Hitler's Pope by Cornwell pg 319

Acc to Francis D'Arcy Osborne

 "The Card Sec of State sent for me today to say that the Pope hoped that no Allied coulored troops would be among the small number that might be garrisoned at Rome after the occupation........."

Cornwell follows

'The biographer of Pacelli's cause for beatification, Fr Peter Grumpel, links Pacelli's request with the case of the "Black Shame" after WWI in Germany when occupying black French troops were accused of rape and pillage by the German authorities. Acc to Gumpel, Pacelli was convinced that black troops were more prone to acts of rape than white troops; the Pontiff believed moreover that there had been evidence of just such atrocious behavior on the part of American blacks as the Allies proceeded north through Italy'.

The question is then-- Is there such a thing as 'racism' and was Pope Pius XII(XIII) a 'racist'? If so, is this a good or bad thing?

Roscoe does not even think racism exists. His viewpoints are strange and I'm glad that more people are beginning to ignore his posts. I'm also glad I can now delete his posts, too!

You think someone who wrote a book called, "Hitler's Pope" is credible?

Ken Woodward, writing in Newsweek, stated that Hitler's Pope has "errors of fact and ignorance of context [that] appear on almost every page."

http://www.newsweek.com/1999/09/26/the-case-against-pius-xii.html

In any case, do these sound like the words of a racist?

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/docuмents/hf_p-xii_enc_20101939_summi-pontificatus_en.html

SUMMI PONTIFICATUS

ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS XII

43. And the nations, despite a difference of development due to diverse conditions of life and of culture, are not destined to break the unity of the human race, but rather to enrich and embellish it by the sharing of their own peculiar gifts and by that reciprocal interchange of goods which can be possible and efficacious only when a mutual love and a lively sense of charity unite all the sons of the same Father and all those redeemed by the same Divine Blood.

44. The Church of Christ, the faithful depository of the teaching of Divine Wisdom, cannot and does not think of deprecating or disdaining the particular characteristics which each people, with jealous and intelligible pride, cherishes and retains as a precious heritage. Her aim is a supernatural union in all-embracing love, deeply felt and practiced, and not the unity which is exclusively external and superficial and by that very fact weak.

45. The Church hails with joy and follows with her maternal blessing every method of guidance and care which aims at a wise and orderly evolution of particular forces and tendencies having their origin in the individual character of each race, provided that they are not opposed to the duties incuмbent on men from their unity of origin and common destiny.

46. She has repeatedly shown in her missionary enterprises that such a principle of action is the guiding star of her universal apostolate. Pioneer research and investigation, involving sacrifice, devotedness and love on the part of her missionaries of every age, have been undertaken in order to facilitate the deeper appreciative insight into the most varied civilizations and to put their spiritual values to account for a living and vital preaching of the Gospel of Christ. All that in such usages and customs is not inseparably bound up with religious errors will always be subject to kindly consideration and, when it is found possible, will be sponsored and developed.

47. Our immediate predecessor, of holy and venerated memory, applying such norms to a particularly delicate question, took some generous decisions which are a monument to his insight and to the intensity of his apostolic spirit. Nor need We tell you, Venerable Brethren, that We intend to proceed without hesitation along this way. Those who enter the Church, whatever be their origin or their speech, must know that they have equal rights as children in the House of the Lord, where the law of Christ and the peace of Christ prevail.

There is no such thing as a 'racist'.  :whistleblower:

There is no such thing as a 'racist'.  :whistleblower:

An intriguing thesis. Explain.

A racist describes someone who is biased towards (or against) a certain race. How can there be no such thing as a racist? Or is it kind of like how there is no such thing as a pot smoker?  :rolleyes: :smoke-pot:

Is this excerpt from the 1914 Catholic Encyclopedia "racist"?

The Annamite is of low stature, his limbs are short, his body well-made but ungraceful, his hair black and coarse, his mouth big, his lips thick, his nose flat, and his nostrils dilated. His skull is short and rather wide, his cheek-bones protrude, his eyes are lozenge-shaped, his complexion varies from brown to yellow. In Annam both men and women wear their hair rolled up in a chignon, but in Tong-king the women wear their hair in coils around their head. The great blot on the Annamite character is an overpowering tendency towards deceit and dishonesty, which Christianity — as attested by hostile French officials—has done much to remove. In general sober and industrious, the Annamite is greatly attached to his family and his home, and, though naturally of a gentle and timid disposition, exhibits on occasion a courageous scorn of death.

I would say its remarkably accurate.

EDIT:

And if anyone knows where similar studies of Oriental cultures by Catholic authors can be found, I would be very greatful. I believe that roscoe mentioned a Jesuit book on Chinese culture; I cannot remember its name.