Protest the Pope – marches, demonstrations, t-shirts, bus adverts, police surveillance – oh whatever, how about protect the Pope?
Protesting the Pope is fast becoming something of a cottage industry.
You can now buy official ‘Protest the Pope‘ t-shirts to wear with abandon as you march and demonstrate, filling your boots with pride as London buses swish by with demands for the Catholic church to ordain women.
It’s now become so serious that we even have police surveilling the Internet for threats against the Pope during his visit!
Well I’m not the only one heartily sick to the back teeth of it all, as Catholic Deacon Rev Nick Donnelly has set up a website entitled; ProtectThePope.
Here’s some gumpf from their ‘about‘ page:
When I talk to other Catholics about the Holy Father’s visit in September, most express concern about his safety. The unprecedented level of hostility, ridicule and ill-will from certain public figures and sections of the press has got some Catholics genuinely worried that Pope Benedict is going to be embarrassed or even hurt.
After centuries of institutionalised anti-Catholicism one thing Catholics in this country are sensitive about is religious hate, and there are plenty of signs that this is rearing its ugly head again.
Protection by the Law
One of the purposes of this website is to provide Catholics with information about the law concerning incitement of religious hatred. The more of us that know about the protection the Law offers our Faith the better.
This site will also provide the addresses of local police forces so Catholics can report actions that offend and distress and may constitute incitement of religious hatred.
Its important to know that we no longer have to suffer this type of abuse in silence as we did in the past but can now call on the Law to protect us as religious believers.
Protection by the Truth
There is also a lot of misinformation and lies being peddled by sensationalist sections of the press and, lets be frank here, by enemies of the Church. Yes, we still have enemies, they didn’t go away after the Second Vatican Council.
The Holy Father has his own security team and the police to protect him during his visit. Our concern on this website is to protect the Holy Father’s reputation and the truth of the Catholic Church.
Therefore, this website will endeavour to challenge the lies with the simple truth, especially about the person and actions of Pope Benedict XVI.
Protection through Prayer
Finally, its important that all Catholics pray for the safety of the Holy Father, for the pastoral and spiritual success of his visit, and for the good of the Church in this country. To this end a selection of prayers has been provided for people to print and use over the next couple of months.
About the author
Rev Nick Donnelly is a permanent deacon of the Diocese of Lancaster, and an author for the Catholic Truth Society. He holds a BA Divinity in Theology and is studying for his Masters at the Maryvale Institute. He is also on the Editorial Team of The Catholic Voice of Lancaster, the newspaper of the Diocese of Lancaster.
Do check out his website as it’s a welcome antidote to the usual predictable bile:
July 24th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
It’s not that there’s a rising anti Catholic mood in the UK. The practicising Catholic community is widely accepted and a part of UK sociaty in most areas.
The protests seem to be about the core Institution & the backward-looking leadership, who seem to be dragging the RC Church into some bygone era, rather than taking on the challenges of the 21st century.
I’m sure many of the practising Catholics in this country are appalled by what they see and hear coming out of Rome at the moment!
July 24th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
@Tad – but it’s all about perspective, isn’t it? What you might define as ‘dragging the Church into a bygone era’, the faithful might well see as simply believing what we, as Christians, have always believed, including our parents and grandparents before us. It might also be said that ‘taking on the challenges of the 21st century’ is exactly what the Catholic Church is doing, speaking truth to a world that really doesn’t want to listen – after all, if it chose instead to buckle at the knee and merely embrace society’s every whim and want, then it wouldn’t be ‘taking on’ anything, would it?
The reason the Pope has become a figure of hate is because it allows lots of people who don’t really know much about Catholicism to personify what it is they detest (which, despite all the fluff, is the Catholic Church and more particularly what it preaches). There are many who really seem to think that if only this Pope wasn’t such a ‘bigot’ then the Catholic Church would embrace all those things the ‘progressives’ demand. Which, to be frank, is comical, and completely misunderstands the Catholic faith, not to mention the Pope.
July 24th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
As a supporter of the Protest the Pope campaign I am not anti-Catholic and would defend the right of my Catholic friends and anyone else to their freedom of thought, conscience and religion; and to manifest their religion or belief in public or private, in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
I suspect many Catholics will agree with us that it was not a good idea to have the Pope honoured with a State visit. The last Pope to visit this country didn’t didn’t need one. Many people are not happy with many of the teachings of the Vatican and of a number of the actions and pronouncements of this particular Pope. It is his right to give his opinions and ours to disagree. It is unfortunate that the Vatican maintains privileged access to power built on a treaty with Mussolini and various concordats. It is galling, particularly for those who unlike me have suffered – as they would put it – abuse from the Catholic church, to be forced to contribute to the visit of the leader of this religious organisation through their taxes.
