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Embarassed, Shocked and Outraged!

by Conservativity Staff,
Originally Posted: 4/19/2005 4:15:51 PM
Last Updated: 4/19/2005 4:47:43 PM

Pope Benedict XVI has been pope for about five hours, including the time it took to burn the ballots, ring the bells, put on the papal vestments and receive the allegiance of the cardinals who elected him.  He came out onto the St Peter’s balcony less than four hours ago.  One would think that even the left-wing press would give this pope time to warm up his vestments before attacking him.  Well, one would be wrong.  While there are some positive, even glowing reports about the new pope, formerly Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger of Germany, there are some other press "reports" so vile that the paper upon which they are written should not be used in lieu of Charmin.

"The new pope, spiritual leader to 1.2 billion people, has been called a Nazi (literally), a Rottweiler, the "panzer cardinal" and other derisive names.  Osama Bin Laden gets more respect from the American Press than the new pope, who is by all reliable accounts a very pious and humble man."

The new pope, spiritual leader to 1.2 billion people, has been called a Nazi (literally), a Rottweiler, the "panzer cardinal" and other derisive names.  Osama Bin Laden gets more respect from the American Press than the new pope, who is by all reliable accounts a very pious and humble man.  He certainly did not look like a Nazi when he came out onto the balcony; in fact he looked a bit awestruck by the crowd’s enthusiastic reaction. 

Why has the press, especially the American press, attacked the new pope?  Well, as they have noted, he and the late Pope John Paul II were "intellectual bedfellows."  I find the analogy to bedfellows somewhat offensive, given both the new pope’s, and his predecessor’s, loyalty to scripture regarding homosexuality.  They are both conservative, and will not rewrite the Bible to suit the liberal "pseudo-catholics"  (thanks to www.ratzingerfanclub.com for this -- imagine a cardinal with a [unofficial] fan club) of the times.  As for calling the new Pope a Nazi, this is sickening and evil.  He was involuntarily recruited to the Hitler youth and refused to attend even one meeting; eventually he was out.  He was drafted to the German army and, rather than help Hitler in any way, he deserted and faced death for that act.

"In fact, in an article about the new pope from two days ago, the Jerusalem Post supported him and defended him against these ridiculous Nazi charges."

In fact, in an article about the new pope from two days ago, the Jerusalem Post supported him and defended him against these ridiculous Nazi charges.  "If he were truly a Nazi sympathizer, then it would undoubtedly have become evident during the past 60 years. Yet throughout his service in the church, Ratzinger has distinguished himself in the field of Jewish-Catholic relations."  The Post, in an article excoriating the London Daily Times for accusing the new Pope of Nazi ties, goes on to explain that the former Cardinal Ratzinger helped write Pope John Paul II’s apology to the Jewish people, and wrote other documents that were "a milestone theological explanation for the Jews’ rejection of Jesus."

As the Post surmised: "If that’s theological anti-Semitism, then we should only be so lucky to ’suffer’ more of the same."

In my opinion, left wingers in the press are terrified of a second successive brave, lucid, intellectually-sound pope who will continue to make rational and compelling arguments for living a Christ-like life.  Pope Benedict has already criticized relativism, the moral decay that is the hallmark of liberalism, and as Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, was the person charged with ensuring that the Catholics of the world were truly following the precepts and not being led astray by, you guessed it, left wingers.  He shares John Paul II’s disgust with "liberation theology" and its Marxist teachings, among other doctrines that water down the biblical basis for his faith.

I am embarassed that I live in a country where the press abuses its sacred freedom to engage in vitriolic yellow journalism.  I am shocked that these reporters do no real research, and then spin the truth to demonize a good man.  I am enraged at these "journalists" -- I use the term most loosely -- for their reckless disregard of the truth.  Kudos to the Jerusalem Post for carefully exposing that truth.