From Oakes Spalding at Mahound’s Paradise. I doubt if this would have been a parody if Pope Francis had been Pope during World War II, when Argentinian Dictator Juan Peron was playing footsie with the Third Reich:
Today, Pope Francis was asked about the pending murders of millions of additional people in the many extermination camps operated by the Nazis across Central and Eastern Europe:
I entrust to your prayer the members of those peoples and nations, living, sometimes for a long period, in situations of restricted movement, involuntary captivity or other potentially fatal circumstances due to the requirements of the war. By these I chiefly mean the Jews, but also Gypsies, homosexuals, Polish professionals and others, and of course Catholics. These are delicate and complex situations. We pray that every group and race is always respected in its dignity and treated in a way adapted to its condition, with the agreement of the relevant parties including local authorities and political and military professionals.
A week earlier, the Pope had “tweeted” his support for those being transferred to Auschwitz-Birkenau and destined for its gas chambers:
It is my sincere hope that everything necessary may be done in order to continue compassionately accompanying the Jews and others on their difficult journey made necessary by the current situation, and that the deep suffering of those affected by these measures may be heard. I am praying for the Jews, as well as for Germany and all others that may be involved.
*If you think this parody is unfair, tell that to Alfie Evans.
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? Peron was a cabinet secretary in the military government which ran Argentina from 1943 to 1946. Hitler was dead and gone by time Peron entered the presidency. Peron was appointed Secretary of Labor in June 1943, Argentina broke relations with Germany in January 1944 and declared war on Germany in March 1945.
Their declaration of war, as the Third Reich was on its death bed, accurately reflected the predominant pro-Axis sentiment in Argentina throughout the War. The United States and various South American and other Allied nations broke diplomatic relations with Argentina because of its pro-Axis tilt in 1944, following the 1943 military coup, and the US gave serious consideration to declaring war on Argentina or backing a Brazilian invasion of Argentina. The declaration of War was the price Argentina paid for restored diplomatic relations with the US and its allies.
Not sure what a proper bibliography would show. John Halcro Ferguson contended that the Argentine public was pro-Allied and that Argentine neutrality was a shtick of Ramon Castillo’s administration.