The Pope’s visit is providing people with an opportunity to voice their opinions, grievances and opposition to positions taken by the Catholic Establishment.
Organised protest must be peaceful and lawful and I am confident it will be.
July 24th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
The Catholic Church is just about as far from a true Christian Church as possible. Read a novel called On This Rock by Dave Leonard, it’s an easy read and it’s based on historical facts. It’ll give you a really good idea where this Church got its start and what its really all about. They’ve been involved in so much crap over the years its hard to imagine how anyone could take them seriously as a religion. If you take even a small amount of time to look into the things they’ve done over the years I think most Catholics would run as far and fast as they could.
July 25th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Mark says “read a novel”.
Just about sums it up really!
Mark why not try reading a real historian, Diarmaid MacCulloch’s Magnum Opus ‘Christianity the First Three Thousand Years’ is excellent.
This site has been highlighting parts of Diarmaid MacCulloch’s work. Just use the google search on the left. You may find it quite interesting.
July 25th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
God of truth and love,
your Son, Jesus Christ, stands as the light
to all who seek you with a sincere heart.
As we strive with your grace
to be faithful in word and deed,
may we reflect the kindly light of Christ
and offer a witness of hope and peace to all.
We pray for Pope Benedict
and look forward with joy
to his forthcoming visit to our country.
May he be a witness to the unity and hope
which is your will for all people.
We make our prayer through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
July 27th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
I’m sorry but most Catholics do not agree with you that about the Pope coming for a state visit, that that is wrong. It is a great thing to us Catholics! You and the other protesters don’t really care about this being a state visit, the Church and Catholics are paying for most of it anyway, you have a real problem with the Pope himself and the Catholic Church as a whole.
The sad thing is is most of you don’t actually know what the Catholic Church’s beliefs are or what the Popes beliefs are. Most of what you believe are outdated lies.
You can have your protest, but there will be many, many, many more Catholics very excited too see the Pope that will counter your demonstration.
July 31st, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Many people feel they shouldn’t have to pay their taxes for a homophobic, sexist man to visit and spread his version of morality, which would include lying about condoms (a great way to stop the spread of AIDS) and putting the reputation of a superstitious institution above the right of children not to be raped.
It is of course the right for any Catholic to support this if they choose, and if they and their pope believe they’re going to live for billions and billions of years times infinity while their god punishes the rest of us I’m not sure why they’re making a fuss, but it should hardly come as a surprise that there are people who will say this is wrong.
August 25th, 2010 at 12:13 am
If the Pope were not a pedophile protecting, homophobic, sexist, Aids spreading, ex-Nazi then anti-catholic protesters would be lone voices!!! The Pope and the Vatican have no-one but themselves to blame that decent, humane, rationale people are choosing to join this protest. We live in a secular country (with a freedom for individuals to practice a faith of their own choice) and I want to ensure it stays that way. I fear the interference of religions in state affairs – both Muslim and Christian (and any others that rear their ugly heads). I am not anti-Catholic anymore than I am anti any other religion when it tries to dictate to me how I should live and think!
August 25th, 2010 at 1:15 am
@Maria – The main substance of your post barely warrants a response but, well, to be a little pedantic… we don’t live in a secular country, we live in a Christian constitutional monarchy – by it’s very definition, religion is involved in state affairs. Pretty much always has been.
August 25th, 2010 at 3:26 am
While I appreciate the comments are not being censored, I’m curious to understand why there isn’t a response to what has been said about the pope’s sexism, homophobia, etc. Are these things really seen as the height of morality, is it embarrassment knowing that by remaining Catholic it helps support this, or is it something else?
August 25th, 2010 at 6:55 am
Michael,
The reality is that we live in a secular democracy. Church and state are separate, and most people would like it to stay that way.
Making this a State visit, whilst not in itself changing that, riles people because it creates what many people regard as a false assumption.
August 25th, 2010 at 9:42 am
@Jim – no, the reality is that we live in a constitutional monarchy, with a Head of State who is Head of the Church. Really. Fact.
Though if we did live in a secular democracy, which we don’t, then it would put whining secularists and republicans out of a job overnight. Tempting as that undoubtedly sounds, I say we stick with the current get-up – iit’s both politically and constitutionally valuable, as well as socially and culturally desirable
August 25th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Michael,
We can argue about semantics, but being a constitutional monarchy does not preclude the country also being a secular democracy.
