Rage for Ratzinger

Well, here on the outside of the Conclave, views seem to be coalescing.

First, in the totally meaningless betting pool, Cardinal Ratzinger has jumped to #1, and Cardinal Arinze has fallen to #5 (all a function of speculation in the media. Benedict is still the #1 name, though)

In The Corner, Michael Novak writes:

And, actually, my own sources in Rome now suggest that the number of cardinals supporting Ratzinger is closer to 55, leaving him at this early point some 22 short. Some caution should be exercised here, since in Rome counting of this sort is in most cases not actually by head, as is done in Washington by a Senate or House whip. In Rome, estimates are usually made by inference from known connections of cardinals and their close associates. However, some people in Rome (not necessarily with experience in American mayoralty elections) do know how to count votes. Those I know of in this camp are keeping their cards close to their chest. But they do not dispute the published numbers, except to hint that the true number is higher.

What no one disputes is that the numbers of the "progressives," once gathered around Cardinals Donneels of Belgium and Martini of Milan (now retired), have collapsed. There are not even enough of them to block the majority seeking a "Continuator" of John Paul II's legacy. The loyalty expressed by millions all around the world to John Paul II became so visible at the funeral that "Continuator" is now the motif. Whether that mantle falls on Ratzinger--or, perhaps, on someone younger and more vigorous--such as Angelo Scola of Venice, a truly brilliant and creative student of the much-beloved theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, will soon enough become clear. There are four or five who could fill this place in the batting order, or take their turn next time around.

John Allen: push for Ratzinger is real

First, the push for Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the pope’s doctrinal czar for 24 years and the dean of the College of Cardinals, is for real. There is a strong basis of support for Ratzinger in the college, and his performance in the period following the death of the pope, especially his eloquent homily at the funeral Mass, seems to have further cemented that support. One Vatican official who has worked with Ratzinger over the years said on April 13, “I am absolutely sure that Ratzinger will be the next pope.”

On the other hand, several cardinals have said privately that they’re uncomfortable with the prospect of a Ratzinger papacy. It’s not just that some don’t believe his strong emphasis on the protection of Christian identity in a secular world ought to be the guiding light of the next papacy, but there’s also a real-world concern about the election of a figure with his “baggage.” Fairly or unfairly, Ratzinger is to some extent a lightning rod for Catholic opinion, and in a church that’s already divided, some cardinals worry about exacerbating those divisions. One said April 12: “I’m not sure how I would explain this back home.”

Sandro Magister on the "3 parties" involved

Comments

[Eric Giunta]

Walter Cardinal Kaspara "conservative"?!?!?!?!

Ha!

(See Sandro Magister's article.)

[Jay Anderson]

Fairly or unfairly, Ratzinger is to some extent a lightning rod for Catholic opinion, and in a church that’s already divided, some cardinals worry about exacerbating those divisions. One said April 12: “I’m not sure how I would explain this back home.”

What's there to explain? How about you say "This man has been elected Pope. He is the supreme pontiff and leader of our Church. You can either follow him or get the hell out."

[Colleen]

“I’m not sure how I would explain this back home.”

Lord, Lord, Lord. You tell them the Holy Spirit, as always, knows best. If they are Catholic 'back home' they will understand.

All this talk about 'my sources' and 'vatican official says' makes me so uncomfortable. I don't see what the crazy and obsessive speculation is for or what it does other than keep people in jobs.

[James Kabala]

I liked most of Magister's article, but it was definitely another step on the march of the word "neoconservative" to utter meaningless. I'd like to know what the Ratzinger program has to do Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, Nathan Glazer, and Pat Moynihan.

[Sonetka]

Colleen - well, these newspaper correspondents are stuck in Rome until the new Pope is elected, and I'd imagine the novemdiales make for an incredibly inconvenient standstill in terms of, um, actual stories. In a sense, the Law thing helped them out because they could spin two days' worth of indignation out of it, but now they're back to basically nothing happening and nobody (official) talking. Speculation is probably the only thing they have.

[michigancatholic]

Colleen and Sonetka, we haven't had a papal election in many years, so you don't remember, but this always goes on. It's absolutely nothing to be bothered about. God works through human beings and all this is part of it.

Indeed, if I remember correctly, it's a whole lot less contentious than the last one--since there was more in doubt in terms of scare over change then, and also there was the whole controversy over the unexpected death of PJP1.

It's okay, honestly.

Eric, perhaps John Allen is using his comrades at NCR as the metric. Alongside them Kruschev is an ultraconservative.

