In Memory of Susan Herman
Jun 24th, 2009 by Michael Justice
USHMM Shooting
Jun 12th, 2009 by Tom White
Hank and I have just returned from the Association of Holocaust Organizations annual conference in Anaheim, CA with Michael Berenbaum and other colleagues. Michael’s words are important as are President Obama’s and Deborah Lipstadt’s: (http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/12/lipstadt.museum.shooting/index.html).
We at the Cohen Center express our solidarity with our colleagues at the USHMM and recognize the trauma inflicted upon them and the tragic passing of Officer Stephan Tyrone Johns. Our work and the work of all those associated with the Center will always bring the light of hope as we bear witness.
Memory and hope are the sustainers of life.
What’s next for the German pope?
Feb 18th, 2009 by Tom White
From “The Seeker” blog at the Chicago Tribune; newsblogs.chicagotribune.com What’s next for German pope?
For those flummoxed by Pope Benedict XVI’s gesture to invite an excommunicated Holocaust denier back into the fold, one theologian offers this theory. The German pope’s view of the church in history–especially during the time of the Holocaust–clashes with that of his fellow Europeans. Simply put, the church at that time could do no wrong, in the pope’s view.
Rev. John Pawlikowski, former president of the International Council of Christian and Jews and a professor at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, said Benedict is ironically out of touch with his European homeland, where sensitivity about the Holocaust is especially high. (Read Christine Spolar’s Sunday report from Germany.)
He demonstrated that most recently by inviting four schismatic bishops who lead the ultraconservative Society of St. Pius X back into the Roman Catholic church. For starters, the Society rejects the reforms of Vatican II, which include Nostra Aetate, the document that initiated a dialogue between Catholics and Jews. In addition, one of the four bishops quite publicly and recently rejected the fact that 6 million Jews perished in the war, saying he believes the death toll is closer to 300,000.
The pope also showed his tin ear last year when pressure mounted from supporters within the church for him to accelerate the cause of sainthood for Pope Pius XII. Opponents to the canonization believe Pope Pius XII should have been more outspoken during the Holocaust. Jewish leaders have lobbied Benedict to open Vatican archives for scholars to examine the church’s record and find out once and for all. Benedict has not agreed to that, instead putting the process on hold for the time being and appeasing no one.
Pawlikowski isn’t so sure Benedict fully comprehends the concerns of Jews who suspect Pius XII ignored their plight. For Benedict, the concept of complicity simply does not compute, he said.
He sees [the Holocaust]as a horrible event. No question about that,” Pawlikowski emphasized. “He views the Holocaust as a pagan, anti-human phenomenon but doesn’t really want to deal very clearly and explicitly with the Christian complicity that was also there.”
Pawlikowski said the notion that the church might have been an intentional or unwitting accomplice in war crimes “clashes with [Benedict’s] ecclesiology.”
“His vision of the church is very ahistorical. Really, the essence of the church is not within history. It’s transcendental and is not really impacted as such by the realities of human history,” Pawlikowski said. “This is part of the issue … He sees the church primarily as a victim of the Nazis and not in any way a collaborator.”
Benedict’s approach contradicts that of his predecessor John Paul II who, among other gestures during his journey to Jerusalem, inserted a note into the Western Wall asking forgiveness for Christian persecution of Jews throughout history.
The contrast puts the current pope in a bit of a quandary. While he wants to pursue friendly relations with religious leaders just as John Paul II did, he doesn’t see the point of inter-religious dialogue if no one intends to change their position.
“People who’ve met with him personally say he’s very engaging and very positive,” Pawlikowki said. “This desire for good interpersonal relations conflicts with his basic doctrinal position,” which assigns virtually zero value to inter-religious conversations.
It’s hard to have relations when you don’t talk and even harder when you don’t listen. What do you think should be the pope’s next step?
