|
Saturday, May 14, 2005
[E][P] Church and Holocaust
There's an op-ed text in NYT on failure of The Holy See to admit and apologize for its failure to use its moral authority to stop the Holocaust. (As usually, the author only mentions six millions Jewish victims; others, like Romany, are forgotten again.) It is mentioned that bishops in France and Germany did issue statements expressing regret for their passivity.
In Croatia, priests, monks and nuns played very mixed role. Some were rabid nazis, some very actively helped Partisans (including actual combat); most were in between. Head of Church in Croatia, Archbishop of Zagreb and later cardinal Alojzije Stepinac was tried and sentenced to long prison term as collaborator; the trial left a bit to be desired in impartiality and judicial correctness department. Stepinac is now considered a victim of Communist tyranny, but I am not so sure...
Anyway, I think that the Catholic Church in Croatia would do well to express its regret it did not do more to stop the slaughter of Jews, Romany, Serbs and Communists and others opposing the occupiers and the puppet regime in wartime Croatia. It could have probably have done more to temper the post-war regime excesses, too.
Bonzi 14.5.05
|