Saturday, April 19, 2008
Self-Explanatory Sentence XII
Via NRO: the Nobel prize winner Elie Wiesel was interviewed about Benedict's visit. He was asked "What can B16 say and do to repair the growing rifts between the Vatican, the clergy, and the laity in America?"
Answer: "He could tell the Vatican to abandon efforts to confer sainthood on Pope Pius XII."
In the first place, the answer has nothing at all to do with the question; Pius XII is not a front-burner question for American Catholics, and slowing or speeding his canonization has precisely zero connection with "growing rifts". It's obviously an obsession for Wiesel, though.
Second, we have another of these Self-Explanatory Sentences. When you read Nobel prize winner, you know instantly and completely that we're talking about an orthodox Stalinist who will spout nothing more than orthodox Stalinism. Wiesel doesn't disappoint.
If he were truly speaking on behalf of Jews, he would advocate a faster canonization for Pius XII.
Polistra has discussed this question before.
Quite simply, Hitler "came for" the Catholics before he "came for" the Jews, and Pius XII was highly active in protecting both. His activity was not secret; it was well-known in America at the time. After the war, Stalin changed history specifically to create "growing rifts between the Vatican, the clergy and the laity in America". So it's completely predictable that Stalinist Wiesel continues to push the Stalinist line. ¶ 10:15 AM
Answer: "He could tell the Vatican to abandon efforts to confer sainthood on Pope Pius XII."
In the first place, the answer has nothing at all to do with the question; Pius XII is not a front-burner question for American Catholics, and slowing or speeding his canonization has precisely zero connection with "growing rifts". It's obviously an obsession for Wiesel, though.
Second, we have another of these Self-Explanatory Sentences. When you read Nobel prize winner, you know instantly and completely that we're talking about an orthodox Stalinist who will spout nothing more than orthodox Stalinism. Wiesel doesn't disappoint.
If he were truly speaking on behalf of Jews, he would advocate a faster canonization for Pius XII.
Polistra has discussed this question before.
Quite simply, Hitler "came for" the Catholics before he "came for" the Jews, and Pius XII was highly active in protecting both. His activity was not secret; it was well-known in America at the time. After the war, Stalin changed history specifically to create "growing rifts between the Vatican, the clergy and the laity in America". So it's completely predictable that Stalinist Wiesel continues to push the Stalinist line. ¶ 10:15 AM