[Sydney Carton]

If Ratzinger is elected Pope, may he live to be 100....

[Richard]

1. Nicely said, James.

2. I don't see where Magister calls Kasper a "conservative." Maybe it's lack of sleep.

I feel warm and fuzzy about a Ratzinger pontificate. I can only jope he's willing to break out the lumber. A little divisiveness may be a tonic.

[tt]

Richard: the article claims that Kasper is backing Ratzinger, or at any rate Ratzinger's vision for the church and the papacy!

Kasper has been making strangely conservative, Dominus Iesus-esque statements. Magister thinks he wants to be head of the CDF and is positioning himself accordingly. I find this very hard to believe. Surely he is with Lehmann and Martini.

[Mo]

Viva Il Ratzinger!

http://chateaudumeau.blogspot.com

[Mo]

I really hate the term neocon too. I think Magister has misapplied it.

Of course, Ratzinger has nothing to do with American politicals neocons Kristol etal.

Ratzinger, also has nothing to do with so-called Catholic--Novak, Neuhaus and Weigel--those who think that the American liberal democracy is the perfect seedbed for Catholicism.

The only think I can think of is that Rad Trads call folks who like JPII, folks who are generally content with the Novus Ordo as long as it is celebrated faithfully--Neocons. I don't think Ratzinger falls into this category either. If there was ever a cardinal who would move back to the Tridentine Mass or something close to it it would Ratzinger.

Mo

http://chateaudumeau.blogspot.com

[Rick Lugari]

…Ratzinger is to some extent a lightning rod for Catholic opinion, and in a church that’s already divided, some cardinals worry about exacerbating those divisions.

He should be ashamed for publishing that. First, because that is the dissenter’s party line regarding JPG, which has been thoroughly discredited by reality. Second, JPG took the reins of a divided church. In comparison to 1978 we have a soundly united church. There are pockets of resistance, but that comes from a dying cause. The ‘ecclesialeftists’, from the archheretics like Kung down to the two bit punks like Gumbleton, are dying off or being abandoned to obscurity. Their only standing is with the MSM types, and once the conclave is over they will have expended their usefulness even to them.

Viva il Ratzinger

[Rod Dreher]

Der Panzerkardinal a divider? If he will commit himself to defending the truth and restoring discipline to the governance of the Church even if that means of that defense and restoration is a sword of division, then I say that's the kind of division we need. Bring it on. Bring. It. On. Enough of saying, "Peace, peace," where there is no peace.

[Kathleen]

If we get Ratzinger I will sleep soundly for the first time since JPII the Great went home.

I also think the HS was in high gear in the hearts of those who went to St. Peters to view the body and for the funeral as a message to the Cardinals.

When you see what JPII inspired imagine what a Ratzinger could accomplish by cleaning house and being not only a light to the whole world but to the Church itself.

[Rich Leonardi]

The move to "Pope Ratzinger" surprises me as much as the open speculation. (But then again I was ten the last time this happened.)

The divisive charge is a shortcut from thinking. Should JPII have kept quiet during that trip to Poland for the sake of a counterfeit "unity"? That type of unity inevitably leads to chaos; unity must subsist in truth.

[WRY]

If Ratzinger upsets anyone at the National Catholic Reporter, its a sure sign that he must have a lot going for him. I think Ratzinger would be a great choice. Is he healthy? Anybody read anything along those lines.
But just imagine the media headlines:

"Pope's bully gets top job"
"Ultra-conservative chosen to lead church"
"Women, gays, deplore Vatican choice"

You can make up your own. Could be fun. Maybe the winner gets the Ratzonger coffee mug.

[Paul N.]

Ratzinger is the liberal's worst nightmare. Arinze they simply disagree with, but Ratzinger they absolutely HATE. I was telling my non-Catholic wife to just be ready for the poop to hit the fan when the Lefties find out that a Cardinal Mahoney-type doesn't become pope. They've been lying in wait for the opportunity to cement their vision of what the Church should be. There will be alot of upset folks at Commonweal, America, National Catholic Reporter, and many American chanceries when they discover that the next pope is an authentic
CATHOLIC, not their version of watered down, limp-wristed, rainbow-colored "catholicism".

Those headlines are right on, WRY....

[Kathleen]

Paul N:

Can you imagine McBrien's reaction if Ratzinger becomes Pope?

[Paul N.]

Oh, McBrien, he's such an enemy of the Church, he'll be on Christopher Matthews and they'll both be rending their garments over it all.

