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An Open Letter to Pope Francis on His Visit to Auschwitz

Evan Hayes

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Your Holiness,

Letter to the Pope on his visit to Auschwitz

by Jamie Blu

4.9 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	37 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	13 pages

On July 29, 2016, you will visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp. This will be a historic occasion, and I want to take this opportunity to share my thoughts and prayers with you.

I am a Polish Jew who survived the Holocaust. I was born in 1929 in the town of Oświęcim, which is now known as Auschwitz. My family was taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1942. My parents and my two sisters were murdered in the gas chambers. I was selected for forced labor and was eventually liberated by the Soviet Army in 1945.

I have been back to Auschwitz-Birkenau many times over the years. Each time, I am overwhelmed by the enormity of what happened there. Auschwitz was a place of unspeakable horror, where millions of innocent people were murdered simply because they were Jews, Roma, homosexuals, or other "undesirables." I cannot imagine a more evil place on earth.

I know that your visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau will be a deeply personal and moving experience for you. I hope that you will use this opportunity to reflect on the horrors of the Holocaust and to speak out against all forms of genocide and intolerance. This is especially important at a time when we are seeing a resurgence of anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred around the world.

I also hope that you will take this opportunity to call for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a source of great pain and suffering for both peoples. I believe that the Catholic Church has a unique role to play in bringing about a resolution to this conflict. You have a moral authority that can be used to build bridges between Israelis and Palestinians and to help them to find a way to live together in peace.

I know that your visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau will be a difficult one, but I also know that it will be a powerful and important moment. I pray that your visit will help to make the world a more just and peaceful place.

Sincerely,

Elie Wiesel

Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Letter to the Pope on his visit to Auschwitz

by Jamie Blu

4.9 out of 5