Which brings me to DovBear’s negative comments about John Paul II. There was a Catholic in Cracow [sic. Krakow] who was entrusted with a Jewish baby at the beginning of the war and was reluctant to give the child up at the end of the war. The young priest who insisted that the child be returned to its Jewish family was Karol Wojtyla–the man who became Pope John Paul II.
John Paul II beatified Pius xii, the pope who told Catholics, after the war, that they were forbidden to return to their parents Jewish children that had been baptized.
So, though, as you say, Karol Wojita returned an unbaptized Jewish child to his parents, as John Paul II he honored a Pope who ordered Catholics to keep baptized Jewish children.
Please Toby, some historical perspective.
1 - John Paul II also honored Pius ix, the pope who (among his many anti-Semitic acts) authorized the kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara, kept him despite an international outrage, and raised him as a Catholic.
Why is Cross-Currents, a blog that is always too quick to criticize liberals and liberal Jews, afraid to criticize John Paul II? By all means, celebrate the dead Pope's accomplishments, but please, let's have no reluctance to discuss his shortcomings.
Cross-Currents needs to pretend the Pope was a Jew they didn't like. I'm sure that would make their loathsome timidity disappear.
Joe Schick is neither loathsome nor timid. Here's his take.