Nazi and Poles, betwen Polish Jews and Israelians, between nation and few degenerates. So please read more about Holocaust, IIWW, Polish history and then answer at least one Konrad's question. You've all forgot that Poland was a "holly land" (before XX century) for Jewish emmigrant from Western Europe where Jews were killed every day. You also forgot about more than 120 years of Russian, German and Austrian occupation of Poland. So learn about history, then write what do you think about all this situation.

.. for all the points you mention. Today Poland is a different place (I think) fom what it was in previous times. I believe it is a friend of Israel.But why do Jews think of Polands past history the way they do? Why dont they think of say New Zealand or Vanu atu like like they remember the Poland of the 20th Century. You can ask for all the "evidence " you like but you cant change what Jews experienced in past Poland or what they believe today. "Evidence" is OK for Courts of Justice but we all know what happened . If not 100% then close to what happened. THank you for your points.

"You can ask for all the "evidence " you like but you cant change what Jews experienced in past Poland or what they believe today. "" Exactly. "What they believe today". In the majority of cases without a shred of evidence. And this is what is called resentment - based on prejudice. Something closely akin to anti-Semitism. ""Evidence" is OK for Courts of Justice but we all know what happened . If not 100% then close to what happened. " If you all really know what happened, inform me. I am always willing to learn. Let's agree: you or Kate would provide me with names of - say - five Polish Catholic priests who "openly encouraged Poles to betray Jews to the Nazis" , and I may reconsider my demand for evidence. Conviction based on ignorance, even if shared by a large number of people, cannot and will not supplant truth.

ok , keep on so thinking , keep on accusing everyone do not agree with you with anti-simitism , keep on playing the roll of the victims ... what you didn't realise till now that most of the world know you well and we all know this tricks which do not suit our time now but it's a part of your culture begging the people and blackmailing the people is part of your tradetion thousends of years passed and you are still the same ... and don't forget that there is a big diffrent between anti-simitism and anti-Jews way of life .. the Jews are not the only simitics people in the world but the most are ant-you not anti simitics ... look in the mirror maybe you will find out something you didn't know before .... and keep on crying and blameing and blackmailing and begging and screaming ... it's your hobbies . poor minds

1. In World War II The Pope saved 800,000 Jews, 5000 of which got hidden in the Vatican itself. 2. Catholics in France and Poland and most of the rest of Europe acted on their own initiative. There was nothing the Pope could have done about it, remember the Greek Orthodox Patriarch excommunicated and placed interdicts at will, did that stop Orthodox People from handing over Jews? Come on would you have prefered the Pope to have made the symbolic jestures of excommunication and interdict like his Greek Peer, or would you have preffered him to save Jews (Which he did, oh and btw 90% of Greek Jews got killed in the Holocaust) 3. Golda Mier, David Ben Gurion, and Albert Einstien commemorated the Pope for his service to the Jews, for the Church to have been on the Nazis side as has been claimed here they would have had to have been liars. 4. The Pope has strongly resisted all efforts at getting the Catholic Church to join the WCC which is extremely anti-semitic, and unlike Liberal Churches such as the Presbetarians there is no Church Divestment campaign.

Konrad you sound like a tipical antisemite- you asking for evidence because you want to deny the obvious. How is this for evidence: On October 28,1938 17,000 Jews of Polish citizenship, many of whom had been living in Germany for decades, were arrested and relocated across the Polish border. The Polish government refused to admit them so they were interned in "relocation camps" on the Polish

WHY DON'T THE JEWS BASH THE PROTESTANTS TOO. AFTER ALL ,EUROPE WAS HALF PROTESTANT DURING WWII. WHAT DID THE PROTESTANTS DO TO HELP. FOR THAT MATTER, WHAT DID THE AMERICAN JEWS (OUT OF THE SAFETY AND COMFORT OF THEIR HOMES) DO TO HELP THEIR "POOR" BREHTREN IN EUROPE ??? HUH, WHAT ??? ALSO, ALL I HEAR IS HOW THE JEWS OF EUROPE WERE ALL POOR AND THEN YOU READ IN THE NEWS ABOUT CLAIMS FOR PROPERTY, ART WORK, GOLD COINS, ETC. THE THING TO NOTE IS THAT MOST OF THE LOCAL GENTILE POPULATIONS WERE ALSO POOR.....REALLY POOR !!!!

.. to Jews during the past century. There is no force on earth that can move these people. By the way , I dont know what you are talking to me about 5 Catholic Priests. I dont have any problems with Catholic Priests It is your contribution to the discussion . Not mine.

the polacks have hated the jews since forever. how can any sane person not know that? and what does the hitler youth pope know from the warsaw ghetto uprising. those were true heroes. the pope was a coward who went along with the program and joined the hitler youth without any show of resistance.

