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Pope visits Auschwitz
Reuters
Published: 28.05.06, 10:21
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1. What he says in German is what is important.
howard ,   pacific coast, usa   (05.28.06)
Let him pray in German. I think that by speaking in his native tongue, he is trying to say that he is not just speaking as the head of the Catholic Church; he is speaking, very personally, for himself as well. I have no problem with him saying a prayer in his native language. That language may be the one spoken by the Nazis who operated Auschwitz, but based on his record, I'm sure that the WORDS he speaks will be ones that those Nazis would not have spoken even at gunpoint. And if the words reach even one young would-be German anti-Semite and cause him to re-think, then it will be for the best, won't it?
2. WRONG! MISTAKE!
adam ,   Polska   (05.28.06)
The phraze "Polish death camp" is wrong. It a mistake, which a reputed newspapers shouldn't ever make. Deathcamps, (Konzentrationlagers, Vernichtungslagers) were build, run, and operates solely by the German Nazis. The only Poles who wored there were among the prisoners forced to help build the camps. None of them helped voluntairly. IMO, You should correct this mistake
3. crime
Adam ,   Polska   (05.28.06)
Dear Sirs, under Polish law, slandering the good name of our country is a crime. Your crime is mispresentation of history of WW2 in the phraze "Polish death camps".
4. #2,#3 :There is no phrase "Polish death camp" in the text
Benjamin ,   TA Isreal   (05.28.06)
If it was there it's already removed. Anyway if it was there I'm sure no offence to Ploands was meant.
5. Re #2 and 3
Daniel ,   Australia   (05.28.06)
The Polaks have plenty of blood on their hands
6. polacks and "the crime"
debra ,   usa   (05.28.06)
#3 adam. the crime is the torture and murder of the jews. anyway, sorry to tell you, your country does not have a good name. the chief rabbi of poland was attacked today in warsaw. your country is a bottomless cesspool of anti-semitism. and this pope was complicit in the holocaust because he was a nazi.
7. Nr.5
joe   (05.28.06)
****The Polaks have plenty of blood on their hands**** Others have, too. Even nowadays. At the death camp Abu Grahib Look at the image: http://www.albasrah.net/images/iraqi-pow/ny21105091628.iraq_inside_abu_ghraib_prison_ny211.jpg
8. But
David ,   Poland   (05.28.06)
How much blood have australians on their hands?
9. #5
Aborigen ,   CA   (05.28.06)
God bless Australia, only one saint nation
10. The Polaks have plenty of blood on their hands
(05.28.06)
the majority of Nazis were AUSTRIANS not Polaks
11. stop insulting the pope! to #6
giovanni ,   roma   (05.28.06)
the pope was not a nazi! when he was 16, he was drafted like all young germans in the anti aircraft artillery. He was never member of any nazi organisation!
12. Debra in need of history lesson
ron ,   australia   (05.28.06)
Debra you are nothing but a fascist. My father is Polish . I find it incredible that your comments were posted.
13. re #6
Chris ,   Warsaw Poland   (05.28.06)
Well it is good Debrah that you feel free to judge others. Probably you, americans, are the only nation in the world that is fully correct; Also I would like to tell something honestly - yes there is anti-semitism in Poland, however anti-semitism is everywhere; I don't like it, but when I read about Polish Dead Camps, then I'm also pissed; Because sombody is playing games anouncing eveywhere in the world that nazis dead camps were polish; And it doesn't help us fighting anti-semitism in Poland;
14. Yeah... right.
Ben ,   Sacramento, CA   (05.28.06)
Once a Nazi, always a Nazi. That goes for John Paul II and Schwarzenegger too.
15. re #11
Jorgen ,   New York, NY, USA   (05.28.06)
Hitler's youth was a German psychological operation intended to fill children with Nazi programming meant to last a lifetime. There are images available in which 'benedict' is giving an umistakeably stiff raised-arm salute while in his priestly robes. Also, Pope John Paul II ("the pope of peace"), prior to his tenure as pope, worked for IG Farben as a chemical weapons salesmen providing cyanide, Zyklon B and Malathion to the Nazis for use in deathcamps (Auschwitz to be precise) . After the fall of the third reich, he just happened to join the clergy and then become pope.
16. to Debra
Fred ,   Poznan, Poland   (05.28.06)
It's not like your country has a good name either :) But you spewing propaganda and oozing hatred doesn't help up fight the antisemitism back here.
17. Polish antisemitism is nothing compared to Jewish antipoloni
Alladin ,   Turbanistan   (05.28.06)
Polish antisemitism is nothing compared to Jewish hatefull antipolonism. Just compare Jewish and Polish posts on this forum.
18. # 14
Moshe ,   London   (05.28.06)
John Paul II was a nazi ???
