July 2, 2022

Reflection

JAMES  CARROLL

James Carroll was on Book TV program last night. I missed a speech he gave - but I saw some of the show.  The theme of the book being presented was on the Persecution of the Jews. 

Cynthia Ozick - the writer - was speaking - as a Jewish woman.

She was followed by Mary Catherine Gordon - the novelist and a Catholic.

I came in at 9 P.M. The program went till 10 P.M.

What I caught  was excellent.

Both Jim Carroll and Mary Gordon announced they were Catholics.

The show took place at The Interfaith Center - some name like that - in New York City.

Cynthia Ozick brought out that  the gospels were Anti-Semitic.  

Nobody brought out that Christians were also persecuted at times.  Two wrongs don't make a right - but that could have been brought up.

Cynthia Ozick also brought up that the Vatican did have official statements against the Jews.

Mary Gordon went after Pope John Paul II as an actor - a master of the media. She described him as an old shuffling man going up to put a piece of paper in the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Then she said that in the meanwhile he beatified Pope Pius IX who had a Jewish person baptized - after being snatched by some Catholics.

Mary Gordon also didn't like Edith Stein's beatification. If Edith was beatified and canonized, so too should 6 million Jews - because Edith Stein was killed primarily because she was a Jew.

Edith Stein wrote a letter to the pope asking him to speak out about the murder of the Jews. He didn't.

Mary Gordon went after Pius XII as well.

The speakers got into the issue of the Cross at Auschwitz.

Another speaker - a woman film maker - said she was not a Catholic - she was an agnostic. She said some good things about Pope John Paul II.  He had a sermon read at all the masses in some place about genocide of the Jews. This woman film maker said some priests came forwards - confessing that they persecuted and killed some Jews.

James Carroll said that Pope John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla, stood up at Vatican II and helped change the council's declaration on the Jews. He mentioned that a priest at the council taking notes wondering who this bishop speaking in Latin - with a heavy accent - was.

James Carroll saw Vatican II as a revelation moment - when significant historical things happened

James Carroll called for Vatican III.

Significant changes took place at Vatican I.  Infalliability was declared. Some said there is no more need for councils. Then John XXIII called for Vatican II, A Jewish man named Issac talked to John XXIII and said that the Jewish question needed to be addressed.

Mary Gordon returned to the Auschwitz question. She said if the pope could stop the Liberation Theologians with a snap of his finger, he could stop these fellows in Poland who wanted  crosses at Auschwitz - because Catholics also died there.

Some lady talked about the Anti-Semitism on Radio Maria - a Polish radio  program and if you understand Polish - you can get that program in the United States. 

[I wrote these notes way back when - but I didn't have a date on my notes.]