Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Austrian Catholics,Protestants Apologize to Jews; Churches Regret Anti-Semitism During Holocaust

The Catholic and Protestant churches in Austria have apologized to Jews for their anti-Semitism and support of the Nazis during and prior to the Holocaust -- in which some six million Jews were killed --  the Ecumenical News website reports today (May 12, 2015).

The two churches issued two separate apologies on May 8 -- the day Austria commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The Catholic Church "must acknowledge its share of responsibility for the creation of a climate of disdain and hatred" for Jews before the Nazi period and the lack of "pity and solidarity with our Jewish fellow citizens" during the Holocaust, said Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn.

The Austrian Protestant Council of Churches also expressed "particular shame" for "complicity against Jews and other groups... that were considered 'unfit to live.'"

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