German Pope Benedict Visits Oswiecim (Auschwitz)
As I write from my Warsaw living room, I am watching live coverage of Pope Benedict XVI visit to Auschwitz/Birkenau concentration camps. Up to 1.5 million people, mainly Jews, are believed to have perished at the hands of the Nazis in this tragic landmark of human's inhumanity to his/her fellow human being.
This is the highlight visit of the former head of the Vatican's Dogmatic enforcement body and German leader of over 1.2 billion Catholics, in his four-day trip to his predecessor's (Pope John Paul II) native land. It is symbolically a very powerful moment in terms of religious relations between Judaism and Catholicism, for so long blighted by treachery, betrayal and down-right hatred. The fundamentalist supporters of controversial but influential Redemptorist Fr. Tadeusz Rydzyk's media (Rsdio Maryja et al.) should see this as a clarion call for them to understand that their harmful xenophobic and anti-semitic attitudes have no place in modern Poland.
The pope walked alone under the infamous gate entrance to the greatest symbol of Nazi war crimes, under the steel caption, 'Arbecht Macht Frei' (Labour sets you free). After a fairly wooden-looking public meeting with survivors - in fairness to him, it must be fairly hard when you have countless cameras and hundreds of former internees observing your every move. The pope was solemn looking at all times. He moved from meeting the survivors to the cell of former prisoner and now saint, Maximilian Kolbe, who offered his life up in place of a fellow prisoner and family man (who subsequently attended his inauguration). Kolbe is a controversial figure and some political and religious commentators allege helped facilitate an atmosphere of anti-semitism in Poland leading up to the outbreak of World War II. Though a zealous evangelist, there is overwhelming evidence that Fr. Kolbe was anything but anti-semitic (see link above).
I was quite surprised to hear the Pope speak in German at Birkenau (a few kilometres from Auschwitz and site of most of the atrocities)some moments ago as he
addressed the huge crown gathered. It seems like the former Cardinal Jozef Ratzinger has become more of a bridge-builder than anyone had expected; from his first encyclical espousing the relationship between the concepts of Eros and Agape and the importance of society to beware of commodifying everything in it's sights. Recent moves in the Vatican towards a more ethical, sensible, and life-saving policy on allowing condoms to be used within marriage by women protecting themselves from their HIV/AIDS infected partners are to be welcomed. Interestingly some Catholic moral theologians are drawing the comparison with a Catholic's moral right to defend themselves if attacked by another. In other words, they are saying the Vatican would not be changing policy and that this would not contradict Paul VI 'Humanae Vitae' encyclical banning contraception within marriage. Instead it will propose that disease prevention is the paramount issue which needs to be addressed and may be advocated rather than it being any justification of contraception within or outside of marriage.
Anyhow,despite the bad weather and the lower than expected turnouts, Pope Benedict's visit to Poland has been an enormous triumph for the Catholic Hierarchy and their close relations with the current conservative 'Law and Justice' led government. My stomach churns at the close relationship between the State and the Church hierarchy here, the security overkill, the stupid-looking popemobile, the prominent role of those with weaponry in delivering the pageantry which all those in powerful positions are sycophantically centre stage of, and last but not least the uncritical blind worship and deference of the masses. It has been a shock and awe performance for the populous - cost to the Polish taxpayer estimated to be 26 million zloty (over €9 million).
But maybe I am just a cynic? Well, so be it - I know and am happy that I have graduated from the blind adulation which the powerful expect and get from followers. Nevertheless, I acknowledge the importance of today's events. Afterall, spending hours on a blog is hardly going to build better Judaeo-Christian relationships now, is it?
This is the highlight visit of the former head of the Vatican's Dogmatic enforcement body and German leader of over 1.2 billion Catholics, in his four-day trip to his predecessor's (Pope John Paul II) native land. It is symbolically a very powerful moment in terms of religious relations between Judaism and Catholicism, for so long blighted by treachery, betrayal and down-right hatred. The fundamentalist supporters of controversial but influential Redemptorist Fr. Tadeusz Rydzyk's media (Rsdio Maryja et al.) should see this as a clarion call for them to understand that their harmful xenophobic and anti-semitic attitudes have no place in modern Poland.
The pope walked alone under the infamous gate entrance to the greatest symbol of Nazi war crimes, under the steel caption, 'Arbecht Macht Frei' (Labour sets you free). After a fairly wooden-looking public meeting with survivors - in fairness to him, it must be fairly hard when you have countless cameras and hundreds of former internees observing your every move. The pope was solemn looking at all times. He moved from meeting the survivors to the cell of former prisoner and now saint, Maximilian Kolbe, who offered his life up in place of a fellow prisoner and family man (who subsequently attended his inauguration). Kolbe is a controversial figure and some political and religious commentators allege helped facilitate an atmosphere of anti-semitism in Poland leading up to the outbreak of World War II. Though a zealous evangelist, there is overwhelming evidence that Fr. Kolbe was anything but anti-semitic (see link above).
I was quite surprised to hear the Pope speak in German at Birkenau (a few kilometres from Auschwitz and site of most of the atrocities)some moments ago as he
addressed the huge crown gathered. It seems like the former Cardinal Jozef Ratzinger has become more of a bridge-builder than anyone had expected; from his first encyclical espousing the relationship between the concepts of Eros and Agape and the importance of society to beware of commodifying everything in it's sights. Recent moves in the Vatican towards a more ethical, sensible, and life-saving policy on allowing condoms to be used within marriage by women protecting themselves from their HIV/AIDS infected partners are to be welcomed. Interestingly some Catholic moral theologians are drawing the comparison with a Catholic's moral right to defend themselves if attacked by another. In other words, they are saying the Vatican would not be changing policy and that this would not contradict Paul VI 'Humanae Vitae' encyclical banning contraception within marriage. Instead it will propose that disease prevention is the paramount issue which needs to be addressed and may be advocated rather than it being any justification of contraception within or outside of marriage.
Anyhow,despite the bad weather and the lower than expected turnouts, Pope Benedict's visit to Poland has been an enormous triumph for the Catholic Hierarchy and their close relations with the current conservative 'Law and Justice' led government. My stomach churns at the close relationship between the State and the Church hierarchy here, the security overkill, the stupid-looking popemobile, the prominent role of those with weaponry in delivering the pageantry which all those in powerful positions are sycophantically centre stage of, and last but not least the uncritical blind worship and deference of the masses. It has been a shock and awe performance for the populous - cost to the Polish taxpayer estimated to be 26 million zloty (over €9 million).
But maybe I am just a cynic? Well, so be it - I know and am happy that I have graduated from the blind adulation which the powerful expect and get from followers. Nevertheless, I acknowledge the importance of today's events. Afterall, spending hours on a blog is hardly going to build better Judaeo-Christian relationships now, is it?
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