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7 reviews for:
The Popes Against the Jews: The Vatican's Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism
David I. Kertzer
4.45 AVERAGE
7 reviews for:
The Popes Against the Jews: The Vatican's Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism
David I. Kertzer
4.45 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
dark
informative
medium-paced
Pope John Paul II was, in my opinion, one of the better Pope's that the Vatican housed. During his service, he attempted to improve relationships between the Church and a lot of different groups. This book focuses on his effort to improve relationships with Jewish people. He allowed the author to have access to Vatican archives and papers in an attempt to uncover any dealings that the Catholic Church had with Axis powers and Jewish people around the World War II years. He was actually the first Pope to ever visit Auschwitz, subsequently publishing his thoughts on the Holocaust and members of the Jewish faith. He also visited Yad Vashem.
During World War II, Catholics fought on both sides of the conflict. Pope Pius XI was not a fan of Hitler and his Nazi Party, saying that he was waging war against the Church and people's faith, which was true. Hitler was not into religion, really, and was openly hostile and restrictive about it. He had a lot of churches dismantled, and church officials arrested. When Pope Pius XII took over, he was the only world leader at the time who spoke out against Hitler and what was happening to the Jewish people. He also tried to help out the Jewish people by giving them aid via diplomacy.
This book serves as a wake up call to people who think that organized religion isn't criminal. I know that the Catholic church in particular has had a landslide of bad publicity for sexual abuse, coverups, cultural genocide, manipulation, and other atrocities. I know that most everyone else knows it too. A lot of people are unaware of the role that the Catholic Church played in World War II and the Holocaust. While they did condemn actions, attempted to help out where they could, they maintained an overall stance of neutrality. They did not want to become too involved and increase the target on their own backs since Hitler hated the Church as well. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that Pope Pius XII knew all about the Holocaust and what was happening to these people, but did next to nothing so he wouldn't "undermine aid efforts behind the scenes". In cases like this, silence is criminal, and the fact that they gave food and clothes and hid some people in churches doesn't really make up for the neutral stance they took.
During World War II, Catholics fought on both sides of the conflict. Pope Pius XI was not a fan of Hitler and his Nazi Party, saying that he was waging war against the Church and people's faith, which was true. Hitler was not into religion, really, and was openly hostile and restrictive about it. He had a lot of churches dismantled, and church officials arrested. When Pope Pius XII took over, he was the only world leader at the time who spoke out against Hitler and what was happening to the Jewish people. He also tried to help out the Jewish people by giving them aid via diplomacy.
This book serves as a wake up call to people who think that organized religion isn't criminal. I know that the Catholic church in particular has had a landslide of bad publicity for sexual abuse, coverups, cultural genocide, manipulation, and other atrocities. I know that most everyone else knows it too. A lot of people are unaware of the role that the Catholic Church played in World War II and the Holocaust. While they did condemn actions, attempted to help out where they could, they maintained an overall stance of neutrality. They did not want to become too involved and increase the target on their own backs since Hitler hated the Church as well. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that Pope Pius XII knew all about the Holocaust and what was happening to these people, but did next to nothing so he wouldn't "undermine aid efforts behind the scenes". In cases like this, silence is criminal, and the fact that they gave food and clothes and hid some people in churches doesn't really make up for the neutral stance they took.
Excellent look at history of anti-Semitism inside the walls of the Vatican
This is an excellent book for showing that anti-Semitism in Catholic portions of Europe, especially the period 1800-1945, were not confined to Catholic laity and parish priest types, but were often not only held by, but emanated from, the Vatican itself.
Kertzer starts with the fact that twice — once briefly, once for five years — Napoleonic France occupied the Papal States. Both times, it abolished the Roman ghetto and the requirement for Jews to wear yellow badges. (This, which in Europe culminated in Nazi Germany, originated in early Muslim times in Palestine and was at that time applied to Christians as well as Jews.)
Kertzer notes that the pope Leo XII chose to restore both, even as Napoleonic-era emancipation of Jews elsewhere in central and western Europe largely remained intact.
Things get worse from here. Agents of the Vatican encouraged a “ritual murder” interpretation of the death of an Italian monk in Syria in 1840. Pages 86ff
Kertzer then looks backward. He notes that, during the Middle Ages and specifically the Crusads, popes intervened to stop pogroms and other attacks on Jews organized by priests and laity alike. But, by the Renaissance, the popes were joining in, burning Talmuds, etc. The Counter-Reformation sparked much of this. 101ff He ties this to the 1840 blood libel issue, and notes that enlightened Jews begged the pope at the time not to go down this path.