All of the Church haters, who've spent the post-JPII time "gently" dictating what direction the Church should move will be out in force if Ratzinger is elected.

We'll all be told by the mainstream media that the Catholic Church is continuing into irrelevance. What they don't understand is that God, in His Church, has not moved away from them, they've left God and His Church and can't understand why it doesn't follow them on hell's path.

They just refuse to "get it".

[William Bloomfield]

I wonder if some of the dissenters would finally leave the Church if Ratzinger were elected? Maybe they'll start to "get it" that the Church is not changing.

I also wonder how long it will take the media to start speculating about Ratzinger's "frailty" and "failing health"?

I also think maybe Ratzinger should just keep his name. I like the sound of Pope Ratzinger. Who knows, down the road maybe they'll be a Pope Ratzinger XXIII?

[Rick Lugari]

Indeed Paul. It really is a matter of whose will to follow, God's or man's. They make the wrong choice.

[WRY]

I also wonder if the Ratzinger boom is really being over-hyped by "progressives" as a way to scare moderates into coalescing around a moderate candidate -- since they must realize that their not going to get a Daneels.

[Dan W]

Remember the old saying, "He who enters the conclave Pope, exits as a cardinal..."?

I would be thrilled with a Ratzinger papacy.

But it appears he's being jinxed....

[KH]

Just here, just for a little while, I'm going to let myself be tickled about this possibility...even if it doesn't happen, it's so much fun imagining it could!
*doing the happy dance just thinking about it...*

And my vote for news headline here in NY:
New Pope Ratzinger: Was He A Nazi?!?

[Maureen]

You know, I love speculation as much as the next blogger, but I think folks are getting a little too worked up about this. It's like Christmastime for a kid. You can make as long a wishlist as you want, but the chances you'll actually get _anything_ on your list are vanishingly small. You'll get what you need and you'll probably like what you get -- as long as you don't set your heart on that wishlist.

So you may as well just lean back and relax. The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner it's Christmas morning.

[Anthony]

Dan,
"Remember the old saying, "He who enters the conclave Pope, exits as a cardinal..."?
You mean like Pius XII and Paul VI?

WRY,
I don't think it's being overhyped at all. Note that the MSM for the most part is still somehow convinced that the next Pope is going to be progressive and will appoint Haas/Haugen as co-conducters of the Vatican Orcehstra. When the Matthews, McBriens, Gumbletons, etc. start talking more about Ratzinger and less about "the spirit of Vatican II", then I'll begin to worry about machinations to support a "compromise" candidate. For now I'll continue to use my old "Hi God!" song books to line the bottom of the cats litter box and await with joy the future encyclical "halt die Schnauze oder gehen Sie hinaus!"

[Hunk Hondo]

I would be delighted if Ratzinger were elected (my first choice, that bonzer Aussie Pell, obviously having no chance) but I fear that he will peak and that a last-minute coalition against him will stick us with someone like Tettamanzi, who has always struck me as being mediocre at best.

[Richard]

Mo,

Ratzinger, also has nothing to do with so-called Catholic--Novak, Neuhaus and Weigel--those who think that the American liberal democracy is the perfect seedbed for Catholicism.

That seems excessively ad hominem.

I think it is an inaccurate gloss to suggest that either Neuhaus or Weigel have said that American liberal democracy is the ideal seedbed for Catholicism. Saying they prefer it over many other options is something else entirely. Novak might tbe the one you could best make your case for. But I don't recall that even he has ever said that American democracy is "perfect."

[Richard]

Hello Rick,

"In comparison to 1978 we have a soundly united church."

Let's not get carried away.

The resistance is more than just isolated pockets.

Certainly the Church is not as demoralized as it was in 1978. But in some ways it is still very divided.

[Rick Lugari]

Hi Richard,

Perhaps, I am a little too enthusiastic about where the Church is today as opposed to yesteryear. However, I don’t believe I am too far off. Sure, you see the McBrien’s and the whackjobs like this gal, but in 1978 they were a voice and a force in the Church. Today, I see them as pretty much powerless and discredited. It seems that just the last 10 years, everyday they have become less and less significant in both numbers and credibility.

I’ll be a Pollyanna on this one. ;)

[Jay Anderson]

Headline:
"Former Hitler Youth canonizes Hitler's Pope, Pius XII."

I hope fears of such a headline wouldn't keep a Pope Ratzinger from canonizing Pius XII. Gosh, I despise the MSM.

[Mike Petrik]

You despise the MSM, Jay, precisely because they are despicable.

