The Holocaust and the Pope

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Last night I watched a documentary on AMC about how Hollywood has portrayed the holocaust in film. It was interesting in its own right. But one of the most provocative things about it was a scene from a relatively early film taken in the Warsaw Ghetto.

With the inevitability of two balls dropped from Pisa's heights, you know already where I am going. Yes, I thought of the Holy Father. I thought of the fact that he survived this monstrosity. I thought that not only did he survive that horror, but he survived and rose to prominence in the Church under a regime that was only slilghtly less oppressive.

They showed a scene from Sophie's Choice--I suppose I should say they showed THE scene from the film. And again, I thought, this is what the man faced then, and throughout his pontificate. He faced the irrational hatred of those who despise the truth and seek to make it what they would have it be. He faced endless criticism of his every action. He could not even forgive his own would-be assassin without criticism.

This Pope whose personal motto was "Totus Tuus", gave the entire Church a motto--indeed, marching orders. Be not afraid.

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Thank you, Steven, for describing the motto "Be not afraid" as "marching orders". Up until now, I had regarded it only as inspiration, as something that I maybe am too weak to do well. As in, "Be not afraid, sometimes."

But to put it quite that way, as something there is no time, no room, and no sense in negotiating, well....

Thank you. By His grace, I shall hope to be not afraid, always.

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This page contains a single entry by Steven Riddle published on April 6, 2005 7:31 AM.

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