David Yeagley is the great-great-grandson of Comanche leader Bad Eagle. 
Pope Benedict XVI recently came under protest from world Jewish leaders because of the fact that he reinstated a bishop who had made public statements denying the number of Jews destroyed in the Holocaust, and denying that any Jews were put in gas chambers.
Of course, that statement of Bishop Richard Williamson was not the reason his excommunication was lifted. In fact, the Pope said he was totally unaware of the Bishop’s public remarks. Williamson, whom the Vatican excommunicated in 1988, had been unofficially consecrated in the Society of St. Pius X, which the Vatican officially deemed an extremist, schismatic sect in the church.
Pope Benedict XVI, center, reinstated four bishops Saturday, including one whose comments denying the Holocaust have provoked outrage. (The Associated Press)
The International Herald Tribune (NYT global edition) claims the Pope, in lifting the excommunication of Williamson and three other “schismatic bishops” thereby was “acceding to the far-right of the Catholic Church.” Benedict is running contrary to the liberal, tolerant, outreaching policies of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II–who was implementing the liberal dicta of the Second Vatican Council of the 1960’s. The Herald Tribune calls these contrary priests “traditionalists,” who, for example, want the mass said in Latin, rather than in the language of the people. The Herald Tribune says Chester Gillis, the Amaturo chair in Catholic studies at Georgetown University, believes that Benedict and John Paul II before him had tried for years to bring those traditionalists back into the church, out of concern that their movement might grow and create an entrenched parallel church. Gillis is quoted:
“I don’t think the Vatican doesn’t care about Jewish-Christian relations, but at least it appears that internal church matters trump external relations,” he said. “They’re thinking, Let’s heal our own house whatever the consequences are externally.”
But the Jews would have none of it. The Jews have survived centuries of persecution, and their intuitions recognize potiential hazards quite accurately, most of the time. They could not ignore this significant ’sanction’ of one high ranking church official who publicly belittled the realities of the Holocaust only days before on Swedish national television.
ADL Director Abe Foxman said it was “a most troubling setback” that Williamson’s belittling statements about the Holocaust should be so honored by the Vatican. Rabbi David Rosen, director of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations, said, “We urgently call on the Vatican to reiterate its unqualified repudiation and condemnation of all and any Holocaust denial.”
And so Pope Benedict XVI has paused the process of reinstating Bishop Williamson. The Vatican has demanded a full recantation by the bishop, for his statements, before he can be fully reinstated as a functional bishop.
“This was the sign the Jewish world has been waiting for,” said Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress.
To some people, the Jewish protest here might seem a little extreme itself, but, centuries of persecution I think give Jews the right to be extra careful. And no, the Christian church as an institution does not have a reputation for loving Jewish people, unfortunately.
The late Holocaust survivor, Jack P. Eisner, whom I new personally, once spoke to me about Jewish-Gentile relations. “I learned not to trust anyone. Even people who showed no previous aversion to Jews. Anyone can turn against me.” Then he looked me right in the eyes and said, “Even you.”
This he said, as we shared Shabbos dinner in his high 5th Avenue apartment in New York. This he said, as he shared his Holocaust experience with me, as I was preparing the grand opera he commissioned me to write, based on his story. This he said, “Even you.”
I’ve always had a disposition of sympathy for Jewish people (having been weaned on the Bible), but, as an Indian, my affections run a bit more earthen. I know what it’s like to be socially classified, though I have denied it all my life. I inherited a major capacity for denial from my mother. Not until she was in her eighties did she ever tell me she was elected “band queen” of Walters High School (southwest Oklahoma) back in 1940. A “Mr. Edwards,” she said, kindly told her that she couldn’t be the band queen, because the town would not accept an Indian girl.
I don’t know what I’ve been denied as an Indian. I know my elderly father actually asked me and my older brother, together, if we had ever had problems because we were Indian. (We were grown men at the time, visiting home.) My older brother didn’t say anything. I responded in my usual, aggressive way, “Well, if I’ve ever been mistreated because I’m Indian, I don’t know anything about it.”
“Well,” my father said, “I want you to know, I”m sorry.”
Sorry that we were Indian. Sorry that we had problems because we were Indian. Whatever.
I’m not sorry Jews are Jews. And I think Pope Benedict has handled his current crisis rather adroitly. So there!
