Responding to Book About the Holocaust

The feature on Jim Carroll’s new book, “Constantine’s Sword, the Church and the Jews” [“A Faithful Catholic Indicts His Own Religion,” Jan. 21] claims that it is neither “mean or accusing.” Yet, the book charges that Catholicism was central to the Holocaust. Carroll virtually ignores two centuries of racialism, nationalism, secularism and socialism that had displaced Catholicism in European thought and politics. It was this stew of 19th century philosophies that created the Holocaust, not the church that was virtually a lone voice in speaking out against these pillars of so-called enlightened minds.

The writer downplayed the radical “reform” Carroll envisions in his call for a “Vatican III.” Carroll is not limited to the usual jabs at papal infallibility. He proposes to dismiss the basic Christian concept that Christ died to atone for the sins of humankind, that salvation had any role in the life and death of Christ and that the teachings of Christ reflect central and universal truth. Because his thesis requires rejection of the New Testament, it also requires rejection of the essentials of Christianity. As Carroll writes: “Any Christian proclamation that says that salvation, redemption, grace, perfection, whatever you call it, has already come is unbelievable on its face.” This isn’t a call to reform Christianity, but to reject it.

ROBERT LOCKWOOD

Director of Research

Catholic League for

Religious and Civil Rights

New York, N.Y.

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I noticed James Carroll citing St. Bernard as being a protector of the Jews during the Crusades. This was the case in a perverse sort of way: Bernard’s actual position was: “If we kill all the Jews, there will be none left to punish.” This describes the essence of the medieval church’s position toward the Jews. All other religions were destroyed by the church triumphant; only Judaism was allowed to exist at all, to demonstrate to the church’s laity the irredeemably corrupt nature of Judaism. If Jews were not allowed to exist, they could not be put on display for this purpose.

Where Jews could not easily be made to appear despicable, their presence was not tolerated. This explains the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, and at other times and places.

I.L. SELK

Los Angeles