On pages 134ff, Kertzer documents the rise of mid- and late-1800s Catholic journals, most notable Civilta Cattolica, which had close ties to reactionary elements in the Vatican. Later, the official Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, joined it. It also officially supported secular anti-Semitic political parties, movements and individuals in Central Europe, mst notably Karl Lueger, further detailed on 202ff
Both papers, plus the French Catholic L’Unita Cattolica, also fueled the Dreyfus-connected anti-Semitism in late 19th century France. 180ff
Next, it was the papacy that promoted the “one drop of blood” idea of Judaism 207, which of course got applied later to blacks in the US. The papacy only dropped the rule in 1946. It actively supported 1930s German and Italian racial definitin laws.
Civila Cattolica continued to denounce Jews into the 1930s.
Pope Pius XI’s “secret” encyclical against anti-Semitism was first watered down, then never printed.
Ignore any 1-star reviews as likely written by pro-Papal Catholic diehards.
This is an excellent book for showing that anti-Semitism in Catholic portions of Europe, especially the period 1800-1945, were not confined to Catholic laity and parish priest types, but were often not only held by, but emanated from, the Vatican itself.
Kertzer starts with the fact that twice — once briefly, once for five years — Napoleonic France occupied the Papal States. Both times, it abolished the Roman ghetto and the requirement for Jews to wear yellow badges. (This, which in Europe culminated in Nazi Germany, originated in early Muslim times in Palestine and was at that time applied to Christians as well as Jews.)
Kertzer notes that the pope Leo XII chose to restore both, even as Napoleonic-era emancipation of Jews elsewhere in central and western Europe largely remained intact.
Things get worse from here. Agents of the Vatican encouraged a “ritual murder” interpretation of the death of an Italian monk in Syria in 1840. Pages 86ff
Kertzer then looks backward. He notes that, during the Middle Ages and specifically the Crusads, popes intervened to stop pogroms and other attacks on Jews organized by priests and laity alike. But, by the Renaissance, the popes were joining in, burning Talmuds, etc. The Counter-Reformation sparked much of this. 101ff He ties this to the 1840 blood libel issue, and notes that enlightened Jews begged the pope at the time not to go down this path.
On pages 134ff, Kertzer documents the rise of mid- and late-1800s Catholic journals, most notable Civilta Cattolica, which had close ties to reactionary elements in the Vatican. Later, the official Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, joined it. It also officially supported secular anti-Semitic political parties, movements and individuals in Central Europe, mst notably Karl Lueger, further detailed on 202ff
Both papers, plus the French Catholic L’Unita Cattolica, also fueled the Dreyfus-connected anti-Semitism in late 19th century France. 180ff
Next, it was the papacy that promoted the “one drop of blood” idea of Judaism 207, which of course got applied later to blacks in the US. The papacy only dropped the rule in 1946. It actively supported 1930s German and Italian racial definitin laws.
Civila Cattolica continued to denounce Jews into the 1930s.
Pope Pius XI’s “secret” encyclical against anti-Semitism was first watered down, then never printed.
Ignore any 1-star reviews as likely written by pro-Papal Catholic diehards.
A tremendous, detailed and devastating account of the roots of the Holocaust.
I congratulate David on exposing the deceit that has covered up the clear responsibility the Catholic Church holds in one of the most horrific acts of genocide every perpetrated.
Pius XII should have stood in the dock at Nuremberg as an accessory to the Holocaust. I see it as my mission to spread the word of the evil ideas the Catholic Church spread through its antisemitism over many decades in the lead up to the Holocaust.
If anyone wonders where Hitler got his evil ideas from and why the German people went along with him, all you have to do is read this book.
For any who support the Vatican I ask you to read this and answer me this:
Would Christ have acted like this?
I congratulate David on exposing the deceit that has covered up the clear responsibility the Catholic Church holds in one of the most horrific acts of genocide every perpetrated.
Pius XII should have stood in the dock at Nuremberg as an accessory to the Holocaust. I see it as my mission to spread the word of the evil ideas the Catholic Church spread through its antisemitism over many decades in the lead up to the Holocaust.
If anyone wonders where Hitler got his evil ideas from and why the German people went along with him, all you have to do is read this book.
For any who support the Vatican I ask you to read this and answer me this:
Would Christ have acted like this?
I read this some years back but am posting it now in "honor" of Pope Benedict's rehabilitation of a Holocaust denier. It's one of the best books I've read on at least one aspect of the history of anti-Semitism.