8 responses so far ↓
1 greetingsmyson // Feb 4, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Honey, check this out; I believe I stumbled upon a Comanche Casino slot machine on-line.
The best I can make of it is — if you get all four of these Mongolians in a row, the jackpot is won. I think you win a copy of this Yale Divinity educated Doctor’s up coming book…”Hell yes, Jews that don’t believe in Christ will live forever, despite what Christ said…I went to Yale Divinity and have Rabbi friends in high places; I know all about these things.”
And I really have no idea what the Comanche’s and the Jews have to do with sticking their beaks in the business of the Roman Catholic Church — they don’t run it, the pope does, and it’s not all about the endless cries of victimization from yooze Jooze, and yooze darky’s.
32 Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say to you; Moses gave you not bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which cometh down from heaven and giveth life to the world. 34 They said therefore unto him: Lord, give us always this bread. 35 And Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall not hunger: and he that believeth in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said unto you that you also have seen me, and you believe not. 37 All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me: and him that cometh to me, I will not cast out. (The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St. John; Chapter 6; verses 32-37)
I don’t need to “ask the Rabbi” or anyone educated in some dumbed down WASP university what this means…It’s clear who will be cast out.
2 David Yeagley // Feb 5, 2009 at 8:24 am
“some dumbed down WASP university” Gotta love it!
“if you get all four of these Mongolians in a row, the jackpot is won” Oh, yeah? Try getting four Comanches, even three, to aggree on how to pronounce the same word. Only when the winds blows right.
The Pope’s shoe size is the concern of kings. The world weighs his coffee. Come now, the largest institution in the world expects to operate in private? as a “secret society?”
And just because you take one side of an in-house Jewish cultural/theological debate doesn’t mean the side you pick isn’t Jewish.
Whooz crying “victim” here?
3 whitetrash // Feb 5, 2009 at 9:09 am
The Pope’s shoe size is the concern of kings. The world weighs his coffee. Come now, the largest institution in the world expects to operate in private? as a “secret society?”
That’s putting it in polite terms. This meddling organization has weighed in on America’s social and political issues far too often and for transparently self-serving reasons. They and their little rituals are fair game.
4 David Yeagley // Feb 5, 2009 at 9:33 am
Well, I do always try to be polite!
Fact is, America is basically overrun with self-servers. That’s become the glory of America. Whoever you are, whatever you are, you can sell it here in America, and prosper.
For example, I want freedom of religion so I can worship according to the dictates of my own conscience. However, as a nationalist, I don’t want to see Satanists, voodooists, Islamic fascists, etc., prospering in my country. Am I being self-serving? I happen to have chosen a protestant faith (Adventism). But, do I really believe in religious freedom, as a political policy? I don’t think so, not really.
5 whitetrash // Feb 5, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I would argue that all nations are well provisioned with self-servers. What made America great was the unusual number of people who were willing to sacrifice their own interests, either for their country in war, or for the future generations of Americans.
That’s what is missing now. The self-servers remain in abundance, and the damage they have inflicted is profound. The idea that greed built America is a Republican concept, and serves only the greedy, not the Nation.
6 David Yeagley // Feb 5, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Greed is Republican? That’s a new one.
So, is individual responsibility Democrat? Another new one.
7 whitetrash // Feb 5, 2009 at 1:58 pm
So, is individual responsibility Democrat?
Nope. That’s a Republican concept too. But that’s what has been missing. At least a rendering of that concept in terms of policy, or even action, has been missing. When the Republicans (the ones that actually wield political and economic power) decided that profits trumped what is best for the Nation, we were, and are, in big trouble. I don’t think the CEO’s that sank Wall Street were Democrats, man.
8 David Yeagley // Feb 5, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Frankly, I cannot grasp what happened in that melt down. Did it start with the Democrate-created government loaners, Fannie and Freddy? Did it start with Wall Street–private speculators? There are a lot of things I’m not grasping lately.
Too many —- liars out there! That I can grasp.
Republicans are toast. They toasted themselves. They deserve to be where they are, and worse. And they apparently are not planning to be any different or better in the future. They’re into “facade-ism” already, just like the the Dems–who one the election on facade-ism. False fronts are “in.”
The country is “out.” DC can’t sell the country off quickly enough!
Liberalism designs to destory the country (i.e., “change” it). Conservatism, I should say, false conservatism, or Republican PARTY-ism, is doing the same, but, at least the doctrines teach differently.
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