Pope John Paul II Speaks about the Holocaust

Pope John Paul II visited Yad Vashem on March 23, 2000. During this historic visit, the Pope participated in a memorial ceremony in Yad Vashem's Hall of Remembrance. Presented here is a selection of the Pope's speech. He said:

The words of the ancient Psalm, rise from our hearts: "I have become like a broken vessel. I hear the whispering of many - terror on every side - as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life. But I trust in you, O Lord: I say, 'you are my God.'" (Psalms 31:13-15)
In this place of memories, the mind and heart and soul feel an extreme need for silence. Silence in which to remember. Silence in which to try to make some sense of the memories which come flooding back. Silence because there are no words strong enough to deplore the terrible tragedy of the Shoah.
My own personal memories are of all that happened when the Nazis occupied Poland during the war. I remember my Jewish friends and neighbors, some of whom perished, while others survived. I have come to Yad Vashem to pay homage to the millions of Jewish people who, stripped of everything, especially of human dignity, were murdered in the Holocaust. More than half a century has passed, but the memories remain.
Here, as at Auschwitz and many other places in Europe, we are overcome by the echo of the heart-rending laments of so many. Men, women and children, cry out to us from the depths of the horror that they knew. How can we fail to heed their cry? No one can forget or ignore what happened. No one can diminish its scale.

For the entire text of the speech, click http://www1.yadvashem.org/about_yad/what_new/data_pope/speech.html

Category:

Education

Tags:

• holocaust
• shoah
• pope
• john
• paul
• survivors
• yad
• vashem
• remembrance
• psalms
• christians
• משפט אייכמן
• גדעון הואזנר

[rhinestone11]

To be fair it wasn't just Jews. One thing I've always hated about what we learn, we kind of just ignore all the others who were slaughtered too. I think they deserve the same silent honouring.

[jlj1024]

John Paul II was a great man.

[Kina2402]

I heard that Hitler hated the Jews because he worked really hard during World War II and wanted to get a good award but he never did but a Jew did and he was so jealous and he decided he wants a revenge. So then he started his persecuation.

[carsophieify]

John Paul II was a great man. He was very friend the People Judeu. I Know very polak person and They love the People of Israel. I LOVE ISRAEL and YOUR PEOPLE!

[pomati2000]

@bluewhale18 where did you get that reference from ?

[brycejacksoncvt]

@SillyGrandpa obviously you havent been to Vermont then .. here , Christians, Jews and Muslims all live together in peace.

[marcygoosie]

@lkarabinas The bishops begged Pius XII not to speak out because every time he did Hitler did something more despicable to the Jews . The Rabbi of Rome was taken in and sheltered in the Vatican. He later converted to Catholicism and took the baptismal name of Eugenio (Pius XII name) Read Rabbi Isreal Zolli's book,"Before the Dawn". or The Myth of Hitler's Pope by David Dalin , a Jew if you want the REAL TRUTH!

[jp2ily]

Precious Papa John Paul II. i Love You.

[Knights2theEnd]

@rhinestone11 I completely agree

[ArchangelMaria]

@lkarabinas play?

[bluewhale18]

6 million Jews remembered

european Jewry destroyed

[hardblues79]

He IS a great man! He is in heaven!