The arch-conservative, former member of the Hitler Youth will almost certainly lead the Catholic Church into obscurity. Another conservative European Pope...yawn. I guess I don't really care that much what a bunch of religious nuts do, but it does seem to be in the news a lot lately, so I thought I'd comment.
Benedict XVI (Slate)
6 comments:
Yeah, he says it was compulsory -- and I have no reason to disbelieve that -- but it just seems like the Church should have had someone that was qualified to be Pope who wasn't in the Hitler Youth.
But, of course, no one who survived the Nazi regime has any incetive to suggest that they were ever supportive. By the way, if you ever get the chance, there is a great film (German) about historical memory and Nazi past called "The Nasty Girl." A woman who researches her town's actions during the war. I saw it a long time ago, but the town and its elite have reputations for being resistant to the Nazi regime. Its an excellent film.
I just looked for that film on Netflix, but apparently they dont have it. If you ever come across it though, i'd be interested in seeing it.
Excellent flick, "The Nasty Girl"; I can't belive Netflix doesn't have it--my ma-and-pa corner video store/pizza parlor has it! I always think I should carve out some time to watch it in my WWII class, but never do. It was one of the recommended movies for my WWII movie assignment, though (and of course all the boys watched the combat films).
I was both surprised and disappointed that the Cardinals elected Ratzinger. The Church's strength is outside of Europe, especially in Latin America, and a Latin or African (or even Asian) Pope would've put the "catholic" back into the Church. Regardless, his age seems to suggest that he's meant to be a caretaker; it's the next election that will really be the interesting one, when JPII's reign is no longer fresh in the Cardinals' memories and the inertia of proetcting his legacy will have begun to fade.
The question of participation in Nazi organizations is, of course, personal for me, given my family's history. Keep in mind that the Nazis were adept at equating their party and its leader with the German Nation. This made it easier for ordinary Germans to rationalize their participation in the regime as matter of patriotism and not ideology. How many times today have we been told more or less that "you traitors with your moral qualms, don't you understand? We're at war! Shut up and play along!"? Most Germans, unfortunately, chose to shut up and play along. Did Ratzinger dig those anti-tank trenches for Hitler and the Nazis? To defend Germany? Because he felt he had to? It's a testimony to the insidiousness of fascism that perhaps even Ratzinger doesn't really know the answer the these questions.
Ben -- Agreed that questions about complicity, coercion, and collaboration are fraught with unanswerable questions -- in particular when your dealing with people who were clearly not part of an actual power structure.
More disturbing with Ratzinger is what he has done in the years after he was in the Hitler Youth. There's a good article on Common Dreams right now about him:
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0420-28.htm
As someone who studies people in the past who have found a great deal of inspiration from religion in attempts to make positive change in the world -- this whole affair for me has been disheartening. I had hoped that there might be a more reasonable Pope elected and I have since thought as you have, Panzer Cardinal (really one of his nicknames -- also heard the Pope's Rottwieller) is 78 and will be soon replaced. But since the entire College of Cardinals (with only 2, now 1, exceptions -- Ratzinger was one) was appointed by JPII, I don't see there being any likely large change unless something massive happens at the bottom of the church.
Even one as blindly optimistic as me has trouble seeing this as anything but another confirmation of how far to the right the entire world has moved in just 25 or 30 years.
Well, if Jay is not optimistic then I am really depressed. :(
I am sorry but I find all religions repulsive although I would admit that religion can be used as a positive tool for social/political change.
Actually I thought the choice was fitting. The Nazi's and religion united as one in the Pope. What could be more appropriate, but I guess that is just my cynical humor.
The real reason for my post is to ask Ben what is it about your family history that makes this issue personal for you?
If you are related to Rommel I think that would be cool. :)
I'm not sure I would place Catholicism firmly on the Right, at least not as defined here in the U.S.
Certainly, some of the Church's positions are indisputably conservative, e.g., homosexuality, and would not seem out of place in U.S. conservative circles.
But other positions are what might be defined as "liberal" or even "leftist," e.g., the death penalty, and would be anthema to American conservatism.
I was listening to MPR this morning, and one of the correspondents interviewed a Brazilian Catholic who supported Ratzinger because (and I'm quoting as best as I can recall) "he stood with the poor and he's against American wars of aggression." Yes, many of the Church's positions are medieval (and ignored by many if not most Catholics), but others downright challenge American global hegemony and world capitalism (although admittedly these Catholics probably wouldn't describe it in these terms).
The Nazis certainly used religion to solidify their power and mobilize churches and church-goers in service to their cause. For all the contempt that the Nazis had for Christianity, they gleefully and cynically exploited it when it suited their ends. The Nazis loved to portray themselves as defenders of Christianity against Godless, Asiatic Communism. Every German soldier, even the SS, went into battle with a belt buckle that read "Gott Mit Uns"--"God With Us." Whenever my fellow Americans begin claiming that God is on our side, I always think of those belt buckles. Once you believe God is on your side atrocities inevitably follow.
As for family ties to the Nazi era, no, I'm not related to Rommel, but my uncle was an Afrika Korps motorcycle dispatch rider for Rommel's HQ. He saw him a lot, apparently. There's more, too, but nothing I care to discuss here.
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