Is not this apology an admission of error by the catholic church?

Question

On Monday, March 16, 1998 The Roman catholic church formally apologized for failing to take more decisive action in challenging the Nazi regime during World War II to stop the extermination of more than 6 million Jews.

" the Roman Church never erred, nor will it, according to the
scripture, ever err." one of the 27 "Dictates of Hildebrand" (under the name of Pope Gregory VII)

Does this admission of failure by the catholic church amount to an error, and a contradiction of their own tenet?

On a related note, the catholics not only failed to take "decisive action in challenging the Nazi regime", they in fact, entered into a concordat or treaty with the Nazi, thereby giving tacit approval of Nazi actions.

But my question remains, is this not a contradiction as stated by the catholic church?

Unless one is in error, or has been in error, does one apologize for anything?

Answer 1

"Is not this apology an admission of error by the catholic church?"



Yes it is. But this wasn't exactly an error. This was deliberate.

Answer 2

So you're coming from the presumption that the Catholic Church teaches what is wrong, that there are errors that prevent Catholics from learning the Gospel, and that these errors are your responsibility to correct. Why don't you see for yourself: go to a Mass. Sit in back, don't talk to anyone, just watch. I mean, seriously watch and listen. Ask yourself if Catholics read Scripture at Mass. See if you can find the Psalms, Old and New Testament and Gospel readings in your Bible. Ask what is preached INSTEAD of the Gospel. Count for yourself how many times Christ's Name is mentioned at the Mass, how many times the Holy Spirit is talked about. That long prayer that Catholics ALWAYS say at Mass, the Our Father, see if you can find that in the Bible. Then there's that central piece of Catholic worship, the Eucharist. Listen to the Eucharistic Prayer and see if you can find it in the Bible. Here's a hint: look in Luke 22, Matt 26, 1 Cor 11. I'm sure you're well-intentioned. You don't want to see any Catholic souls lost because of the errors in the Church that are obvious to you but somehow most Catholics are oblivious to. But make sure you take the plank out of your own eye before you point out the spec in ours. I know there will always be people who misunderstand the Catholic church, and even some who, understanding the teachings, disagree with them. What I cannot abide are people who read something in a Jack Chick tract, or hear it second-hand from their pastor that Catholics worship the Pope and Mary before Jesus, or believe that they can work their way into Heaven, or any other nonsense, and use these errors of their own to confuse Catholics. Do you want to know what we believe? Here's where you find it: (1) The Bible, NASB Catholic edition (2) The Catechism of the Catholic Church (3) The epistles from the ecumenical councils (4) The papal letters (5) The writings of the early fathers, desert fathers and church doctors

Answer 3

The Church cannot err in matters of faith and morals. The Church is not a political entity. I doubt there was any tacit approval as almost as many Catholic Christians were murdered in the Nazi camps as were the Jews. Additionally 80% of all priests were martyred in Nazi occupied Europe by Hitler and the Nazi's. God bless!



In Christ

Fr. Joseph

Answer 4

Of course it is.



No leader of the Church ever said that Catholic Church never makes political errors. Gregory VII was in a battle of wills with Henry VIII and the point was that in spiritual teachings, i.e. 'according to the scripture', the Church has the ability to speak ex cathedra -- infallibly.



Even if Pope Gregory VII meant it to apply to political and social problems, he wasn't speaking ex cathedra, which means he was speaking in error when he said the Church never errs.



The point is that now the Church recognizes its complicity with the holocaust.

Answer 5

I'm not presently a Catholic, but they would make a distinction between the general theological *teaching* of the Church -- which they see as free from error -- and sinful or imprudent *actions* of Church leaders, which have indeed sometimes been horrific.



For some reason it gives them comfort to think that, in spite of much blood shed over the centuries, still at least the Church has been *correct* in general teaching.



I would counter that the Council of Florence in "Cantate Domino" actually taught that heretics, schismatics, Jews and pagans will go to hell unless they are received into the Catholic Church before the end of their lives -- which is exactly opposite to the teaching of Vatican Council II in "Lumen Gentium" and "Gaudium et spes".



There is also the matter of the popes commanding the burning of heretics for centuries following 1234 AD, and Pope Leo X condemning Luther for, among other things, teaching that it is against the Holy Spirit to teach that heretics should be burned ("Exsurge Domine" point 33).