Pius XIII was never Hitler's pope. And membership in Hitler's Youth was compulsory, but the boy Ratzinger never attended a meeting.

The headline is still predictible though.

[Jay Anderson]

Pius XIII was never Hitler's pope. And membership in Hitler's Youth was compulsory, but the boy Ratzinger never attended a meeting.

I know, but I don't put it past the NY Times et al to ignore these facts.

[Mike Petrik]

Nor do I, Jay.

[Kevin Jones]

I'd like to see an analysis of cardinals that examines their favorite saints, prayers, devotionals, churches, artists, and theologians. That, I think, would give a better sense of who they are than reading a couple translations of their essays.

[WRY]

"Ratzinger: Casual Nazi"

--future NYT headline!

[Kurt]

Have any of you seen the letter of Fr. Brian Harrison on Seattle Catholic in which he reminds us that "St. Teresa of Avila exhorted us to be quite bold and direct in our prayers of petition, with the simplicity and transparency of little children who never hesitate to specify to their parents exactly what they want." ? He then urges us to pray specifically for Cardinal Ratzinger as the next pope.

Well, I'm going to give it a try.

For Pope Joseph I, Oremus!

[Sandra Miesel]

Fr. Richard McBrien once infamously demanded in a speech that Ratzinger be investigated for possible Nazi ties. Unfortunately, the fear of such responses might cost him votes. And his papacy--much as I would like to see it--would be clouded.
For the rest, a Cardinal who isn't orthodox at home won't be orthodox as Pope in Rome.

[Liam]

People forget that Cdl Ratzinger has more than his share of his episcopal colleagues who don't like his style and who would not like to see him vested with full executive authority. Not for the usual American reasons, but Roman ones. Twice last year, the Secretariat of State basically had to run interference with some comments he made that were outside his jurisdiction; that kind of thing tends to lead to concerns about executive capacity. On the other hand, a protege of Ratzinger with a better executive temperament and warmer charismatic style might be where the support for Ratzinger is really headed. And thus allow Ratzinger to retire to follow in the footsteps of St. Jerome as he has indicated before.

[Mark Shea]

If Ratzinger is elected, I predict that within 6 months, most of the comboxes of St. Blog's will be filled with rage and frustration at him. I wish I didn't think that. But I do.

[Donald R. McClarey]

"Fr. Richard McBrien once infamously demanded in a speech that Ratzinger be investigated for possible Nazi ties."

McBrien is a total toad. Ratzinger would have been 16 when the Third Reich fell. The man has absolutely no shame.

[WRY]

Mark,
Six months?
I was thinking six days.

[Mark Shea]

WRY:

I'm a cockeyed optimist.

[Sandra Miesel]

Ratzinger's retarded first cousin was killed in the Nazi cleansing of the disabled, by the way.
My first choice would be Schoenborn but I realize that won't happen.

[Kathleen]

Donald:

"McBrien is a total toad."

You said it and I agree!!!!!!!

[T]

Sandra,

I thought Cdl. Schönborn would be great until I read this. I don't know what, if any of it, is true, or if his comments have been taken out of context.

[Rick Lugari]

T,

It was for precisely those reasons, coupled with his recent and seemingly drastic move to the right that I treated of him the way I did in my Papability List.

[James Kabala]

Schoenborn is my favorite too - smart, orthodox, genuinely cared about cleaning up the sexual abuse scandal in his diocese, and, if that wasn't enough, a Dominican! If he doesn't make it now because of his relative youth, maybe he will be considered again in a decade or so. (Not that I wish the real next Pope anything but the longest of reigns, but life expectancy is life expectancy.)

[James Kabala]

Ooh, those are some dubious quotes, though. Although, perhaps the women's ordination one was just meant as a statement of fact. Maybe he wasn't saying, "The issue isn't settled and I hope the debate continues," but just, "Unfortunately, some people won't shut up about this." I would have to see the context.

[jose thomas]

Cardinal Ratzinger, whether he gets elected as Pope or not, has to be reckoned as a theologician who gave the Church a direction in the modern world. He assisted our beloved pope John Paul II in modernising the church in total fidelity to the Catholic doctrine.May the Holy Spirit shower on the Cardinals rich graces in electing a pope who will draw the mankind closer to Jesus and of course his mother Mary.