Simon Wiesenthal Center Statement
Feb 17th, 2009 by Tom White
1-29-09 The Simon Wiesenthal Center today responded to Pope Benedict’s recent statement on Jews and Judaism, saying that “the Vatican’s actions must match its words,”.. Mark Weitzman, the Director of the Center’s Task Force on Hate and Terrorism, said that the statement “contained wonderful sentiments about the Pope’s feelings toward the Jewish people and their religion” but that these are still “directly contradicted by his actions in welcoming back into the Catholic Church a group that maintains an extremist theology of antisemitism despite Vatican II and a generation of Church teachings to the contrary.”
Weitzman, who was one of the American Jewish leaders who met with the Pope during his visit to the US last spring added that “any attempt to portray the statements of Bishop Richard Williamson, who has denied the Holocaust, as isolated and limited are contradicted by the statements on the website of the Society of Saint Pius X which claim that ‘Judaism is inimical to all nations in general, and in a special manner to Christian nations.”, and that “the unrepentant Jewish people are disposed by God to be a theological enemy, the status of this opposition must be universal, inevitable, and terrible.” Such overt antisemitism must be rejected, not welcomed back with open arms. Pope Benedict has often spoken movingly about his feelings toward the Jewish people – it is time that his actions match his words.”
USHMM Statement
Feb 17th, 2009 by Tom White
January 27, 2009
UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM STATEMENT CONCERNING VATICAN DECISION ON BISHOP RICHARD WILLIAMSON
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is deeply dismayed by the recent decision of the Vatican regarding the status within the Church of Richard Williamson, a Bishop of the Society of St. Pius X. Bishop Williamson’s statements denying the Holocaust are openly antisemitic and antithetical to the growing spirit of mutual respect that has characterized Catholic-Jewish relations for an entire generation since Vatican II. Holocaust denial is an insult to the victims and an affront to Catholics who rescued Jews. Pope John Paul II, who witnessed firsthand the horrors of the Holocaust in his native Poland, declared, “Antisemitism is a sin against God and humanity.” The recent action of the Vatican appears to lend legitimacy to Bishop Williamson’s opinions, official statements to the contrary notwithstanding.
During his recent visit to the United States, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI accepted as a gift a menorah in memory of the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. The Museum calls upon Pope Benedict to make it clear that antisemitism and Holocaust denial have no standing in the Church and to publicly repudiate all forms of Holocaust denial and trivialization, whatever their source.
The Museum will continue to work together with Catholics who are committed to educating about the Holocaust and honoring the memory of its victims.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
1-25-09 Healing Schism, Pope Risks Another http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/world/europe/26pope.html?_r=1&ref=europe
1-28-09 Pope, Expressing Solidarity With Jews, Reacts to Uproar Over a Holocaust Denier
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/world/europe/29pope.html?_r=1&ref=europe
1-30-09 Holocaust-denying bishop apologises to pope
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/01/30/holocaust.bishop/index.html
2-3-09 Pope urged to act on Holocaust-denying bishop
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/03/pope.germany/index.html
Holocaust-denying bishop loses court battle
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/09/germany.bishop/index.html
Bishop Who Denied Holocaust Ousted
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/world/europe/10pope.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
GAL-Question #14
Nov 4th, 2008 by Margaret Barney
Why is there very little said about the German influence on Turkey, prior to, during, and after the Genocide?
GAL-Question #13
Nov 4th, 2008 by Margaret Barney
Can you comment on the idea that drought in sub-saharan Africa gives rise to genocidal acts?
GAL-Question #12
Oct 29th, 2008 by Margaret Barney
Question from the audience:
Prof. Bloxham spoke of particular problems that can be identified prior to a turn to homicidal genocide. Can you speak to moments or ways to ‘catch’ a genocide before it reaches its full potential, or even before it becomes genocide–either historically looking at cases that were caught and avoided in process, or by speaking of contemporary cases in danger of becoming genocide?
GAL-Question #11
Oct 29th, 2008 by Margaret Barney
Question from the audience:
To what degree do you see contextual factors at work in the U.S. occupation of Iraq that has led to wanton killing of the civilian population?
GAL-Question #10
Oct 29th, 2008 by Margaret Barney
Question from the audience:
How does the increasing population increase the violence? Would you consider the crusade movement in Jerusalem to be genocide?