Papal hopeful is a former Hitler Youth
Justin Sparks, Munich, John Follain and Christopher Morgan, Rome
THE wartime past of a leading German contender to succeed John Paul II may return to haunt him as cardinals begin voting in the Sistine Chapel tomorrow to choose a new leader for 1 billion Catholics.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, whose strong defence of Catholic orthodoxy has earned him a variety of sobriquets — including “the enforcer”, “the panzer cardinal” and “God’s rottweiler” — is expected to poll around 40 votes in the first ballot as conservatives rally behind him.



Although far short of the requisite two-thirds majority of the 115 votes, this would almost certainly give Ratzinger, 78 yesterday, an early lead in the voting. Liberals have yet to settle on a rival candidate who could come close to his tally.

Unknown to many members of the church, however, Ratzinger’s past includes brief membership of the Hitler Youth movement and wartime service with a German army anti- aircraft unit.

Although there is no suggestion that he was involved in any atrocities, his service may be contrasted by opponents with the attitude of John Paul II, who took part in anti-Nazi theatre performances in his native Poland and in 1986 became the first pope to visit Rome’s synagogue.

“John Paul was hugely appreciated for what he did for and with the Jewish people,” said Lord Janner, head of the Holocaust Education Trust, who is due to attend ceremonies today to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

“If they were to appoint someone who was on the other side in the war, he would start at a disadvantage, although it wouldn’t mean in the long run he wouldn’t be equally understanding of the concerns of the Jewish world.”

The son of a rural Bavarian police officer, Ratzinger was six when Hitler came to power in 1933. His father, also called Joseph, was an anti-Nazi whose attempts to rein in Hitler’s Brown Shirts forced the family to move home several times.

In 1937 Ratzinger’s father retired and the family moved to Traunstein, a staunchly Catholic town in Bavaria close to the Führer’s mountain retreat in Berchtesgaden. He joined the Hitler Youth aged 14, shortly after membership was made compulsory in 1941.

He quickly won a dispensation on account of his training at a seminary. “Ratzinger was only briefly a member of the Hitler Youth and not an enthusiastic one,” concluded John Allen, his biographer.

Two years later Ratzinger was enrolled in an anti-aircraft unit that protected a BMW factory making aircraft engines. The workforce included slaves from Dachau concentration camp.

Ratzinger has insisted he never took part in combat or fired a shot — adding that his gun was not even loaded — because of a badly infected finger. He was sent to Hungary, where he set up tank traps and saw Jews being herded to death camps. He deserted in April 1944 and spent a few weeks in a prisoner of war camp.

He has since said that although he was opposed to the Nazi regime, any open resistance would have been futile — comments echoed this weekend by his elder brother Georg, a retired priest ordained along with the cardinal in 1951.

“Resistance was truly impossible,” Georg Ratzinger said. “Before we were conscripted, one of our teachers said we should fight and become heroic Nazis and another told us not to worry as only one soldier in a thousand was killed. But neither of us ever used a rifle against the enemy.”

Some locals in Traunstein, like Elizabeth Lohner, 84, whose brother-in-law was sent to Dachau as a conscientious objector, dismiss such suggestions. “It was possible to resist, and those people set an example for others,” she said. “The Ratzingers were young and had made a different choice.”





In 1937 another family a few hundred yards away in Traunstein hid Hans Braxenthaler, a local resistance fighter. SS troops repeatedly searched homes in the area looking for the fugitive and his fellow conspirators.

“When he was betrayed and the Nazis came for him, Braxenthaler shot himself because he knew he couldn’t escape,” said Frieda Meyer, 82, Ratzinger’s neighbour and childhood friend. “Even though they had tortured him in Dachau concentration camp he refused to give up his resistance efforts.”



Despite question marks over Ratzinger’s wartime conduct, the main obstacle to his prospects in the conclave — the assembly of cardinals to elect the new pope — is the conservative stance he has adopted as guardian of Catholic orthodoxy since John Paul named him to head the congregation for the doctrine of the faith in 1981.

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.”
The Sunday Times - World

Let's cut the shit. You lefty types would be pissed off and unhappy no matter WHO was elected Pope.