[jose thomas]

Cardinal Ratzinger, whether he gets elected as Pope or not, has to be reckoned as a theologician who gave the Church a direction in the modern world. He assisted our beloved pope John Paul II in modernising the church in total fidelity to the Catholic doctrine.May the Holy Spirit shower on the Cardinals rich graces in electing a pope who will draw the mankind closer to Jesus and of course his mother Mary.

[sb]

Sieg Heil Obersturmbafuhrer RAT sin burger.

it's going to be great to watch the fascists come back to power again.

[a soon to be ex catholic]

so what's so unusual about another nazi pope?
big deal. it worked fine for PIUS XII and let us not forget 'DER SPINA', the great catholic
organization that got all the nazi war criminal, baby killers out of europe after the war. catholic church seems to love those rightees...

history repeats itself again.

[Zach Foreman]

I think sb may get the award for swiftest reflexive leftie cry-Nazi response. Real creative. He's German, and conservative... ergo, he is a Nazi.

I am at the epicenter of dissent, Berkeley, CA and I am loving every moment. Here they are in mourning, but the nine days are over.

[John Harmon]

Pope Rat, I mean Ratzinger? He looks mean and evil. He sounds evil and calculating when he speaks. If it looks like a duck and acts like a duck then guess what it probally is a duck.... I don't know. I feel very upset by his being elected. I hope that he dies soon!

[JH]

Any surprise Berlosconi of Italy is on the way out? Nope...the Pope is the power in Italy, with the mob and CIA conflagrations and worldwide .... now we have a German .... Fabulous ...that Germanic Compassion ... remember that?

Sieg Heil Obersturmbafuhrer RAT sin burger.

it's going to be great to watch the fascists come back to power again

[sb]

A wise man once said 'In politics there is NO honor'. Organized religion has always been about politics. ergo 'In organized religion there is no honor'. This is nothing more than power to oppose the other organized religions.
JPII was much too honorable a man to be allowed to have his policies to stand.
Especially the acceptance of our little brothers 'the jews'. Without the hatred of the jews, where would organized christianity be.??

Who better to rule with the iron fist but the Germans and an ex-HITLER YUNGEN.

[sb]

for all you complaining about nazi comments.

go to the URL.
it is not the ny times.

it is european paper

[sb]

this is it.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-1572667,00.html

[xyzs]

about the rat:

His condemnations are legion — of women priests, married priests, dissident theologians and homosexuals, whom he has declared to be suffering from an “objective disorder”.

He upset many Jews with a statement in 1987 that Jewish history and scripture reach fulfilment only in Christ — a position denounced by critics as “theological anti-semitism”. He made more enemies among other religions in 2000, when he signed a document, Dominus Jesus, in which he argued: “Only in the Catholic church is there eternal salvation”.

Some of his staunchest critics are in Germany. A recent poll in Der Spiegel, the news magazine, showed opponents of a Ratzinger papacy outnumbered supporters by 36% to 29%.

As one western cardinal who was in two minds about him put it: “He would probably be a great pope, but I have no idea how I would explain his election back home.”

One liberal theologian,when asked what he thought of a Ratzinger papacy, was more direct: “It fills me with horror.”

[Patrick Geaney]

That Joseph Ratzinger was a fully fledged Nazi is well documented. He joined the Hitler Youth aged 14, shortly after membership was made compulsory in 1941. Two years later Ratzinger was enrolled in an anti-aircraft unit that protected a BMW factory making aircraft engines. The workers at the factory included slaves from Dachau concentration camp. He was later sent to Hungary where he set up tank traps and whilst there witnessed at first hand Jews being herded to death camps. How many American and British tank crews were trapped and faced certain death in these tank traps is a question that springs to mind. Also how could he have remained in active service until April 1941 having witnessed the atrocities being perpetrated against the Jews and Gypsies etc in the death camps?.

There is evidence that Joseph Ratzinger was also a coward in that he deserted to the American troops in April 1941 and spent a few weeks in one of the American prisoner of war camps.

Also it should be noted that; during the period whilst Joseph Ratzinger and his brother George were in active service; many conscientous objectors from their home town of Traunstein in Bavaria endured dreadful tortures at the hand of the Nazis because they refused; unlike the Ratzinger brothers; to participate in the Nazi machine.

These facts should not be swept under the carpet.

[Rick Lugari]

Well, it sure didn’t take long for bigot parade to arrive. Amazing how those who seem so incensed over injustices or by people having their dignity disrespected are the very first ones to participate in such behavior. It would be easily forgiven if they were merely ignorant. But I will give them the benefit of the doubt and accept that they are not ignorant; that they just choose to be that way.