The practical record of Church leaders owning slaves, condemning the charging of interest, and for centuries teaching against even "natural" methods of contraception, makes claims to infallibility rather dubious.



Personally I see Christ as promising to preserve his Community, but I do not view juridical power and teaching perfection as following from that promise.

Answer 6

first, look at the definition of error: to make a mistake.



the Catholic Church said they failed to take action, if they took action then they would have made a very large tactical error because if the Catholic church turned on Nazi Germany then Fascist Italy would turn on Vatican City

Answer 7

First you are equating two separate thing.



The quote about error is NOT I repeat NOT about anything in the secular world it only applied to interpretation of doctrine and dogma on the scripture. The Church has never stated or has any tenet that it is infallible in matters of the world.



secularly the Catholic Church has made many errors and has admitted to them.



Secondly if you actually study history of Nazi Germany the Catholic Church was under a great seize in many countries like Poland by the Germans. While incredibly wrong not to speak out, Pius XII was under great pressure to save his own people. You do realize that more then 11 million people were killed in concentration camps. and 3 million of them in Poland were Catholic. HItler stated "to destroy Poland you must destroy the Church". All priests, nuns, seminary students were put into concentration camps and most killed. Also Pius XII formally condemned the third reich in 1937 (before the start of the war) in the document Mit brennender Sorge. But seeing himself as a political leader during the war restrained himself to save his people. He actually through underground programs also saved thousands of non Catholics as well.

Answer 8

When the church states that it does not err, it is referring to its teachings, not its actions. Infallibilitity applies only to things which the church has consistantly and unequivocally taught throughout its history, things formally declared at ecumenical councils or things defined as infallible by a Pope whilst speaking 'ex cathedra'.

Answer 9

Your quote says that the Church has never and never will err ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE.



It can make mistakes. It can sin. There's been a few corrupt popes. The Church leaders go to confession regularly. But the Church doesn't TEACH error in regards to faith or morals.

Answer 10

who said that the Church can't make errors? History shows us it's errors. It's not perfect. But is guided by the Holy Spirit when it teaches on faith and scripture. that's the ONLY time the pope is infallible. Not every pope has spoken infallibly.

Answer 11

The Catholic Church has erred many times...but the Catholic Chruch has never erred and will not err when it comes to official teachings on faith and morals. The Catholic Church is guided by the Holy Spirtit. The founder of the Catholic Church, Jesus Christ, had said that "the gates of hell will not prevail against it" meaning it will not fall into doctrinal error.

Answer 12

Many Catholics fought the war, because of what the church does doesn't represent us all. Did you see the Mormon churches handing out guns and shipping people to Germany? Same

goes for any other church.

Answer 13

Yes, It is a Shame that the Catholic Church ...which had No Army... could only Save 860,000 Jews.



Please notice ...this is a Jewish Link:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/piusdef.html

http://isurvived.org/TOC-II.html

http://www.catholic.com/library/HOW_Pius_XII_PROTECTED_JEWS.asp

None of our Jewish Family should have been persecuted.

Zero...Nada...None.

But Not unlike Hitler you persecute the Church Christ founded on a Daily Basis.

After the war the Chief Rabbi of Israel thanked Pius XII for what he had done. The Chief Rabbi of Rome went one step further. He became a Catholic. He took the name Eugenio.

Answer 14

The Vatican watched as Jews, literally blocks away from them, were carted off to their deaths.



If you need to know where the church stood with the Nazis, you simply look no further than the Concordat between the Vatican and Germany in 1933. They were the first nation to sign an accord with Germany. Given they were not the last but it is wrong and negligent to do nothing while millions are murdered on their watch. They could have said something, they certainly had the authority, but they didn't.



France and England paid the price for trusting Germany and the church walked away unscathed, for the most part. This is one reason I could never see myself follow a church that supposedly teaches and stands on the moral high ground.

Answer 15

well considering the fact that they were taking jews&abandoned people in before the US even admitted that hitler was an issue at all shows me that they didn't f up that bad.... it was a terrible time to be alive, thats for sure.

Answer 16

so they waited and waited and waited til now to apologize? when (if at all) were they going to "apologize" confess(to themselves)/issue pennance, to God for changing His Holy Sabbath day and corrupting His Holy Word/Scripture? or is this far to big a boo boo to let everyone in on? God Bless

wow, geuss the Truth "hurts" huh?