No one cares about half-truth articles about this or that fellow, Ratzinger included. So why not save the wear on your keyboard and go play pong?

We'll do you a favor and just watch what he does NOW, as Pope.

actually, i would have been happier if it had been an african or south american bishop. the reason some are shocked and appalled by the selection of ratzinger is that he is even more conservative than the last pope. good thing about that is it might drive even more people in the west away from the church, as the new pope reinforces its irrelevancy for the world of the twenty-first century. bad news is, since he most likely won't budge on the church's condemnation of birth control, the global south, where the catholic church has its greatest stranglehold these days, will continue to suffer from overpopulation and starvation. that's why some of us are not exactly stoked about this particular choice.

Why didn't they go for an African Pope? That would have been something different.

"Nazi Punks Fuck Off"

Punk ain't no religious cult
Punk means thinking for yourself
You ain't hardcore cos you spike your hair
When a jock still lives inside your head

Nazi punks
Nazi punks
Nazi punks-Fuck Off!

Nazi punks
Nazi punks
Nazi punks-Fuck Off!

If you've come to fight, get outa here
You ain't no better than the bouncers
We ain't trying to be police
When you ape the cops it ain't anarchy

[Repeat chorus]

Ten guys jump one, what a man
You fight each other, the police state wins
Stab your backs when you trash our halls
Trash a bank if you've got real balls

You still think swastikas look cool
The real nazis run your schools
They're coaches, businessmen and cops
In a real fourth reich you'll be the first to go

[Repeat chorus]

You'll be the first to go
You'll be the first to go
You'll be the first to go
Unless you think

The church's power is based on repression. This election should be no surprise.

“Sexist, racist, anti-gay: make the pope go away”

I hope he visits LA so we can protest him.

New Pope Intervened against Kerry in US 2004 Election Campaign
Agence France-Presse

Tuesday 19 April 2005

Washington - German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Vatican theologian who was elected Pope Benedict XVI, intervened in the 2004 US election campaign ordering bishops to deny communion to abortion rights supporters including presidential candidate John Kerry.

In a June 2004 letter to US bishops enunciating principles of worthiness for communion recipients, Ratzinger specified that strong and open supporters of abortion should be denied the Catholic sacrament, for being guilty of a "grave sin."

He specifically mentioned "the case of a Catholic politician consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws," a reference widely understood to mean Democratic candidate Kerry, a Catholic who has defended abortion rights.

The letter said a priest confronted with such a person seeking communion "must refuse to distribute it."

A footnote to the letter also condemned any Catholic who votes specifically for a candidate because the candidate holds a pro-abortion position. Such a voter "would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for holy communion," the letter read.

The letter, which was revealed in the Italian magazine L'Espresso last year, was reportedly only sent to US Catholic bishops, who discussed it in their convocation in Denver, Colorado, in mid-June.

Sharply divided on the issue, the bishops decided to leave the decision on granting or denying communion to the individual priest. Kerry later received communion several times from sympathetic priests.

Nevertheless, in the November election, a majority of Catholic voters, who traditionally supported Democratic Party candidates, shifted their votes to Republican and eventual winner George W. Bush.

Be careful what you wish for; some of the most reactionary cardinals in the Church are from Third World countries. And very few disagree with the highly conservative policies of John Paul and his right-hand man, Cardinal Ratzinger. Remember, John Paul appointed most or all of them - and he appointed people who agreed with him and Ratzinger.

This new Pope won't last too long. He has medical conditions and he's 78.

Unfortunately for him, he looks like Walter Mondale, if Mondale had been nicked by a shrink ray.

Direct aid to the Third World increases their numbers but doesn't improve their way of life.

Maybe the Vatican should buy Microsoft stock.

You've got it backwards; direct aid from the third world in the form of cheap labor and cheap raw materials maintains you and your "way of life." I bet that new Pope would be really upset if he knew that a deep thinker like you didn't like him.

"You've got it backwards; direct aid from the third world in the form of cheap labor and cheap raw materials maintains you and your "way of life."

---And you, Self-Annointed Spokeshippie for the Poor, how the hell have YOU benefited anyone with YOUR "way of life?"

---It will be remembered in centuries to come how the left fought tooth and nail to prevent the Third World from receiving any industry and employment that might lift it out of poverty.

