Plans to make Pius XII a saint opposed by Rabbi

Noble Knight

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4900177.ece

The Times wrote:

The first Jewish rabbi to attend a Synod of Roman Catholic bishops in Rome has used the occasion to to oppose plans to put Pope Pius XII, the controversial wartime pontiff, on the road to sainthood by beatifying him.
Contradicting recent statements by Pope Benedict XVI, Shear-Yashuv Cohen, the Chief Rabbi of Haifa, said Pius XII's "silence on the Holocaust" could not be forgotten or forgiven. He added: "He should not be seen as a model and he should not be beatified, because he did not raise his voice against the Holocaust. He did not speak, either because he was afraid or for other personal reasons".

He added: "He may have helped in secrecy many of the victims and many of the refugees, but the question is - could he have raised his voice, and would it have helped or not? We, as the victims, feel the answer is yes, and I am not empowered by the families of the millions of those who died to say we forget, we forgive."

However Rabbi Cohen made his remarks to journalists at the Vatican in the margins of the three week Synod, and did not refer to Pius XII in his formal address. Instead he spoke on the meaning of the Torah for Jews, and said his presence was a "signal of hope for generations to come " after a history of "blood and tears" between Christians and Jews.

The beatification cause for Pius XII was opened in 1967, but has been opposed by critics of the Pope's behaviour towards Nazi Germany not only as pontiff but previously as Secretary of State and as papal nuncio (ambassador) to Berlin. Last month (September) Pope Benedict, who is to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Pius XII's death on Thursday, insisted that Pius had "spared no effort" to save Jews from Nazi and Fascist extermination.

Riccardo Di Segni, the Chief Rabbi of Rome, said many Jews in Rome felt that Rabbi Cohen "should have consulted with the local community to understand the complex relations with the Church before agreeing to take part in the synod." Rome Jews who had opposed his presence at the synod were not "extremists" but "simply people who are aware of the delicate relationship between the Church and the Jews", Rabbi Di Segni told the Jerusalem Post.

In his speech to the Synod Rabbi Cohen indirectly condemned remarks by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran on the destruction of the Jewish state. He said Israelis felt "deep shock at the terrible and vicious words of the president of a certain state in the Middle East" during the recent UN General Assembly.

In his UN speech, Ahmadinejad said Israel "is on a definite slope to collapse, and there is no way for it to get out of the cesspool created by itself and its supporters", though he did not repeat his previous comments that Israel should be "wiped off the map."

Cohen told the bishops: "The false and malicious accusations, the threats and anti-Semitic incitement have brought back to us the painful memory of the tragedy of our people, the victims of the Holocaust. We hope for your help as religious leaders in protecting, defending and saving Israel from the hands of its enemies."

Monsignor Marc Ouellet, the Archbishop of Quebec, who is the synod rapporteur, said that "bearing in mind the tragic history of the relations between Israel and the Church", Catholics had a duty to repair any injustice committed against the Jews". He said Christian dialogue with Muslims was also "more important than ever in today's circumstances."

I found this article quite interesting and think it would make for a good discussion on Pius being elected to Sainthood.

Overblood

What are the criteria for becoming a saint? Don't you have to do miracles?

Noble Knight

Overblood wrote: »

What are the criteria for becoming a saint? Don't you have to do miracles?

It is delt with by an office of the Roman Curia-

http://www.vatican.edu/roman_curia/congregations/csaints/index.htm

As with all things it's a rather dull affair.

Overblood

But Pope Pius didn't perform any miracles.

Soul Winner

Overblood wrote: »

What are the criteria for becoming a saint? Don't you have to do miracles?

When you give your life over to God in faith you are at that moment a saint of God. But the word is not strictly a Christian concept. There were saints for the worship of Diana in her temple in ancient times. Any person who gives themselves over for the exclusive use of something - say a certain religion - is a saint to that religion, but it could be a football team or a book club, it does not have to be religious. A saint simply means a committed one. The Greek word which is translated 'Saint' in English is the same word that is translated 'Holy'. The Greek word is 'Hagios' and it has to do with commitment not performance, they were not perfect people.

Declaring someone a saint hundreds of years after they have passed on is a very Johnny come lately approach. You start out a saint and progress from there. Even Paul addressed most of his Epistles 'to the saints which are at' wherever. Every reference to saints in the NT is to people who are still alive. Where these latter beatifications for saints who are dead years came from is a mystery, just like many of the other mysteries that have come from Mystery Babylon the Great. Typical Satan reversing everything again. Sainthood is a starting point not a destination, you don't nor never had to be a miracle worker in order to be a saint.

My proof text that saints are not perfect people is in Ephesians:

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry," Ephesians 4:11-12

If saints were perfect people then they would not need perfecting by apostles, prophets, pastors and so on.

Noble Knight

Overblood wrote: »

But Pope Pius didn't perform any miracles.

Very true and his attitude during WWII is a lot to be desired. I can see this as just part of the many mistakes that Josef Ratzinger and His Bishops have been making over the last few years.