Oswiecim, Poland
Pope Benedict XVI, the first German pope, prayed this week at the former Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz. Benedict said that the Nazi slaughter of millions of Jews was “particularly difficult and troubling for a Christian, for a pope from Germany,” to confront. “Why, Lord, did you remain silent?” he asked. “How could you tolerate this?” Out of deference to Poles, Benedict spoke mostly Italian and Polish during his four-day visit to Poland, birthplace of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. Benedict referred frequently to John Paul, who used his papacy to denounce anti-Semitism and reach out to Jews. “If the present pope follows the path shown by John Paul II, then we can only be grateful,” said Tadeusz Jakubowicz, leader of the tiny remaining Jewish community in Krakow.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'Good riddance to the televised presidential debate'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Caitlin Clark the No. 1 pick in bullish WNBA DraftSpeed Read As expected, she went to the Indiana Fever
-
Today's political cartoons - April 16, 2024Cartoons Tuesday's cartoons - sleepyhead, little people, and more
