Main focus of Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Pope condemns anti-Semitism

Pope Benedict XVI commemorated the victims of the Holocaust in Jerusalem on Monday. In a speech delivered at the Yad Vashem memorial he also condemned anti-Semitism. Europe's press comments on his speech with mixed feelings.

Frankfurter Rundschau - Germany

The daily Frankfurter Rundschau writes on the Pope's visit to Israel: "Benedict XVI hasn't said anything wrong yet but that's no reason to praise him, because reserve can only be bought at the price of superficiality. Condemning the Shoah is no great intellectual feat, it's a moral matter of course. Warning of the 'ugly face' of anti-Semitism is nothing more than trite if the pontiff contents himself to raise his finger without saying that it was he himself who rehabilitated a Holocaust denier. The Pope's talk of peace as a gift jars with the reality in the so-called Holy Land, where every child knows that peace is not given to anyone, but must be negotiated and fought for, and that failure can never be ruled out." (12/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Religion, » Weltanschauung, » Global, » Middle East, » Israel
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La Repubblica - Italy

The left-liberal daily La Repubblica compares the Pope's visit to Israel with that of his predecessor John Paul II: "The Polish Pope declared himself a 'Jew among Jews' and made his mea culpa at the Wailing Wall. He lifted his voice to God in the holy language of the Jews. As was his custom, he overcame the obstacles of theology with his heart and his devout humility. ... Joseph Ratzinger's actions are not steeped in feelings, but in theory. Driven by a pessimism that has grown with the global tension in the wake of September 11, Benedict XVI first cultivated division and then unity. This has led to several disagreeable incidents which have almost jeopardised the Jewish-Christian dialogue. .. So also at Yad Vashem, in his passionate speech against racism and Holocaust denial, he prefered to avoid ... any of the self-criticism or reference to the part the Church played in creating the destruction of the 20th century with which his predecessor had made such a bold start." (12/05/2009)

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Karjalainen - Finland

The daily Karjalainen writes that independently of its destination, a papal voyage always means politics: "With his arrival in Israel on Monday Pope Benedict XVI began the most delicate phase of his pilgrimage to the Middle East. The role of the Vatican and then Pope Pius XII in Nazi Germany continue to be interpreted in conflicting ways. It's easy to suspect Benedict of attempting to construct a bridge to the ultra-conservative wing of the Church, one of whose representatives, Bishop Richard Williamson, denies the Holocaust. On his trip the Pope must show a gesture of repentance and reconciliation. But everything he does when he's outside the Vatican is analysed according to political criteria. ... The trip to Israel by the 82-year-old Joseph Ratzinger evokes living memories of a time almost 70 years ago, when the then 14 -year-old boy was part of the Hitler Youth. For this reason a speech by the Nazi Pope is of little help." (12/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Religion, » Weltanschauung, » Israel

Le Figaro - France

On the occasion of the Pope's visit to Israel the daily Le Figaro surveys the political situation in the Middle East: "Pope Benedict XVI did not choose the date of his journey to the Holy Land at random. Everything points to the fact that in several weeks the foundation will be laid for a resumption of the peace process . ... This Monday the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be received at the White House. It would be hard to imagine a more decisive time for such a meeting: one between an American president whose father was a Muslim and who wants to make peace with the Arab World, and an Israeli leader who is opposed to the two-state solution. The Holy Father's call on arriving at Ben Gurion Airport for the coexistence of both people 'within secure and internationally recognised borders' couldn't come at a better time." (12/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Middle East, » Israel
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