My point really is that there is a clear separation between Church and State, even though the Monarch happens also to be the head of the Church of England. The Prime Minister does not answer to the Archbishop of Canterbury in any meaningful sense.
September 7th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
I entered this debate about a year ago with an open mind. It is articles like the one above that have helped me take a decision. The Catholic leadership in the Vatican conspired to conceal a prolong the incidence of child abuse. That truth is evident from documents, signed by Cardinal Ratzinger, now in the public domain. That attempt at concealment continues to this day. No amount of spin will heal that wound and until there is a cleansing this horror will go on. I am not atheist, humaniist nor Catholic and no longer undecided. I am an enthusiastic supporter of “Protest the Pope” not because of the abuse nor even the cover up but as a result of the insulting and silly remarks of Catholics who try to defend the indefensible.
September 7th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Predatory homosexuals that lied to enter the priesthood and gain access to children were responsible for for the historical cases of child abuse, 81% according to the Jay report! The same problem has been found in other institutions such as the boy scouts, sports clubs, schools, hospitals and care homes.
Thankfully the Catholic church now psycholically screens out homosexuals/paedophiles from trying to enter the priesthood and the problem seems to have been eliminated! The Catholic church should be applauded for their forward thinking on this matter and other non-religious organisations would be wise to adopt a similar policy.
September 7th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Mr Orange. I expect I won’t be the last to take issue with your carelessly (or perhaps purposely?) lumping together homosexuals and paedophiles. How to score a needless home goal without even trying or what!
And to try to equate the abuse of both girls and boys by priests, in the most trusted positions of all, with anything done in schools and hospitals shows incredible lack of insight.
And applauding the Catholic Church for forward thinking on this matter? Oh please! This about an organisation that covered up extensive abuse for many years, and put the reputation of priests and the faith before the ongoing risks to children by paedophile priests who just got moved to other parishes, until forced to come clean by public outcry…
This is exactly why people protest!
September 8th, 2010 at 5:11 am
No the lumping together homosexuals and paedophiles is deliberate as they both suffer from a similar mental illness which is clearly linked. 81% male on male child abuse (Jay report 2004) is pretty conclusive enough evidence for me, athough I’m sure you have some scripted apologist statement already lined up. Please do go ahead and bore me with it….
Oh yes in case you want to bore me with all the other silly nonsense about condoms and AIDS in Africa, did you read the Guardian today? (…silly question) Even they know the real story about how this disease is being spread!
“Young gay men fuelling HIV epidemic, study warns”
Researchers say that rising rates of syphilis along with HIV among young gay men suggests risky sexual behaviour was to blame
The Guardian, Tuesday 7 September 2010
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/sep/07/young-gay-men-hiv-epidemic
September 8th, 2010 at 9:57 am
@ Mr Orange: I’m amazed – and saddened – to see this vile myth about gay men resurrected. I’d have thought that by now most people would know that, as with all sex crimes, such offenders are typically heterosexual men.
The figure you quote tells us that 81% of the abusers of boys are male. This is consistent with a low reported incidence of child sexual assaults by women and, in the context of the Jay report, of the fact that the offenders had far greater access to boys; in schools, choirs, etc. Perhaps, even before the scandals broke, the faithful didn’t trust their priests quite as much with their daughters as they did with their sons. The statistic cannot be used to imply that the offenders were gay.
Dr Sharon Cowan, one of Scotland’s leading criminologists, says “A supposed link between homosexuality and paedophilia has long been presumed in the popular imagination and has focused on gay men – hence the historical discomfort with gay male teachers and scout leaders – but this has never been supported by sound empirical evidence. Researchers in the UK and in the US have consistently failed to find any link between adult homosexuality and child sex abuse.”
A man who sexually assaults a little boy is more likely to be heterosexual than not. Children are at most risk of sexually assault by a parent, step-parent, sibling, uncle, or mother’s live-in boyfriend.
As for story about gay men and STIs, does it not strike you as funny that the whole story rotates around this group’s failure to take the correct precautions, precautions the RCC demands are not used in any circumstances? Because I have to admit, I smiled. Damned if they do, damned if they don’t. Very Vatican.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:27 am
This is what I hear from your post Mr Orange:
“I’ve made up my mind about this and nothing you can say is going to change it, so don’t bother trying. The Catholic Church is not to blame for anything; I will continue to defend even the indefensible, and always shift the blame onto someone else. If people keep explaining why I need to change my attitude I’ll just stick my fingers in my ears.”