19. the assault on rabbi Schudrich
adam ,   Poland   (05.28.06)
well, sorry to tell you, but the assaulted rabbi said, that he believes this event to be a provocation, aimed to give Polish people a bad name. And so, do you, debra, say that the rabbi is not telling the truth? If I may ask -- why a piuous Jew was in the street in the city on sabbath? And another -- shoudn't a pious orthodox Jew avoid making more than 1000 footsteps on the day of Sabbath?
20. Listen to Yourselves
Logos ,   X   (05.28.06)
How has an article describing the virtuous act of a non-Jew, let alone one who is the leader of the world's Catholics, descended into such petty finger-pointing? The times have changed in the past 61 years since the war ended, and Poland (Germany, too) have shown recognition to the fact that there are wounds to heal and have moved in the direction towards amending those wrongs. In the case of the assault upon the Chief Rabbi of Poland, the case seems like an isolated incident, so let us not accuse a whole nation of anti-semitism based on the hateful actions of an isolated group. Let us, as Jews, appreciate the actions towards amending wrongs that the Catholic church is making through the current Pope's actions rather than smearing the names of those involved. Do not unto others, right?
21. #19
Jane   (05.28.06)
How very Polish of you to look to blame the victim of anti-Semitism. A Jew should be able to walk anywhere, on any day of the week, without being attacked by a Jew-hater. Your remark exemplifies the inability of the Polish to tame the beast within. And many of your priests are feeding the hatred within. You are what you have always been.
22. Re to #17
adam ,   Polska   (05.28.06)
Please do notice that Zionism, the official ideology of Israel, is a form of nationalistic ideology. But is understandable -- they are at war with the Palestinians and must defent themselves.
23. absurd anticatholicism
giovanni ,   rome   (05.28.06)
Ratzinger became priest only after the war. He was not member of the Hitler jugend. As for J.P II, such an absurd accusation is only the result of blind anti-catholic hatred. It is stupid and wrong. May I ask for catholicism the same respect that jews are demanding for judaism?
24. re #23
Jorgen ,   New York, NY, USA   (05.28.06)
Ratzinger himself does not deny his tenure in Hitler's Youth... so what makes you think you're in a position to deny this historical fact? It is something which newspapers worldwide are constantly mentioning, in attempts to whitewash the issue for him, even Catholic papers. Also, when stating simple facts (albeit easily verifiable ones) becomes labelled 'anti-this' or 'anti-that' by members of an establishment, it simply means that truth itself has become the enemy of an establishment which apparently thrives on misconceptions and/or lies.
25. re #14
Jorgen ,   New York, NY, USA   (05.28.06)
See # 15
26. Re to #21
adam ,   Polska   (05.28.06)
So, basicly, you're telling, that Mr. Schudrich lied, when he told he believed that assaul to be a provocation? You seem not to be noticing his own words. You're negating what a religious leader of the Poland's diaspora said.
27. Debra (USA)
Marcel Abel ,   Thoiry, France   (05.28.06)
You might have avoided offence to the Pope. 1)You don't seem to know Polnish history, neither the two second war nor international issues nor even a minimum concerning our Pope. 2) The Pope has never, never been a Nationalsocialist. 3) At the age of 16, he was recruited as apprenti gunner. All boys of the same age were systematically drafted (compulsory recruitment for military service). Nothing to do with Hitlerian Youth. If intentional, your assertion is pure slander. 4) Please be quiet and love. Be in peace. 4) Shame on you : if you had suffered what Polland suffered, you would retract your baseless assertions. 3) At the age of 16, he was recruited as apprenti gunner.
28. ad 10
HummingBird   (05.28.06)
First of all not Polaks but Poles. I assume that it's what you want to write. Besides ... nevermind ... stupid provocation...
29. #26
Jane   (05.28.06)
There is no justification for attacking a man of G-d on his holy day, or any other. What would you have said if the attack had been by a Jew on a priest?
30. Despite denial, Ratzinger WAS a member of Hitler's Youth
Pnormun ,   Swdn   (05.28.06)
Here is a URL to a link showing young Ratzinger in his HITLER's YOUTH uniform; http://www.polonica.net/imag/sieg_heil_Ratzinger.jpg (yes, that's an official Hitler's Youth emblem on his right breast) Here's Ratzinger and his brother; http://www.kerygma.org/lee/ratzinger_brother.jpg I've noticed something interesting among Catholics. Some deny that Ratzinger was a member of Hitler's Youth (I suppose they somehow feel compelled to support their Pontiff by pretending they run their own propaganda campaigns). The rest admit he was a Hitlerian Youth. For example, the ratzingerfanclub.com website openly admits his past membership in Hitler's Youth. If you're going to attempt to support your pontiff (nicknamed "The Enforcer" and "Panzerkardinal" by his Nazi peers) by whitewashing his past, at least do it with a concerted and organized effort... I mean, really. Or at least leave it to the Jesuits.
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