Ratzinger a Nazi? Don't believe it – The Jerusalem Post

Viva il Benedict XVI!

[matthew hogan]

"He was later sent to Hungary where he set up tank traps and whilst there witnessed at first hand Jews being herded to death camps. How many American and British tank crews were trapped and faced certain death in these tank traps is a question that springs to mind."

The Russians took Hungary from the Germans. Geez.

[xyz]

so what else is new?
apologists for a nazi pope.

The church is corrupt as the night is dark.
I wonder how quickly he will get mafia help in
making more money for the greedy vatican

---------------------------------------------
With his bright intelligence and naive fearlessness, John Paul I penetrated to the heart of this maze of corruption within weeks of his coronation. On the evening of September 28, 1978, he called Cardinal Villot, the leader of the powerful Curia, to his private study to discuss certain changes that the Pope proposed to make public the next day. [It has been reported that John Paul was also considering the release of the famous "Third Secret of Fatima," which was supposed to have been given to the public in 1960.] Among those whose "resignations" would be accepted by the Pontiff the following day were the head of the Vatican Bank, and several members of the Curia who were implicated in the activities of Sindona and P2, and Villot himself. Moreover, Villot was told that John Paul I would also announce plans for a meeting on October 24 with an American delegation to discuss a reconsideration of the Church's position on birth control.

When Pope John Paul I retired to his bedroom on the evening of September 28, clutching the paperwork that would expose the Vatican's financial dealings with the Mafia and purge the Curia of those responsible, a number of very ruthless individuals had a great interest in seeing to it that he would never awaken to issue these directives.

[ky jelly]

it is so hilarious how people will accept anyone they appoint. it doesn't matter how corrupt or devious or distorted. a group of 'dictators' appoints one of their minion as supreme leader and all the little minions jump on board.

what a joke. dont think for yourself,let others TELL YOU what to think. hail to the holy fuhrer rat.

[ky jelly]

it is so hilarious how people will accept anyone they appoint. it doesn't matter how corrupt or devious or distorted. a group of 'dictators' appoints one of their minion as supreme leader and all the little minions jump on board.

what a joke. dont think for yourself,let others TELL YOU what to think. hail to the holy fuhrer rat.

[mjoe]

While the ranks of Catholicism swell from the poor in Africa and South America, the charities to assist them comes from Europe's and America's population, and unless Catholicism relents to the allowance of marriage and woman in the priesthood (both of which are NOT grounded theological issues), the ranks of priests will continue to dwindle at alarming rates, just as the stereotypes and realities perpetuated by a culture of abuse by "celibate" priests, continues to fester.

This much is a fact - the Catholic church could do so much more in restoring the faith of millions of those people that want to return to the Church, but don't because of this overwhelming transparent hypocrisy.

[rjp3]

In 1943 Pope Nazi-Rat was drafted as an assistant to a Nazi anti-aircraft unit and sent to Munich where his unit defended a factory manned with Jewish slave labor.

A year later he was sent to the Austrian-Hungarian border to construct tank barriers.

He deserted the Germany army in May 1945 and returned to Traunstein.

When he arrived home, U.S. soldiers took him prisoner and held him in a POW camp for several weeks because he was a Nazi Soldier.

[bruin08]

Although it's doubtful that Ratzinger espoused Nazism, he did take part in the Nazi war machine, which makes him as guilty as any other soldier during the war. It's difficult to question his beliefs, but it's easy to cast a judgment based on his actions. The fact that he willingly (I use the word only in the sense that he did not resist) joined the Hitler youth and, subsequently, the army, shows that he did nothing to help the Jews or anti-war cause. Instead, he furthered Nazism by playing a part on Hitler's side.

I'm someone who believes that the German people are collectively guilty for the Holocaust, at least the majority of them who did exactly what the Nazis wanted them to do and offered no resistence or sympathies to the Jewish people. Whether that guilt is great enough to merit the label "evil" or is merely a cultural burden that the Germans have to live with is up for debate. But, it's silly to say that Ratzinger was not a Nazi simply because he didn't join the Nazi party; rather, by succumbing to Nazi law and not subverting against it, he furthered the Nazi cause. Almost all Holocaust poetry and testimony shares this view; the German people collectively banished the Jews, not just the Nazis. So, was Ratzinger a Nazi? Yes. Is he somehow evil because of this fact? It's open to interpretation. Does he have some kind of hatred or antipathy toward Jews? Probably not.

[xyz]

regardless of anything else.

himmler was a roman catholic