THANKS. But no thanks.
Few Jews around the world doubt that Pope John Paul II abhors anti-Semitism, and that he wants sincerely to make amends for crimes committed in the name of Christianity.
The pope grew up in Poland at a time when too many of his countrymen turned their back on Jews — or collaborated with killers. At the dawn of World War II, 3½ million Jews called Poland their home.
By the end of the war, 500,000 remained alive. Today, following postwar persecution by the government, only about 20,000 Jews call Poland their home.
Genocide.
Yet, the first Polish pope may go down in history as the first, and perhaps only, leader of his church who is willing to admit that his forebears made terrible mistakes against people of another faith.
On Sunday — just ahead of his historic trip to Israel — he issued a groundbreaking apology for the sins committed by fellow churchmen.
Yet the statement fell short. And the apology wound up creating bitter feelings among the people it was meant to soothe.
Saying, “We humbly ask forgiveness,” the pope proceeded to apologize for 2,000 years of mistakes committed by his fellow churchmen.
Yet he left out the most recent attempt to wipe Jews off the face of the earth.
He never mentioned the Holocaust.
Which leaves Jews in a familiar bind:
They must eagerly accept the crumbs offered to them. Or appear ungrateful.
Thanks. But no thanks.
Perhaps the pope should have said nothing, and simply continued working toward Jewish-Christian understanding through his example.
After all, how can any man apologize for the slaughter of 6 million people — most of whom were put to death in camps located in his native country — without sounding hollow?
And how can any Jew accept such an apology?
Does it make centuries of anti-Semitism — still very much alive and well — simply vanish into the air?
The pope’s apology brings to mind another recent, gratuitous display of shame.
Two years ago, in Africa, President Clinton issued an apology for the American slave trade.
This useless gesture was widely greeted with derision.
How can you issue a meaningful apology for millions dead, degraded or displaced?
Still, even Jews who were disappointed with the pope’s words were mindful that things could be worse.
Anti-Semitism “probably won’t be on the next pope’s agenda,” said Myrna Shinbaum of the Anti-Defamation League.
“This is the pope who said anti-Semitism is a sin. This is the pope who is going to Israel.”
Shinbaum said she hopes Pope John Paul will make amends with Jews on his Israel trip, because, “if it’s going to get done, this pope has got to do it.”
The undertone of desperation is not unwarranted.
In modern-day Austria, a Nazi sympathizer climbs to power. Holocaust deniers find vast audiences here and abroad.
Here in New York, the Holocaust is being used for commercial and political purposes by the Whitney Museum, where a German-gentile artist is creating a piece that compares the mayor with Hitler.
It is against this backdrop of Nazi trivialization that the pope visits Israel.
His example will inform his followers how to behave in the future.
No words of apology can ever undo the past.