By Stan Goodenough
Apr 15, 2007
In what is regarded as a mighty slap in the face of the Jewish people, and a trampling on the memory of the Six Million, the Vatican’s ambassador to Israel is expected to boycott Sunday’s annual state ceremony in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.
Monsignor Antonio Franco will reportedly not attend because the Vatican is upset about the inclusion of a picture of Pope Pius XII in the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial.
Pius, who wielded enormous influence as head of the world’s millions of Roman Catholics, is believed to have remained silent when he should have spoken up and confronted Hitler during the Holocaust.
Before becoming pope, he had signed the Reichskonkordat with Hitler’s vice chancellor, Franz von Papen, agreeing that the Nazis would enjoy freedom from Vatican interference in its political actions.
Despite the documented evidence, Rome refuses to acknowledge Pius’ complicity in the slaughter of European Jewry, and is processing his canonization to sainthood.
The Vatican is therefore affronted by the inclusion of his picture in that part of Yad Vashem which traces the history of antisemitism in the church from early Christendom.
Interestingly, Pius (born Eugenio Pacelli) bore the title ‘Bishop of Sardis’ before his promotion to the papacy.
The most famous Bishop of Sardis was Melito (died c. 180) a prolific writer considered a great authority among the “Church Fathers.”
Melito is believed to be responsible for affixing the description “Old Testament”” to the Hebrew Scriptures.
His most famous homily was titled “Concerning the Passover.” Inn it he formulated the charge of Deicide – that the Jews were responsible for crucifying Jesus, i.e. murdering God.
His preaching later inspired pogroms against the Jews.