Pope's Address at Yad Vashem
"May the Names of These Victims Never Perish"
JERUSALEM, MAY 11, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the Yad Vashem memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.
* * *
"I
will give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name ... I
will give them an everlasting name which shall not be cut off" (Is 56:5).
 This
passage from the Book of the prophet Isaiah furnishes the two simple
words which solemnly express the profound significance of this revered
place: yad - "memorial"; shem - "name". I have come to
stand in silence before this monument, erected to honor the memory of
the millions of Jews killed in the horrific tragedy of the Shoah. They
lost their lives, but they will never lose their names: these are
indelibly etched in the hearts of their loved ones, their surviving
fellow prisoners, and all those determined never to allow such an
atrocity to disgrace mankind again. Most of all, their names are
forever fixed in the memory of Almighty God.
One can rob a
neighbor of possessions, opportunity or freedom. One can weave an
insidious web of lies to convince others that certain groups are
undeserving of respect. Yet, try as one might, one can never take away
the name of a fellow human being.
Sacred Scripture teaches
us the importance of names in conferring upon someone a unique mission
or a special gift. God called Abram "Abraham" because he was to become
the "father of many nations" (Gen17:5). Jacob was called "Israel" because he had "contended with God and man and prevailed" (Gen32:29).
The names enshrined in this hallowed monument will forever hold a
sacred place among the countless descendants of Abraham. Like his,
their faith was tested. Like Jacob, they were immersed in the struggle
to discern the designs of the Almighty. May the names of these victims
never perish! May their suffering never be denied, belittled or
forgotten! And may all people of goodwill remain vigilant in rooting
out from the heart of man anything that could lead to tragedies such as
this!
The Catholic Church, committed to the teachings of Jesus
and intent on imitating his love for all people, feels deep compassion
for the victims remembered here. Similarly, she draws close to all
those who today are subjected to persecution on account of race, color,
condition of life or religion - their sufferings are hers, and hers is
their hope for justice. As Bishop of Rome and Successor of the Apostle
Peter, I reaffirm - like my predecessors - that the Church is committed
to praying and working tirelessly to ensure that hatred will never
reign in the hearts of men again. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
is the God of peace (cf. Ps 85:9).
The Scriptures teach
that it is our task to remind the world that this God lives, even
though we sometimes find it difficult to grasp his mysterious and
inscrutable ways. He has revealed himself and continues to work in
human history. He alone governs the world with righteousness and judges
all peoples with fairness (cf. Ps 9:9).
Gazing upon the
faces reflected in the pool that lies in stillness within this
memorial, one cannot help but recall how each of them bears a name. I
can only imagine the joyful expectation of their parents as they
anxiously awaited the birth of their children. What name shall we give
this child? What is to become of him or her? Who could have imagined
that they would be condemned to such a deplorable fate!
 As we
stand here in silence, their cry still echoes in our hearts. It is a
cry raised against every act of injustice and violence. It is a
perpetual reproach against the spilling of innocent blood. It is the
cry of Abel rising from the earth to the Almighty. Professing our
steadfast trust in God, we give voice to that cry using words from the
Book of Lamentations which are full of significance for both Jews and
Christians:
"The favors of the Lord are not exhausted, his mercies are not spent;
They are renewed each morning, so great is his faithfulness.
My portion is the Lord, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
Good is the Lord to the one who waits for him, to the soul that seeks him;
It is good to hope in silence for the saving help of the Lord" (Lam 3:22-26).
My
dear friends, I am deeply grateful to God and to you for the
opportunity to stand here in silence: a silence to remember, a silence
to pray, a silence to hope.
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