Joseph D'Hippolito writes on the new Pope and Islam in the Jerusalem Post:
Pope Benedict XVI's installation mass included two indications of a radical change in the Vatican's strategy toward Islam and Islamist terrorism. In his greeting the new pope welcomed fellow Catholics, other Christians and Jews - but not Muslims.Later, two selected people delivered intercessory prayers for oppressed Christians. One of the prayers was in Arabic.
What did these gestures mean? The era of de-facto appeasement under Pope John Paul II is over. The era of subtle, discreet, yet firm
confrontation has begun.Muslims have noticed the shift and Benedict's warmth toward Jews, as IslamOnline.net commented in its April 24 report on the installation: "Some observers fear that Jewish lobbies might blackmail the new pope for his wartime membership - which he confirms was enforced - in Nazi Germany's Hitler Youth."
John Paul II cultivated a relationship with Islam not only as part of his ecumenical agenda. He viewed Islam as an ally against communism and secular materialism, particularly abortion. In 1994, the Vatican forged a coalition with the radical regimes of Iran, Libya and Sudan to oppose any proposals advocating abortion at a United Nations conference on world population.
Moreover, the brutal Nazi occupation of Poland traumatized John Paul to the point where he deeply feared a similar clash of civilizations between Christianity and Islam.
But John Paul's successor, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who led the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has other ideas, as Amir Taheri wrote on April 16 in Arab News:"Ratzinger believes that John Paul II's strategy of alliance with Islam has put the Vatican not on the side of the Muslim peoples, but on the side of despotic regimes that dominate the Muslim world. Ratzinger sees relations between Islam and Catholicism as one of competition over the truth.
"Ratzinger suggests an alternative strategy under which the Catholic Church would focus on the consolidation of its position in its traditional strongholds in Europe and the American continent. In that context, Ratzinger has publicly opposed the admission of Turkey into the European Union."...
Read it all.
"What did these gestures mean? The era of de-facto appeasement under Pope John Paul II is over. The era of subtle, discreet, yet firm
confrontation has begun."
It's about time.
Question:
How could the 'Jewish lobby' blackmail the new pope for his wartime membership of Hitler Youth when this is already common knowledge?
This Pope has all the right enemies -- both Michael Lerner and Scott Appleby are deeply upset by his selection. He knows that that Europe is worth saving, that Da'wa and demographic conquest from within must be stopped. Many who are not long-term admirers of the Vatican, who may be atheists in fact, realize that the one thing that matters now is the resolve to stop the fascism of Islam, whether in its murderous form, or in the softer versions that hope to conquer through other instruments of Jihad.
Pope Benedict XVI has not been fooled by Islam. He lived through Hitler. During the disorders, political and intellectual, of the 1968 student nonsense, and felt the wind of the wing of fascism on his face, and reacted far more strongly than others. He feels that Europe has committed, in not recognizing what Islam is all about, a terrible error that has already greatly damaged the lives of its citizens, and could, if not firmly checked, destroy the entire edifice of the European branch of Western civilization.
Even those of us who do not share the belief that he can be infallible are glad to recognize that in his understanding of the profound menace of Islam, he is right.
The time of appeasement is over. All of Europe learned the lesson of appeasing Hitler with millions of dead and untold suffering. That historical lesson is taught every day in lands that Islam has conquered: death and untold suffering that is occurring as we write. Tyrants see appeasement as a sign of weakness and will move in for the kill.
Jihad is a type of tyranny. Jihad comes in many forms. Ignore any of them at your peril. Having survived the Nazis, the Pope understands this perfectly.
Islam still retains its modern day mamluks but the pope has lost its crusaders.
It is not an even fight.
As long as the pope doesn't ask that every crusader be a christian that subscribes to his doctrine, I think when the time comes he will find his armies swelling. Of course, before that 'time' lots of people are going to be bent over for the mamluks.
Exactly like how the previous crusades were a delayed reaction. Who says people dont learn from history....
With every Islamic terrorist attack, non-Muslim eyes are opened and new crusaders are created. Just look at the growing numbers of "Internet Crusaders". Education is our best weapon.
Information is a formidable weapon. Many people I know are shocked when I show them a bit of what is in the Quran. Most Americans think it's an "Islamic Bible". They just don't know...."Ignore any of them at your peril".....yeah.....I agree with that too.
"All of Europe learned the lesson of appeasing Hitler with millions of dead and untold suffering."
Epg, that's not true. The majority of Europeans are very badly misguided and disinformed, and have *not* learned the harsh lessons of European Contemporary totalitatianism --Communism and National Sozialism, the two main branches of applied Communism. Actually, the EU is a neo-Socialist construct doomed to disappear in one way or another.
A large portion of Europeans --though I think actually is a minority-- do believe appeasement and "dialogue" always works: pacifism is their faith.
The majority of Europeans *really* think America and Israel are to blame of nearly all evil in the world.
And, added to that, there is no organized voice opposing the EU policy of Islamic appeasement.
This is the bleak picture of the European Union, which is ruled by mamluks --or, better, eunuchs.
