WCR Letters to the Editor

No way pope could have stopped Hitler

I have also watched the CBC documentary Prisoner Number 88 and read Sobolewski's interviews in The Edmonton Journal. In each of these accounts he blames the Holocaust on the Catholic Church, particularly Pope Pius XII and on Polish anti-Semitism.

When Hitler rose to power in 1933 the Church suffered greatly. The book His Holiness by writers Carl Bernstein (a Jew) and Marco Politi states that the Nazis executed 1,932 priests and clerics, 850 monks and 289 nuns. How many more would have perished if the Church had openly condemned the Nazi regime?

The pope had no army to speak of. Who could stop Hitler and his cohorts from wiping out all the clergy, including the pope? Can Prisoner 88 show me one example where Hitler spared his enemies?

The Catholic bishops in Holland dared to mildly criticize the Nazi atrocities. In return all Dutch citizens who had even the least Jewish blood were rounded up and shipped to the concentration camps to perish, among them a Carmelite nun, now canonized, Edith Stein. Wouldn't it have been far better for those bishops to remain silent?

Pope Pius XII, by pretending neutrality, not only prevented a certain slaughter of Catholic clergy, but also saved countless Jews who found shelter in the Vatican, in monasteries, in rectories, as well as in Polish homes.

Sobolewski expected the Church to do what he himself did not do. As Prisoner 88, he obeyed orders to save his own life. He survived because he was in a most privileged position in the concentration camp as a member of the fire brigade. These people were an elite that was provided with the necessities of life, provided they pleased the SS henchmen.

A thoroughly documented book Zegota: The Rescue of Jews in Wartime Poland by Irene Tomaszewski and Tecia Werbowski (a Jew) shows how thousands were saved by Poles - both lay people and religious. These were truly heroic deeds, since hiding a Jew in Poland was punished by executing the whole family. Sometimes entire villages were burned for this reason.

Did Sobolewski mention these facts in his book? It would have been an honourable gesture to show some gratitude for such enormous sacrifices.

During the last world war Poles suffered immensely. My father was executed and buried in one of the mass graves near Warsaw, my hometown. My middle brother worked as a slave labourer in Germany and my 14-year-old brother spent four years with the Polish underground in the forest. One month after the war my mother died at 43, leaving the three of us and my nine-year-old sister orphans.

We lost three million Polish Christian citizens - 160,000 in Auschwitz alone. There was not a single Polish family that escaped the slaughter!

Poland had the strongest underground resistance army. There was no Polish SS like in other countries occupied by the Germans or any collaborators the likes of Quisling or Petain. Yet Poland is still accused of being guilty of the Holocaust.

I feel deeply sorry for Sobolewski and his family. I understand his pain. Once four prisoners and I were hung by our wrists and whipped to unconsciousness. Why? We were not able to push a loaded truck that had gotten stuck in deep mud.

This is only one small example of the agony all us prisoners suffered. A starvation diet and lack of vitamins caused me night blindness and scurvy. The wounds have never healed properly.

Yes, fellow prisoner, I suffered a lot too. Faith and constant prayers helped me to survive. I too could write a book, but I would rather spend my energy working as a volunteer trying to help others, and work towards preventing such a tragedy from happening again.

My wife and I as school teachers taught our children and our students tolerance and respect for every human being. We never blamed anyone for the atrocities of the Second World War, other than the fascists from Germany and other countries.

It is a great injustice to blame these atrocities on the Catholic Church or other nations that suffered a great deal themselves.

Raymond Pierzchajlo
Auschwitz Prisoner #12623
Edmonton

Restructuring makes blood boil

The article reminded me again of the imminent "restructuring." I have not been able to grasp the logic of the restructuring and I try not to think about it because it builds up great anger.

The restructuring in the Catholic Church is the antithesis of compassion and understanding.

We live in a world where we have less and less impact on the things that happen around us. The global economy has taken away any impact that the average hard-working, family-raising individual can have.

People lose jobs, wages keep dropping, rural towns and communities keep dying, and the environment continues to be exploited.

In the midst of all this chaos, the one organization that should be all about community and counsel acts just like Corporate Canada. At a time when people are looking to find something tangible, something comforting in their communities, the Church packs up and leaves town too.

I live in a rural community where hospitals are closing, schools are closing, businesses are struggling and giving up, elevators are being torn down like falling dominoes, and now the Catholic Church is getting on board and pulling out of town too.

Church "hierarchy" says the motive is a shortage of shepherds now and even more in the future.

I would like to point out that Jesus picked ordinary people to learn to be shepherds. They did not have a theology degree but a sense of spirituality and a desire to serve.

In 50 years of Church attendance I have noted one definite thing. In most Church communities, there exists a sizeable group of dedicated churchgoers. They have participated in the organization, maintenance and support of the Church for a large number of years. They have seen a priest come and go every three-to-five years.

Years ago, when asked to take a larger and more active part in Church liturgy because of a growing shortage of priests, they responded.

Now that many parishes have achieved the capability of providing meaningful, active lay liturgies, they are being forced to close and attend a Mass officiated by a priest who is being asked to shepherd 800-2,000 families. This doesn't seem like the kind of change that will provide more intimate community.

I wonder what Jesus would have to say about the Canadian Church organization if he were here today?

Ken Eshpeter
Daysland

Article witnesses to Church's many 'good shepherds'

"Tapestries of faith: A pastor's prayer gives birth to vivid testimonies to the Gospel" makes real the image of a good shepherd today. Last week more than 250 good shepherds (Catholic administrators, trustees, teachers) from across Alberta met at Blueprints.

These are truly good shepherds in care of our youth today. Each Sunday as we gather, I witness to hundreds of good shepherds in the parents of the families I minister to in Sherwood Park.

Christ, our Good Shepherd, is truly present to us today in these modern images which often we overlook.

Father Don Stein
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish
Sherwood Park

Provide alternative to bombing

I too, am very saddened by the events in Kosovo. What are you suggesting, the world should watch while this insane dictator is murdering innocent human beings. Is this not what Adolf Hitler did with the Jews?

Would you not attempt to stop anyone from murdering a member of your family, a neighbour or friend?

Pray tell, what would you have done to stop this tragic ethnic cleansing? If you wish to criticize what is being attempted you also have a moral obligation to provide the leaders of the free world with your plan to avoid and prevent this terrible situation in the future.

E.A. Paradis
Edmonton

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