I think it’s ironic that it’s people like you who are doing more to hasten the demise of the Catholic Church than anything that could be done by, say, atheists or muslims.
I reiterate: this is precisely why people protest.
September 8th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Yawn….more aplolgist scripted nonsense!
@Sophie
“I’m amazed – and saddened – to see this vile myth about gay men resurrected.”
Doesn’t appear to be a myth does it when the Jay report showed 81%, yes 81% male on male child abuse!
“Dr Sharon Cowan, one of Scotland’s leading criminologists, says “A supposed link between homosexuality and paedophilia has long been presumed in the popular imagination and has focused on gay men – hence the historical discomfort with gay male teachers and scout leaders – but this has never been supported by sound empirical evidence. Researchers in the UK and in the US have consistently failed to find any link between adult homosexuality and child sex abuse.””
Perhaps she should try reading the Jay Report or the recent findings of the Irish enquiry into child abuse – massively disproportionate male on male child abuse.
“As for story about gay men and STIs, does it not strike you as funny that the whole story rotates around this group’s failure to take the correct precautions, precautions the RCC demands are not used in any circumstances?”
Ha ha ha, such ignorance of the teachings of the Catholic church. The Catholic church rightly describes homosexual sex as disordered and immoral…we should also add to that list unhygenic and spreads disease! It teaches that homosexuals should abstain completely from engaging in homosexual sex. Follow them rules and your chances of been infected with AIDS and other STIs are virtually zero! The Catholic church offers a much more effective solution than what you are proposing.
@Jim
“I’ve made up my mind about this and nothing you can say is going to change it, so don’t bother trying. The Catholic Church is not to blame for anything; I will continue to defend even the indefensible, and always shift the blame onto someone else. If people keep explaining why I need to change my attitude I’ll just stick my fingers in my ears.”
Not really, they just adopt a bit of common sense on most matters that people tend to agree with. In fact in a recent UK survey when the public were asked about 12 statements (made by the pope but they were unaware of this) the vast majority agreed with 11 out of 12 of the statements!
“I think it’s ironic that it’s people like you who are doing more to hasten the demise of the Catholic Church than anything that could be done by, say, atheists or muslims.”
The Catholic church is growing in the world as is Islam and most organised religions. Funny to see the praise for the good old muslims – they would hang all the homosexuals from street lamps if they were to ever gain power in the UK! You may one day be glad of the influence of the Catholic church, as one of the few organisations that would stand up against this!
September 8th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Mr Orange.
You are of course entitled to your views provided you do no harm to your fellow human beings. It saddens me however that people like you have such a simplistic, ill-informed and damaging view of humanity, in all its amazing complexity. Your attitude is that of a dinosaur; you have no place in an enlightened society, and I will continue to work to make such behaviour extinct.
September 8th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
@Jim
Carry on behaving like your compatriots described above and it will be you that becomes extinct long before you have any impact!
September 9th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
@ Jim: Yes, Jim – can you not see? Are you so blind? We must outbreed the opposition!
We’re back to Monty Python…
More seriously, Mr Orange, all human beings are the same species. Talk of extinction makes no sense.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
@ Sophie
Yes. “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition…”
September 19th, 2010 at 9:36 am
Mr Orange, I presume that you have been raised a Catholic. This means that you were brain washed as a child and therefore unable to free think. This is must be the only way that an intelligent man could be so ignorant. The reason why the Nazi’s and Hitler were so successful in getting support from the public is that they brain washed everyone and in particular the Hitler Youth organization adopted similar brain washing approaches to the catholic church. I feel sad for you as you are unable to free think which means you will always carry your fascist views. If you have children you will also brain wash them and if you are a real catholic you will breed many children at the detriment to your wife’s human rights and the detriment of our fragile earth. Of course if your wife is also a brain washed Catholic she will not be able to understand her rights but think she is able to choose. Your poor children will be born into a wonderful word thinking they are born evil and only by following the Catholics believes will reach salvation – how brain washing and damaging. It is probably impossible to undo the damage the church has done to your brain so you will always remain a sheep – so continue following but don’t think.
September 19th, 2010 at 11:19 am
@Geraldine – I thought you might find these two maps interesting – http://the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.com/2007/07/catholics-and-nazi-vote-1932.html
I’m sure you’ll rationalise it in some way, but, y’know, whatever.
September 19th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Michael, I didn’t say that Catholics voted Nazi. I said that Catholics are brain washed in the same way as the Nazi brain washed their children. Similar Jesuit tactics are used to brain wash young children now by the Catholics.