The Pope better get up off his a-- and start openly discussing the natural behavior of Western justice systems to rely on Judeo Christian concepts of justice as a pretext to logical right and wrong discussions the the church instilled in the West. The survival of the West is such that without historically reminding the West of it's umbilical cord to Catholocism and the new and old testament of the Bible and how it has shaped our modern world view, we might as well open a new designer Burke shop for the "new world order". It is time to wake up the jellyfish of logic and sharpen our sword to clash with Islam. No order around it will result in anything other than the destruction of Western civilization and possibly the world, as we know it.
Why then the quiet fortitude to wait for the next catastrophe before speaking out? Why the idea of patience and understanding (Judeo Christian form) which to this very day will be the destruction of our economy, way of life, and world order, if we don't start dealing with state sponsored terrorism for what it is, nations at war with the US and Europe, quietly using our western liberal weakness to slowly undermine life as we know it, and to force confrontation on a cataclysmic level through the actions of a minority of terrorists that will ultimately wreak havoc and possibly draw the world order into world disorder by slowly strangling our way of life.
What then? The West must understand that until the West is willing to annihilate larger numbers of innocents who harbor these evil thugs, there will be no peace and no safety, until the very last one of them is either vaporized or destroyed by aggressive non nuclear means.
The nations of Islam are bloodthirsty regimes looking for a playing ground of mass destruction and until the leadership of the US plays this game on a level they understand (violence and fear) we will loose…….period. When will the US and its allies wake up? Hopefully before it is too late (which it already may be.)
First, I wish Benedict success in oppossing Islam. The more, the earlier, the better. The ridiculous anti-Semitism from that Islamic website is ludicrous, since Jewish groups, and many others, including many left-wing bloggers, at the time of his installation noted that his stint in the Hitler Youth was mandatory and brief and means nothing.
BUT, Benedict's successes will depend more on his approach to the Church and his flock than on his approach to Jews or Moslems. That is to say, if Benedict revitalizes the Church, his opposition to Islam (if it exists, I assume it must) will have weight. But, if he is seen as just another reactionary, riding the Church down to meaninglessness, then his actions against Islam will be judged with that: as just another reactionary rant and he will in fact have done opposition to Islam a disservice.
Information is a formidable weapon. Many people I know are shocked when I show them a bit of what is in the Quran. Most Americans think it's an "Islamic Bible". They just don't know...."Ignore any of them at your peril".....yeah.....I agree with that too.
Posted by: Infidel One
Greetings brethren Infidel One,
That is EXACTLY waht is needed! To show all your naeighbors and familes the TRUTH about what is in the Koran.
Good for you - brethren Infidel One
You are truly a Warrior - a good one - in this war Infidel One.
I hope MANY others will join us and do the same.
NEVER STOP - till the Koran is GONE!
Hugh: Point of clarification, "Even those of us who do not share the belief that he can be infallible..." No, we devout Catholics do NOT believe that the Pope is infallible in his person, but rather that his pronouncements on faith and moral doctrine are infallible on those few occasions when he speaks within the tradition of the magisterium ex cathedra "from the chair" of Peter. If Pope Benedict says it is not going to rain today, we Catholics do not risk excommunication by carrying an umbrella.
As to the article, I believe that as young Josef Ratzinger in Nazi Germany, he may have heard the adoring pronouncements and radio broadcasts made when the Mufti of Jerusalem visited Hitler's Germany (on at least 3 occasions, I believe) and praised Herr Himmler and Der Fuhrer on their policies toward the Jews. The current Pope may know better than most secular leaders the closeness that existed between mid-Eastern, Islamic leaders and Hitler.
"Islam still retains its modern day mamluks but the pope has lost its crusaders.
It is not an even fight."
Yeah, maybe so, but he'll always have the Mob...
I know that the doctrine of infallibility is 1) of 19th century origin and 2) applies only in very limited circumstances.
That is why I wrote "can be" rather than "is" infallible, as a sign that it was not always and everywhere true.
My main reason for bringing in the word "infallible" was to then say, on this particular matter (the menace of Islam), he didn't have to be "infallible" -- he merely has to be right.
May God give him Strength to stay with this Fight it will be a hard long road but his mission is to warn the people with the Truth about what they are up against Amen
Appeasement never pays.
I regard the start point of the modern jihad against the West, with the war in Bosnia and Kosovo. Our acquiescence to the demands of Saudi Arabia and the muslim world, was a spur to the re-invigoration of the modern jihad - for it became clear to the islamic world, that the West would not support its Christian brethren (this is how the islamic world sees us ie as Christians all), but even go as far as to take the side of the mujahidden. That was a double dose of appeasement.
There was a direct line from Munich to WWII, and so I believe there is a direct line from Rambouillet to 9/11.
A good egg, this Benedict (sorry, couldn't resist).
A groaner, R Dubya Bee, but good for a chuckle.
I'm with the Pope, and hope that he can move western euro opinion, which Joel Catala aptly describes, to a realistic understanding of the threat to the civilized world from islam.
His stand on Turkey is welcome.