Early into his pontificate...

"Pope Benedict blocked the planned beatification of Father Leon Dehon (1843 - 1925).

"Roy Schoeman notes that Dehon had called the Talmud a manual for the bandit, the corrupter, the social destroyer.

"and had recommended that Jews not be permitted to own land or serve as judges or teachers."


Adapted from Jeff Ziegler's article, The People of God with Israel: Catholic - Jewish relations deepen under Pope Benedict XVI. In the March 2010 edition of The Catholic World Report.

Six weeks after his inaugural Mass in April 2005 Pope Benedict XVI. addressed the concerns of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations:

"I wish to assure you that the Church remains firmly committed, in her catechesis and in every aspect of her life, to implementing Nostra Aetate's decisive teaching.

"In the years following the Council, my predecessors Pope Paul VI and, in a particular way, Pope John Paul II, took significant steps towards improving relations with the Jewish people.

It is my intention to continue on this path."


In response...


"Myrna Shinbaum of the Anti - Defamation League told CWR [that] this talk was particularly significant because it comes very soon after his election and because [Pope Benedict XVI ] commits to following the historic path of Pope John Paul II in working to improves relations with the Jewish people.

"A few days later, Pope Benedict blocked the planned beatification of Father Roy Dehon (1843 - 1925).

"Roy Schoeman, author of Salvation is From the Jews, notes that Dehon had called the Talmud a manual for the bandit, the corrupter, the social destroyer and had recommended that Jews not be permitted to own land or serve as judges or teachers..."

Yet, it might appear, Pope John Paul II's Vatican bureaucracy had been all ready to rubber - stamp Fr. Dehon's candidacy! :)

Yet more ...

"When Joseph Ratzinger was nine, Pope Pius XI issued his anti - NAZI encyclical Mit Brennender Sorge -- With Burning Anxiety.

"The following year, the Sacred Congregation for Seminaries and Universities published its Syllabus Against Racism and urged Catholic educational institutions to combat NAZI racial theories.

"Five months later, Pope Pius XI told a group of Belgian pilgrims, Anti - Semitism is a revolting movement,of which we Christians cannot be a part. Anti - Semitism cannot be justified. Spiritually we are [all] Semites..."

Interesting points... :)