I meant no offense to Miguel with my post on Shannon Watts.

I find his experience enlightening.

In response to El Mac and Miguel, let me give you my perspective.

I may have been over broad in my condemnation of the church as a whole.  What I speak of was deathly real in the Polish/German/East European tradition, which is my background.

I heard “scratch a Christian, find an antisemite” from not just my Grandfather, but many Old World Ashkenazim Jews from that region of the world.

My mother’s side of the family is Polish Catholic.  She never forgave my mother for “marrying one of those people.”  Yes, I heard her say that to my mother.

I was told a story about my parents wedding, that I have confirmed from multiple family members.

My Great Uncle on my father’s side was from the same region of Poland as my mother’s family.  My great uncle was talking to my maternal great grandmother at my parents wedding.  My great grandmother didn’t speak much English and my great uncle was fluent in Polish.  She asked him how he spoke such good Polish.  He said (in Polish) “I’m Polish.”  My great grandmother replied very loudly, “You’re not a Pole, your’e a Jew” and walked away.

In more objective history, the Irish community in the US had a history of terrible antisemitism.  Boston was notorious for being the most antisemitc city in America.  In that same vein was Father Charles Coughlin, who was an radio personality and priest who railed against the Jews and was an advocate for peace with Nazi Germany, until he was kicked off the radio in 1939.

I should also say that this was not entirely a issue with the Catholic church.  The pogroms of Poland and Russia were supported by both Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.

I can say, growing up in Miami, I didn’t experience antisemitism from my Catholic friends and neighbors, almost all were of Latin American heritage.  Cuba and Argentina also gave Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany safe refuge, which the US did not.

I guess this is why the work of John Paul II sicks out of history so much for me, he was not just a Catholic but a Polish Catholic condemning antisemitism.

The history between Christians (in general, not just Catholics) and Jews is rocky, that is undeniable.  It has improved over time, and I acknowledge that.  Miguel’s experience is literally and figuratively half a world away from that of my background and experience, and I am sorry if I offended him.

I hold no animosity to the current Church for the past (we can have a long conversation however about this soft on socialism Pope).

Lastly, long time readers of my posts know that I do no hold back when it comes to big goverment supporting Jews.  I have called Bloomberg, Schumer, Feinstein, and their ilk Kapos before, and given the chance to say it to their faces, I’d do that too.  I cannot tolerate these Bagel Bolsheviks who seem to think being Jewish means understating the inside jokes in Woody Allen films.