March 10, 2013
Today we went to Wadowice and were able to have some free
time to experience Polish culture in the square. We were able to tour an exhibit which had some
things from Pope John Paul II’s house in it.
Currently his house is being renovated so we were unable to take an
actual tour through his house, but we were able to see it from the
outside. Seeing the things from his
childhood was incredible. Even though he
is no longer living, I was able to feel a connection with him, more so than
from any movie I have seen about him, or any book that I have read.
The Mass Basilica of Wadowice is located near the home of
Pope John Paul II, with a very large square in front of it which people
congregate around. This was particularly
interesting because all of the people from the surrounding area came together
to this center point to socialize as well as attend the services. Throughout the mass there was standing room
only. The beautiful church was full of
excitement from the parishioners, and even though the entire mass was performed
in Polish, I was still able to understand what was happening and I felt
welcomed.
Later in the evening we had a lecture from Father Manfred
where he taught us about the different backgrounds and approaches of the
Polish, Germans, and the Jewish in relation to the Holocaust. Because of all the stories passed down over
the years as well as historical events, everyone comes with their own approach
towards other people. There is no blank
slate. Different groups see things from
different perspectives for obvious reasons.
For the Jewish, as explained by Father Manfred, their hope
is “in the shadow of the Shoah”. Shoah is
the Jewish word for Holocaust. Auschwitz
is not a place of ‘shalom’ which changed the way that Jews are looked at worldwide. What was a celebratory religion became scarred
with death and horror. The Shoah is a
constant wound for all Jewish people.
The Polish Catholics that were also in the camp were deeply affected by
the Holocaust. They were forced to
experience death and torture just as many of the Jews. However, for the Polish Catholics, this
confirmed their religion and became a symbol to represent human dignity. Both religions survived this, and in survival
comes strength.
The Germans come from the perpetrator perspective of the
Holocaust. They must take a critical
approach when discussing this part of their history (which they do not like to
do). They have the difficult task of
honoring their dead for who they were as family members and friends, and not
for their job of being a Nazi. For the
Germans, it is very important to separate the two: this is their wound.
For all who were involved, the Holocaust or Shoah left deep
scars that have lasted years. The
cultures have kept these wounds known so that this “experiment” will not happen
again. However, by sharing these bad
memories, this creates a separation for the future. People look at others differently and
without trust. Will trust and forgiveness
ever be established to mend the destroyed relationship between these three
groups or will the world be forced to live with this mistake forever?
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