The Holocaust, Auschwitz-Birkenau and Traditional Catholicism

JMJ

Nota Bene: This will be a somewhat rambling article as I only heard today about it being the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. So these are some impressions that occurred to me as I drove home from work.

So, across the world there are a variety of opinions about what Germany did in the concentration camps. The same holds true within Traditional Catholicism. There is a spectrum of beliefs, opinions and theories about the Holocaust and the factory efficient murder of Jewish people deported from occupied countries. It is not unique to Traditional Catholicism, but it is the stick that people like to use to 'beat' down the Trads.

Well ... that would be a mistake.

My father was a teenager during the Second World War and hated the comedy "Hogan's Heroes" because it portrayed the German soldiers as buffoons. When describing his impressions of the Germans he would say, they were "very, very effective."

He experienced this first hand as he was walking home from school. Two soldiers challenged two men who happened to be beside my Dad. Their order was simple, "drop your pants". This was a practically surefire way to identified Jewish men.

It also explains my Dad's reluctance when the Doctor's suggested circumcising his baby boys.

Back to the story ... according to my Dad the two men were both Jewish, members of the underground and the underground had a safe-house near the school. They grabbed my Dad and used him as a human shield, whereas my Dad said he wanted to fight with them. In spite of being used as a human shield, my Dad went home that night and the two men were dead. So my Dad witnessed two things at once. First the soldiers weren't mindless killing machines. They killed two members of the resistance who were using a young teenager as a human shield. My Dad's impression of them being 'effective' was from first hand experience.

Then comes the FUD that people spread about Auschwitz. I've heard things from Bishop Williamson and others. I never thought of them critically back them, as I would now ... actually, it was the Terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001 that were the wake up call for me. I heard him give his version of why an Airplane weighing tens of thousands of pounds flying at hundreds of miles per hour couldn't do the damage it did to the Pentagon. His reason, it has a fiberglass nose whereas a missile has a Titanium nose. Well, having worked in the Aerospace industry I knew that was Male Cow Manure (MCM). Then he went on to simply ignore eye witness testimony, more MCM.

Here's the key for me. About 15 years ago I was in Poland for work for a few weeks and one weekend I had a choice - go visit the Salt Mines or Auschwitz. I took the trip to Auschwitz I and II. It was well worth it and I find it intellectually dishonest of Bishop Williamson to refuse to go and see for himself.

From this, I know a few things about Auschwitz:

It is possible that they did kill hundreds of thousands of people in Auschwitz I, II, and III through a combination of work, starvation and executions (shooting, hanging and gas chambers). I know this sounds strange, but I've heard people say it wasn't possible. I did the math and it was possible.
The eye witness account, Polish and others, cannot be dismissed offhand as I've heard done. It is invalid to discount a person's testimony just because it doesn't jive with one's personal beliefs. There is also the fact that there is the testimony in the trials.

I've been to Auschwitz I and II. While the older site was an old military base adapted to the tasks, II was purpose built and huge. After the tour, I asked our driver to go the end of the line of fence posts and watch towers. He did better, he drove to the end of the camp, which took quite a while, and then it changed I asked was that the end, he said "no ... now we are passing the prisoner of war camp for Russian soldiers. Because of the Geneva conventions they had to be kept separate." Then he drove around to the back of the camp and showed us the spot where the farm houses used to do tests with the Zyklon gas. Camp II was enormous and pictures don't do the scale justice.

There was also a III, but it was a factory and was bombed during the war. So given the scale and the capabilities - I am convinced that it was possible. Given the witness testimony, I am convinced that it happened. As far as the numbers, I leave that to the witnesses and historians and say that from my understanding of the capacity it was possible.

It was murder on a factory scale and genocide is an apt description. Of course, I'm not saying that the Germans didn't imprison and execute others. I am saying that murder of people because of their beliefs remains murder. Period. End.Stop.

The view from outside the camp.

Anyway, today is the anniversary of the liberation of the camps and something for us to consider deeply because there is a history of rulers trying to wipe out various 'deplorables' (link). Caesar(s), Hitler, Stalin, and others have done so and I have no doubt that others will rise up and walk in their footsteps.

We just don't know who.

