Well, there goes the Catholic Church. . .

[xiphias]

So, we went from a Pope who, in WWII helped a Jewish refugee, to a Pope who, in WWII, was a Hitler youth.

Any bets how long until the majority of American Catholics form a schismatic church and just get away from Rome?

My money's on fifteen minutes.

Comments

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

No, he got out of the /army/ by deserting in 1944.

Hitler Youth was essentially political Boy Scouts with guns.

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

Right, but the bios I've seen haven't said he got out of Hitler Youth, but instead that he was required to join like everyone else.

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

Oh. Yes. Sorry.

The bio I read said he had to join in '39 or whenever (hm '41, later than I thought), and got out some time later (I'm not sure how long) by pleading seminary duties. (Wiki doesn't say anything about the seminary thing, just that he refused to attend meetings. Um, whatever.)

Then he deserted the army (after being drafted) in '44. So two different methods of fleeing-but-not-denouncing-or-working-against.