"By the way , I dont know what you are talking to me about 5 Catholic Priests. I dont have any problems with Catholic Priests It is your contribution to the discussion . Not mine. " No, not mine. Yours. You deny the importance of evidence. You said, while defending Kate: "If not 100% then close to what happened. " According to her "a large number of Catholic priests in Poland openly encouraged Poles to betray Jews to the Nazis". Now, since you defend her views I challenge you and her to present not "a large number" but only five names of "Catholic priests in Poland" who "openly encouraged Poles to betray Jews to the Nazis." It appears that neither you nor Kate have them. I could go down to only three names, and so on. But wouldn't. It's just becoming a bit tedious. You may, of course, retain your personal attachment to evidenceless prejudice. There is no known cure to it. But as far as I'm concerned, I'd rather stick to historical knowledge.

"Konrad you sound like a tipical antisemite- " I don't really care what I sound like to you. But what I can see, is a rude attempt to end the discussion before it has even begun. To start from an invective is just bad form. "you asking for evidence because you want to deny the obvious." No. I ask for evidence, because the majority of what # 4 says isn't based on facts. To my knowledge. If it's so obvious, there shouldn't be any problem with evidence. "How is this for evidence: On October 28,1938 17,000 Jews of Polish citizenship, many of whom had been living in Germany for decades, were arrested and relocated across the Polish border. The Polish government refused to admit them so they were interned in "relocation camps" on the Polish " What you quote here is evidence for the after-Kristall Nacht atmosphere in Germany. But not for anti-Semitism in Poland. "Relocation camps"? As a matter of course. Normal screening procedure. Quite necessary, considering the worsening of the relations between Poland and the Third Reich. Anything else?

Would you want me to use the slur terms "kikes" or "yids"? Before you start evaluating the Pope's Hitler Jugend episode, do find out how many of your family's Jewish friends and relatives were actively involved in the Communist movement - "without any show of resistance".

KONRAD # 28. HOW CAN I FIND OUT ANYTHING ABOUT MY RELATIVES IN EUROPE? THEY WERE EXTERMINATED BY THE KRAUTS. WHY ARE YOU ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT COMMIES? HAVE YOU EVER MET A JEW?

You can’t expect from the people like Kate to read more than they already read and have some balanced view on the Polish issues. Look, the article is really about the Righteous among the Nations, about the Poles who risked their lives and the lives of their families to save Jews, who now hoped to meet with the pope. Gunnar Paulsson in his book “Secret City: The Hidden Jews of Warsaw, 1940-1945” counted that more than 10.000 Jews were saved by Poles in Warsaw alone. So, the obvious facts, which every normal person takes under account before formulating some general view, are well known. Why then, people like Kate, repeat so easily the old stereotypes and continue defaming the whole Polish nation for crimes of few? Some are joking that if you don’t know why something happening, than one should be sure it’s about the money, but don’t believe it. In this bloody case everything is about the politics. When Poland gained the independence from the Soviet domination and the stories about the Polish martyrdom appeared in the world media (3 mln of non-Jewish Poles perished during the WWII and many suffered under the communists regimes) some people were not happy about it at all. For them the Poles, who were always stereotyped as “open collaborators with Nazis”, have been suddenly attracting some sympathy that was always reserved for the Jewish victims of WWII. Suddenly the world learned for the example, such “news”, that apart of the Ghetto Uprising in 1943, there was also, till now generally unknown, the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 in which 160.000 Poles were killed. Suddenly stories, as the one about Irena Sendler who saved hundreds of Jewish children, appeared. The world acknowledged that many Jewish children survived in orphanages run by the Polish Catholic nuns, so the image of the Catholic Church seemed to be improving. That is why, in a certain circles, there was a strong push to equal Poles with the Nazis. The term “Nazis” started to be now even dissociated from “the Germans”, but who cares. The main goal of this exercise is to maintain a certain level of the sympathy in the world for the Jewish people, to calm or to pacify or minimise the outrage of the world public about the treatment of Palestinians by Israelis. The truth was always the first victim of the politics… While in Poland we openly discuss the crimes committed by some of the Poles on the Jews during the WWII, the Jedwabne murder in 1941, the Kielce pogrom in 1946 etc., while some of the murderers are brought for trial in Poland and there is, generally speaking, a good spirit of reconciliation between Poles and Jews, some hate mongers are still trying to stir up the public opinion. Of course, there is still much more to tell to the Poles about the black pages of the Polish history, but the Jewish people must learn about their own history in Poland as well, starting from the knowledge about the terrible poverty of the whole Polish society after WWI, including the stories about Jewish exclusiveness, about their despise of Poles, then the difficult relationship between Jews and Poles under the Soviet occupation, which Jan Karski described to the Polish government in France in 1940, as “the accident to happen”, then the willing participation of many Jews in the Secret Police and their persecution of many Poles, the issue which Stanislaw Krajewski unsuccessfully tried to bring for discussion with the Jewish communities, and so forth. Most of the Jews might chose to disregard the difficult subjects and prefer peddling the same propaganda instead, but this is not the way you educate the people to have the democratic and tolerant society.