P^3

Auschwitz II (Birkenau) 1944

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0b711n3/the-man-who-volunteered-to-be-imprisoned-in-auschwitz

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/auschwitz

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp

https://www.auschwitz.org/en/

https://ground.news/article/auschwitz-anniversary-marked-as-peace-again-shattered-by-war_cdf21e

Fr. Most on the Dubia of Archbishop Lefebvre

+ JMJ While the focus has been on the Dubia of the Cardinals for the last few months, there is another set of Dubia that should foremost in our minds: The of Archbishop Lefebvre. Before I transcribe the Dubia, I'd like to provide a critique of a criticism of the Dubia submitted by Archbishop Lefebvre. P^3 Source: EWTN

Rome and SSPX - Version 2026 Part 2

+ JMJ Part 2 Detailed Synopsis and Timeline (ChatGPT) At this point, I took the shortcut of uploading all of my previous links and the latest SSPX and Rome links to ChatGPT. This way we’ll see how ChatGPT interprets the world as presented on the internet. P^3 Briefing Memo Subject: Rome–SSPX Relations and Planned Episcopal Consecrations (July 1, 2026) Prepared for: Ecclesial / Academic / Media Briefing Date: February 2026 Issue Overview The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has announced its intention to consecrate new bishops on July 1, 2026 , potentially without a papal mandate . The Holy See has acknowledged ongoing talks with the SSPX and stated its desire to avoid rupture, but has not granted approval nor outlined canonical consequences. The situation revives unresolved tensions dating to 1988 and raises questions about schism, authority, and doctrinal continuity. Background Founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the SSPX seeks to preserve pre-Vat...

Schism

There is some question as to whether the Pope can be in actual schism as per the Cardinal Torquemada: Citing the doctrine of Pope Innocent III, Torquemada further teaches: "Thus it is that Pope Innocent III states [De Consuetudine] that, it is necessary to obey the Pope in all things as long as he, himself, does not go against the universal customs of the Church, but should he go against the universal customs of the Church, 'he need not be followed' . . . " [Cited from A Theological Vindication of Roman Catholic Traditionalism, Father Paul Kramer, B.Ph., S.T.D., M. Div. (2nd edition, St. Francis Press, India) p. 29. The full quotation from Cardinal Torquemada reads, "By disobedience, the Pope can separate himself from Christ despite the fact that he is head of the Church, for above all, the unity of the Church is dependent on its relationship with Christ. The Pope can separate himself from Christ either by disobeying the law of Christ, or by commanding som...

SSPX / DICI: Communiqué of the General House of the Society of St. Pius X concerning the episcopal consecration of Fr. Jean-Michel Faure.

+ JMJ The following is the communiqué of the SSPX regarding the Bishop Williamson's consecration of Fr. Faure. As a follow-up to this article , I would like to highlight the rationale for denouncing the consecration. Communiqué of the General House of the Society of St. Pius X concerning the episcopal consecration of Fr. Jean-Michel Faure. On March 19, 2015, Bishop Richard Williamson performed the episcopal consecration of Fr. Jean-Michel Faure at the Benedictine Monastery of the Holy Cross in Nova Friburgo, Brazil. Bishop Williamson and Fr. Faure have not been members of the Society of St. Pius X since 2012 and 2014, respectively, because of their violent criticisms of any relations with the Roman authorities. According to them, such contacts were incompatible with the apostolic work of Archbishop Lefebvre.(1) The Society of St. Pius X regrets sincerely that this spirit of opposition has led to an episcopal consecration. In 1988 Archbishop Lefebvre had c...

Bishop Huonder, SSPX in Schism? - Nope, Consecration of Holy Oils - Update 1

+ JMJ So Bishop Huonder is in the news for two reasons. First, his 'Testimony' concerning Pope Francis etc. This was received as a nice reinforcement by Trads (SSPX and others). Of course, there are those that now are demanding an apostolic investigation. Yawn, been here before. This was predictable as other bishops who have followed the same path came to the same conclusions. It is the way. Second, he celebrated the Chrism Mass and blessed the Holy Oils for use in the SSPX's European chapels and ceremonies. This caused a stir amongst some Trads who are locked in one or the other statements made by either Archbishop Lefebvre or others. I received two versions of a question regarding this event: Hi Tradical Do you have any comments about doubtful oils in SSPX europe by +Huonder (NO Bishop not conditionally consecrated)? God Bless Hi Tradical Any thoughts on Huonder oil, not conditionally ordained and consecrated by SSPX bishops? God Bless M...

Tradicat

Search This Blog