However, there are linsk with fascism and the Catholic Church; Hitler was a catholic and was given sanctuary by the Catholic church after his defeat. Also, The Roman Catholic Church worked closely with Mussolini to accept a Fascist state in order to get what it wanted.
Perhaps it would be useful for the Catholics reading this site to look up on Google whether the Catholic church brain washes children and how they do this. Once you have done this you may be able to reflect on how you have been brain washed. However, most of the brain washing is pretty permanent damage.
September 19th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
‘I’m sure you’ll rationalise it in some way, but, y’know, whatever.’
Gosh, either I can tell the future or you’re very predictable (brain-washing is a little like that).
September 19th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
@Geraldine, I should rise above it, and be gentle and humble, like our Saviour, but He didn’t mince His words when dealing with the Pharisees and the Sadduccees, the ‘Wouldn’t Sees’ and Couldn’t Sees’.
So I must ask, whilst you’re spouting you ill informed and uneducated BS, what cult are you involved in, that is responsible for your brained washing?
September 19th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
I’m not part of any organisation or cult. I did attend a Catholic school so have a very good understanding of Catholic brainwashing. However, I am lucky enough to be able to free think.
Hitler, who spent years working out how to brain wash people said there are three types of people:
A) Those that free think because something critical has happened that makes them reevaluate their position.
B) Those that have an unexplained ability to free think and are not easily manipulated.
C) Those that can be easily controlled and brain washed. The majority of humans fall into this category.
If brainwashed in the right way group 3 will follow regardless of the authority eg Catholicism, Nazi, Islam, cult etc.
Hitler was most afraid of group B because he couldn’t understand why these people had an innate ability to free think. This group scared him the most. They are people that seem to take a unique stance to the majority regardless of their upbringing including musicians, film makers, artists, scientists.
In terms of the Wouldn’t See and Couldn’t Sees – well this is group C. The majority of humanity that is very easily led and brain washed. In terms of Catholicism it is all of you that follow a religion that is sexist, homophobic and anti humanitarian. If you were born in Morocco you would be a Muslim, if you were born in Israel you would be a Jew etc. You just follow what is presented to you as a child.
September 19th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
‘Hitler was most afraid of group B because he couldn’t understand why these people had an innate ability to free think. This group scared him the most. They are people that seem to take a unique stance to the majority regardless of their upbringing including musicians, film makers, artists, scientists.’
In which case, those maps are highly pertinent. And so is the often embattled status of Catholics in contemporary society, and indeed of orthodox Christians more generally. Not that I’d expect that to make a difference – it’s clear that coherent reasoning isn’t really your highest priority.
September 19th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
I have presented many consideration but you keep referring back to your one map. It is a ridiculous argument to make out that Catholics were opposed to the Nazis. In 1944 whilst Pope Benedict was in the Hitler Youth, Nazi Germany had close allies with Catholic Italy, Catholic Croatia and Catholic Vichy France (while Polish Catholics slaughtered their Jewish neighbours in Jedwabne). Officially neutral but actually very pro German were Catholic Spain and Catholic Ireland. After the war Nazi war criminals fled to Catholic South America. Why? Because they had been defeated by atheist USSR.
You should use more than Catholic and Christian reference sites when trying to ascertain whether you have been lied to all your life.
Now you are a little better informed regarding Catholics relationship with Nazis in World War II, lets discuss the Catholics view of womens suffrage, slavery and the use of condoms especially in Africa where AIDS is rife.
September 20th, 2010 at 2:17 am
Michael
I would counsel caution with the use of these maps. It might end up biting you back. I assume the intent is to let the viewer draw the conclusion that Catholics did not vote for Hitler. Fast forward a couple of years and you will see the fuller picture. I will quote from another blogger who completes the well documented history very clearly.
Quote:—
These statistics are true, but also misleading. The German Catholic Church had banned all German Catholics from becoming members of the Nazi Party prior to 1933. That year the Vatican signed the Concordat with Nazi Germany, becoming the first nation to recognize Nazi Germany and giving Hitler the support and validity he needed. Even though the Vatican did not necessarily agree with everything the Nazis were saying (they actually didn’t), this move legitimized Nazism in the eyes of almost 40 million Catholic Germans. Shortly after the German Catholic Church lifted the ban on membership to the Nazi Party, and that opened the floodgates. Beyond that point German Catholics wholeheartedly embraced Nazism and joined in droves. If you could find the same maps for some time later, say 1935 or 1938 you’d find it radically changed.
