Pinchas Lapide

Pinchas Lapide (November 28, 1922—October 23, 1997) was a Jewish theologian and Israeli historian. He was an Israeli diplomat from 1951 to 1969, among other position acting as Israeli Consul to Milan, and was instrumental in gaining recognition for the young state of Israel. He wrote more than 35 books during his lifetime. Pinchas Lapide was married to Ruth Lapide with whom he shared his interests and endeavors.

Three Popes and the Jews

In 1967 Pinchas Lapide published his book "Three Popes and the Jews" which set out to answer the charges raised in Rolf Hochhuth's play The Deputy which contained criticisms of World War II Pope Pius XII and his response to the unfolding Holocaust. After analyzing the available information he concludes:

Were I a Catholic, perhaps I should have expected the Pope, as the avowed representative of Christ on earth, to speak out for justice and against murder - irrespective of the consequences. But as a Jew, I view the Church and the Papacy as human institutions, as frail and fallible as all the rest of us. Frail and fallible, Pius had choices thrust upon him time and time again, which would have made a lesser man falter. The 261st Pope was, after all, merely the First Catholic, heir to many prejudices of his predecessors and shortcomings of his 500 million fellow believers. The primary guilt for the slaughter of a third of my people is that of the Nazis who perpetrated the holocaust. But the secondary guilt lies in the universal failure of Christendom to try and avert or, at least, mitigate the disaster; to live up to its own ethical and moral principles, when conscience cried out: Save!, whilst expediency counselled aloofness. Accomplices are all those countless millions who knew my brothers were dying, but yet chose not to see, refused to help and kept their peace. Only against the background of such monumental egotism, within the context of millennial Christian anti-Judaism, can one begin to appraise the Popes wartime record. When armed force ruled well-nigh omnipotent, and morality was at its lowest ebb, Pius XII commanded none of the former and could only appeal to the latter, in confronting, with bare hands, the full might of evil. A sounding protest, which might turn out to be self-thwarting - or quiet, piecemeal rescue? Loud words - or prudent deeds? The dilemma must have been sheer agony, for which ever course he chose, horrible consequences were inevitable. Unable to cure the sickness of an entire civilization, and unwilling to bear the brunt of Hitler's fury, the Pope, unlike many far mightier than he, alleviated, relieved, retrieved, appealed, petitioned - and saved as best he could by his own lights. Who, but a prophet or a martyr could have done much more?.

Works

• Der Prophet von San Nicandro. Vogt, Berlin 1963, Matthias-Grünewald-Verlag, Mainz 1986. ISBN 3-7867-1249-2
• Rom und die Juden. Gerhard Hess, Ulm 1967, 1997, 2005 (3.verb.Aufl.). ISBN 3-87336-241-4
  • Three Popes and the Jews. 1967.
• Nach der Gottesfinsternis. Schriftenmissions-Verl., Gladbeck 1970.
• Auferstehung. Calwer, Stuttgart 1977, 1991 (6.Aufl.). ISBN 3-7668-0545-2
• Die Verwendung des Hebräischen in den christlichen Religionsgemeinschaften mit besonderer Berücksichtigung des Landes Israel. Diss. Kleikamp, Köln 1971.
• Er predigte in ihren Synagogen. Mohn, Gütersloh 1980, 2004 (8.Aufl.). ISBN 3-579-01400-5
• Am Scheitern hoffen lernen. Mohn, Gütersloh 1985, 1988. ISBN 3-579-01413-7
• Wer war schuld an Jesu Tod? Mohn, Gütersloh 1987, 1989, 2000 (4.Aufl.). ISBN 3-579-01419-6
• Ist das nicht Josephs Sohn? Jesus im heutigen Judentum. Mohn, Gütersloh 1988 . ISBN 3-579-01408-0
• Ist die Bibel richtig übersetzt?" 2 Bd. Mohn, Gütersloh 2004. ISBN 3-579-05460-0
• Der Jude Jesus. Patmos, Düsseldorf 1979, 2003 (3.Aufl.). ISBN 3-491-69405-1
• Paulus zwischen Damaskus und Qumran. Mohn, Gütersloh 1993, 1995, 2001. ISBN 3-579-01425-0

Bibliography

• In the Spirit of Humanity, a portrait of Pinchas Lapide. In: German Comments. review of politics and culture. Fromm, Osnabrück 32.1993,10 (Oktober). ISSN 0722-883X
• Juden und Christen im Dialog. Pinchas Lapide zum 70. Geburtstag. Kleine Hohenheimer Reihe. Bd 25. Akad. der Diözese, Rottenburg-Stuttgart 1993. ISBN 3-926297-52-2
• Christoph Möhl: Sein grosses Thema: Die Juden und die Christen. In: Reformierte Presse. Fischer, Zürich 1997, 47.
• In memoriam Pinchas Lapide (1922–1997) - Stimme der Versöhnung. Ansprachen, Reden, Einreden. Bd 8. Kath. Akad., Hamburg 1999. ISBN 3-928750-56-9
• Ruth Lapide: Pinchas Lapide - Leben und Werk. In: Viktor E. Frankl: Gottsuche und Sinnfrage. Mohn, Gütersloher 2005, S.23. ISBN 3-579-05428-7

External links

• German Site from H. Schledorn too Pinchas Lapide