I bet that new Pope would be really upset if he knew that a deep thinker like you didn't like him.

----Like the typical ivory-tower kollij professor, does one have to be a "deep thinker" to be mired in the bowels of socialist fantasies?

Of course, once the fantasy is over, even you have to throw your curtains open on the dynamo of capitalism, advancing the human race, while socialism slinks in the corner with the naive and indolent snared in its web.

Me not like higher education.
Me want only rich to read and write.
Me good.
You bad.

I remember the Future Liberals of America back in high school.

They were clueless losers all through high school; over the summer between Senior year and kollij (that's how THEY spell it asswipe, enjoy the mockery) they decided they were Jello Biafra.

"WHY DOESNT ANYONE DO SOMETHING?"

Ha ha ha. Idiots. The real embarrassment came later, when it was discovered their 1960s dinosaur hippie leftover commie professors didn't know much more than them.

If government shithole schools were worh a damn, maybe the millions teaching these morons how to read Basic English wouldn't be wasted....IN KOLLIJ.

1,342,234 liberals have been reeducated since this post

I spell it tantrum pee pee boy.

hey bumpus hounds and farkus, what's with the references to that lovable holiday movie classic? and why did you pick the "smelly hound dogs" owned by ralphie's hillbilly neighbors and the neighborhood bully? he does get beat up by little ralphie in the end, don't you remember. these seem hardly the proper monikers for stalwart right-wing nationalists leading us poor deluded liberals bravely into the 21st century. just wondering.

hey bumpus hounds and farkus, what's with the references to that lovable holiday movie classic?

Why not? Or did you think left wing geniuses like Martin Sheen and Julia Roberts hold the patent on creativity?

and why did you pick the "smelly hound dogs" owned by ralphie's hillbilly neighbors and the neighborhood bully? he does get beat up by little ralphie in the end, don't you remember.

these seem hardly the proper monikers for stalwart right-wing nationalists leading us poor deluded liberals bravely into the 21st century. just wondering.

You should be wondering why liberals have been WRONG on just about every issue these past 100 years.

Ah, and now the 21st century. It's too bad America has such a short memory, otherwise we would've dumped the welfare state in the 50s. At least the failures of socialism and the bloodbath of communism are in 20th century history books for all to see.

As for the "nationalist" title, as long as it's the opposite of 'America-hating leftist' it's OTAY by me.

just tell that to little ralphie when he is blinded by soap poisoning and must receive public assistance to stay alive. come now, scott, bully though you may be, would you really want blind little ralphie to starve? or what about ralphie's grandmother, who receives social security checks to keep her from becoming destitute? (for her the great depression was only a few years ago, remember!) provide us some references and details, you must, before making a sweeping statement like "liberals have been wrong on every issue." i dunno, i think it's also a good idea for ralphie's mom to be able to vote; those suffragettes were pretty liberal now, weren't they?

Seacrest -- OUT

---It will be remembered in centuries to come how the left fought tooth and nail to prevent the Third World from receiving any industry and employment that might lift it out of poverty.

(Shakes head in disappointment.)

Leftist revolution - Russia and Europe. China.

Colonization - Africa.

When will you people ever learn?

In capitalist society bosses often regard the biggest suck-ass in a department or office as a model worker. He or she then gets promoted to head flunky, er, I mean department head, "coordinator," foreman, etc. That doesn't seem any less ridiculous than honoring a rich basketball player with the title.

Actually, there have been two African popes, and possibly three. This was way back in the first half of the first millenium a.d., when the Roman empire extended into north Africa, Spain, Gaul, and so forth. However, they were likely Libyan or Egyptian, not like Arinze who is black. They African popes were "Mediterranean" African.

Why it's so important for certain lefties that the next Pope should've been black is beyond reason.

Take a look at jesse jackson and al sharpton..and while we're at it, Idi Amin.

Apparently being black and having power and wealth doesn't automatically create "Magickal Negroes of Benevolence" now, does it?

nigga you crazy? he doesn't have to be black, or from africa, just more representative of what catholics actually look like nowadays. and they ain't crackers from germany, they're in the global south. that's all we sayin.

c-ya wouldn wanna be ya