I've been reading the Winter of the World by Ken Follett and noted his comment that in order for Adolf Hitler to gain enough votes in the Reichstag to form a coalition government in 1933, he needed the votes of the Catholic Centre Party; he got them and we know what happened then to free government in Germany. I remember from history reading of the agreement the Catholic Church made with Mussolini in Italy in the 1920's-the Concordat-it guaranteed the place of the Church in Italy and gave the Fascist government needed support among the populace.
This past month we have read about the new Pope-Francis-of Argentina. It is disturbing to read that he may have acquiesced in the "Dirty War" there that saw countless Argentinians disappear as victims of the military government there. Some think even some Catholic priests fell victim to the terror. And there was the issue of Pope Benedict and the sexual abuse scandal that victimized children in the US and Ireland.
These are not easy comments to make for someone who was raised in the Catholic Church but as a student of history they present difficult issues and thoughts of betrayal.
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