Does anyone think that a major newspaper like the Los Angeles Times would ever allow a hateful and patently false anti-Semitic or anti-Muslim personal attack to be published in its letters to the editor? Of course not. But check out this whopper of anti-Catholic vitriol that is in the pages of the Times today (Mon. 2/2/09):
The Jesuits have a saying, "Give me the boy until he is 7, and I will give you the man." You can now add, "Give Adolf Hitler the boy until he is 7, and he will give you the pope."
RALPH WETTERHAHN
Long Beach
Yes, that's the entire letter. In the eyes of Ralph Wetterhahn of Long Beach, California, Pope Benedict is a Nazi, personally groomed by Hitler himself, apparently. And the Times has no problem publishing this?!? Good … grief. More anti-Catholicism by the Times? Of course.
Letters from Wetterhahn and other readers were in response to the news story regarding actions by Pope Benedict toward four excommunicated bishops of the Society of St. Pius X. (There's a lot to it, but for more on this, see "Vatican: Comments by Holocaust denier unacceptable" (AP).) (By the way, I also came across this eye-opening opinion piece from the Jerusalem Post.)
No matter what anyone may think of what Pope Benedict did, Catholics and non-Catholics alike should be outraged that the Times would allow such a specious and vicious piece of slander to be printed in its paper.
Maybe you might want to let the Times how you feel with a (polite) letter of your own: letters@latimes.com; or contact the Readers' Representative Jamie Gold at readers.rep@latimes.com.
The catalog of anti-Catholicism at the Times continues to grow.
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The letters section also contained this garbage of a letter by some ignoramus/buffoon in Yorba Linda.
I was astonished to read that the pope has rescinded the excommunication of anti-Semitic Bishop Richard Williamson, who claims the Holocaust never happened.
As a cradle Catholic, I am appalled that the prelate of my church would hide behind the legal technicalities of canon law to allow this obviously loathsome man to resume his affiliation with Catholicism. This is as horrifying to me as learning that Pope Pius XII at the time of the Holocaust turned a blind eye to the annihilation of the Jews, Gypsies and anyone else who did not measure up to the Third Reich standards.
If our papal leaders are not courageous and honorable during true tests of faith and morals, why should anyone believe in their infallibility in ordinary times?
How could this pope not know this unfortunate decision would cause the world to wonder what has happened to the Catholic Church.MAUREEN ARDRON
Yorba Linda
Forget the fact that the ignorant Ardron has no clue on the doctrine of papal infallibility. The ignorant Ardron harps the patently false "Pope-Pius-XII-aided-the-Nazis-in-the-Holocaust" lie. Ardron's claim has been thoroughly and completely debunked and discredited.
I encourage the ignorant Ardron and others learn the truth about Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust:
- MUST-SEE: The Catholic League's "Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust: Books, Articles and Research Papers"
- "The Truth About Pope Pius XII," by Sister Margherita Marchione. Ph.D.
- "The Real Story of Pius XII and the Jews," by James Bogle
- "How Pius XII Protected Jews," by Jimmy Akin
- "Catholic Heroes of the Holocaust," by Elizabeth Altham
- "How to Manufacture a Legend: The Controversy over the Alleged Silence of Pope Pius XII in World War II," by Robert A. Graham, S.J.
- Righteous Gentiles: How Pius XII And the Catholic Church Saved Half a Million Jews from the Nazis by Ronald J. Rychlak
- The Myth of Hitler's Pope: Pope Pius XII and His Secret War Against Nazi Germany by David G. Dalin
- The Pius War: Responses to the Critics of Pius XII by William Doino, Joseph Bottum, David G. Dalin
- Consensus and Controversy: Defending Pope Pius XII by Margherita Marchione
- Defamation Of Pius XII by Ralph Mcinerny
Also highly recommended are the books, The Myth of Hitler's Pope: How Pope Pius XII Rescued Jews from the Nazis by David G. Dalin and The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice by Philip Jenkins.