Unquote—
These facts are well documented, but often glossed over by those who would prefer to have us think otherwise.
I think this is a case of “lies, damned lies and statistics”.
September 20th, 2010 at 7:04 am
I can see where this is going – I’ll make this my last comment.
The answer is no, Jim, the intent was actually to point out that the specious conflation of Nazism and Catholicism, either as historical phenomenon or ideological comradeship, is more the ramblings of irrational prejudice than anything else – indeed, that Catholics were banned from joining the Nazi party by the Church (simplistic nomsense of course: the Church has neither the legislative nor administrative power to do such a thing, and citizens still remain free to act as they choose), and indeed that Catholics refrained from *voting* Nazi (which is not at all the same thing as joining), provides at least a modicum of counter-evidence for those lazy brain-washed types who like to try and root all the evils of the world within the Roman Catholic Church.
Definitive? No, of course not. But relevant nonetheless.
September 20th, 2010 at 7:28 am
Michael, you are an indoctrinated couldn’t see and wouldn’t see.
September 20th, 2010 at 11:19 am
Michael.
I agree with you that it would be utterly wrong to conflat Nazism and Catholicism. That was not the intention of the post, and I apologise if that’s how itread.
My point was that this snapshot in history msrepresents the overall picture.
Obviously the Catholic Church had no legisltive power to prevent people voting a certain way. The word “banned” is used in the same sense as the “ban” on contraception. It appealed to Catholics’ conscience, and was a powerful influencer, as demonstrated by the change in Catholic voting patterns following the lifting of the ban.
I hope this clarifies the position. I was not attacking the Church – Just making the point that this is a misrepresentation of the whole picture.
September 20th, 2010 at 11:32 am
Interesting the anti-Catholic posters on this debate have almost argued themselves into a pro-Nazi totalitarian position.
October 11th, 2010 at 12:49 am
It is not ridiculous to argue that the Catholic Church did not support Hitler. “while Polish Catholics slaughtered their Jewish neighbours” No way can Poland be held responsible for the Holocaust. Stephen Fry said that too and now he’s down the Polish Embassy trying to explain his arse. Niether is Germany an exclusively Catholic country – it is and was a Catholic/Protestant Country. The 1933 Concordat with Hitler was made before Pius XII was Pope and he regretted it. The poor man when the war came was in the horrific situation of having to decided how much to speak out which would cause immediate loss of life, schism in the church and his replacement with a puppet papacy which would remove the immediate support network that was safeguarding Jewish lives in Italy. The recognition of the Vatican State by Mussolini was hard won and saved thousands of lives and Pius XII got nothing from it but an atheist hate campaign paid for by the KGB. Thousands of Catholics were sent the concentration camps for criticising Hitler both in Germany and in the occupied territories. Labeling central European countries as Nazi-because-they-were-Catholic or complicit in the holocaust simply because they were occupied is nothing more than a near racist decontextualising of history. Hitler came to power because of the ecconomic meltdown of the Great Depression which totally undermined its ecconomy. The Vatican had to choose whether to try and do a deal with Hitler or the Communists – neither side were terribly appealing. Dawkins going to the effort of finding a Nazi poster of the 1933 concordat and using it to insinuate that the Catholic Church alone is responsible for the rise of Hitler is wicked and biased misrepresentation. The Catholic Church produced many condemnations of Nazism and Totalitarianism during the war. Each time it did its own people were murdered. At what point does the Pope have or not have the right to make martyrs of his own people? Would you want that choice? Look at the price in human blood it paid for speaking out against Henry VIII. It wasn’t in a hurry to repeat that mistake on an industrial scale. Catholicism is guilty for homophobea, peadophile abuse, the Inquisition, the Saint Bartholomew’s day massacre, Bloody Mary, the IRA, the Cadaver Trial, the Crusades and much other wickedness but it cant possibly be blamed in any reasonably informed mind for Hitler. Hitler was born a Catholic or abused Catholic mythology when it suited him are not arguements that stand up. Parts of the Church were guilty of collaboration and other parts with enormous heroism in the fight against Nazism but even the foremost Jewish historians on the subject would not argue that Pius XII was a Nazi sympathiser – they just claim he could have done more. Funny they only started saying it when the people who could defend him were dead too. These are feeble attempts to incriminate the Catholic Church at all costs are not promoting the cause of atheism. With two thousand years of vicious cruelty, sadism to pick from why do people need to invent spurious links between Catholicsm and Hitler?