(Father B.F. Heffernan, Peterborough, Ontario is covering World Youth Day for Canada Free Press.)
B.F. Heffernan
Saturday, august 20, 2005
Germany-- In Pope Benedict’s first 26 hours since landing in Germany, his schedule has been packed. He’s greeted the secular and clerical VIPs, waved to thousands in several motorcades through the streets, and 200,000 more "Cruising down the river" Rhine in a triple-decker boat contentedly surrounded by many young people in a festive setting of garland and flowers. From the boat he spoke to thousands on the shore before capping the day with an eventide visit to the famous Cologne Cathedral.
Early next morning the Pope motorcaded to the capitol city of Bonn to meet Federal President Köhler and returned by noon to Cologne to what the Jews called the most significant event of his visit "The Pope visiting the Jewish Temple.
The Rabbi presented him with a horn symbolizing peace. The Pope presented the Jews with a white, hard bound book as big as a Webster dictionary containing early writings from alexandria.
The Jewish Rabbis spoke of how the first Jewish settlement in Cologne dated back to Colonial Rome. They described their sufferings through the years.
The Pope listened intently till he was introduced and greeted the assembly with "Shalom lecher!" He continued. "The history of relations between the Jewish and Christian communities has been complex and often painful. There were times when the two lived together peacefully, but there was also the expulsion of the Jews from Cologne in the year 1424. and in the twentieth century, in the darkest period of German and European history, an insane racist ideology, born of neo-paganism, gave rise to the attempt, planned and systematically carried out by the regime, to exterminate European Jewry. The victims of this unspeakable and previously unimaginable crime amounted to seven thousand named individuals in Cologne alone; the real figure was surely much higher. The holiness of God was no longer recognized, and consequently contempt was shown for the sacredness of human life.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps, in which millions of Jews--men, women and children--were put to death in the gas chambers and ovens. I make my own the words written by my venerable Predecessor on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of auschwitz and I too say: "I bow my head before all those who experienced this manifestation of the mysteries iniquitatis." The terrible events of that time must "never cease to rouse consciences, to resolve conflicts, to inspire the building of peace"
The Pope finished speaking at 12:40 p.m. and received a standing ovation. The applause continued as he greeted about a dozen elderly survivors of the Holocaust and came down the aisle and mingled more before departing for another engagement, many more! The largest being this Saturday evening’s Vigil at Marienfeld, Cologne where over a million young people are expected to gather in song, prayer and praise for an all night vigil with their new Pope Benedict XVI who celebrates Mass this Sunday morning august 21 at 10:00 a.m.
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