Abstract

In the context of apologies made to the Jews for lack of support during the Holocaust, the author compares the September 30, 1997 apology made by the French Catholic Church with the March 16, 1998 Vatican Apology, "We Remember." The French Catholic Church's apology appears probing and honest, unwilling to avoid tough issues. "We Remember," despite its general importance, simply does not admit the true extent of the moral failure of the Church during the Nazi years. In addition, its appraisal of Pope Pius XII is totally one-sided and its distinction between ecclesiastical anti-Judaism and profane antisemitism is too facile and misleading. Regarding the past, this document is self-exonerating and somewhat defensive, while its sincere commitment to the future is admirable and crucially important.

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