Otherwise known as Pope Benedict XVI. In a recent celebrity/church gossip mashup, actress Susan Sarandon refers to the current Pope as a "nazi". Not exactly a light word to be throwing around, but its semi-truthfulness makes an interesting point. Yes, Pope Benedict XVI was once part of Hitler Youth - however, young Joseph and his family were all firmly anti-Nazi and the only reason he was put into a position where he could be called a Nazi was because of his seminary. Studying Catholicism and making his way to becoming who the world knows him now was the only thing that put him into that position.
While this fact about Pope Benny was surprising, it is not exactly incriminating with the background knowledge that any given person can receive by just doing a little research. But is it problematic that someone that the world looks up to as a religious leader was once loosely affiliated with a man and party that the rest of the world wish had never existed? In my personal opinion, no. I can't find this to be problematic because in the time of Nazi Germany, any person could be forced into becoming a member for any reason - including simply attending a certain type of school.
My understanding of the Nazi Party is that many members (although not the majority) were forced into membership rather than volunteering, and it is because of these people that I personally cannot hold hostility towards any person simply for their loose relationships until the full story of their past has been revealed. This may be a more naive/optimistic way of looking at things, but it is definitely better than being angry and aggressively pushing offensive terms on a potentially innocent person.
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