Controversial Words

Shrine of the Little Flower's display on Father Coughlin adds
dispute to Christian Holocaust memorial service.

HARRY KI RS BAU M

StaffWriter

r

or the second straight year, an ecumenical
group will host a Christian Holocaust
remembrance service for the community
in the same Catholic church where the
controversial Father Charles E. Coughlin preached
his anti-Semitic sermons 65 years ago.
While remarks made weeks ago by the archbishop
of Detroit on a cable access television program apol-
ogized for Coughlin's anti-Semitism, not all Jews are
pleased by the location of the service, scheduled for
this Sunday, March 25. At issue is a historical photo
exhibit, in honor of the Archdiocese of Detroit's
300th anniversary, on the lower level of the
National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak.
A panel devoted to Father Coughlin, who served at
the church from 1926-1966, avoids labeling him
anti-Semitic, stating only that he opened himself to
accusations of anti-Semitism.
Early this month, Cardinal Adam Maida taped a
show with Steve Grimmer of the Detroit Free Press
for the Catholic Television Network of Detroit and
apologized for Coughlin's comments:
"I'm very sorry he made those speeches, and I
think as we read them now and hear them, even
when they were being said, it was wrong," he said
on the program Dialogue, which will air 10 times
next month, beginning April 2.
"Even as we are enlightened, we've reflected on
what was said, we see that it just wasn't right. They
were anti-Semitic and I think that it's just not where
we're at today.
"Having said that, the relationships I now have ...
the Catholic Church has ... with the Jewish commu-
nity is a very good one," he said. "I would pray that
what happened in the '30s at the Shrine of the Little
Flower and the problems that has caused, the sensi-
tivities which just weren't right, I would pray that
somehow we would be over that and we just move
on and dialogue with one another."

Universal Themes

David Blewett, executive director of the Ecumenical
Institute for Jewish-Christian Studies in Southfield,
which is sponsoring the service, said the Holocaust
has a universal message.
"The Holocaust raises serious issues for all
Christians everywhere, not just for those who
were alive then or for members of the National
Shrine on the Little Flower. All of us Christians
need to confront issues such as complicity, indif-

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2001

10

Father Coughlin's photographic panel at the National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak.

Terence, apostasy, wrong theologies and outright
sinful behavior toward Jews and Judaism.
"These are not easy issues to deal with because
they touch on the very essence of what it means to
be a Christian today. They demand new ways of
thinking, reaching and preaching. The process of
rethinking is happening in much of the Christian
Church today, maybe not as fast as some of us
would wish, but it is happening, and it is happening
at the-National Shrine of the Little Flower."
As long as church leaders wrestle with Coughlin's
role in the larger community, and their response to
that, the Ecumenical Institute "will continue to sup-
port and help them while we continue our own
wrestling with issues raised by the Holocaust for
Christians, Jews and Christian-Jewish relations,"
Blewert added.
Donald Cohen, former director of the Anti-
Defamation League/Michigan Region, said Cardinal
Maida's condemnation of Coughlin's anti-Semitism
is welcome, but he still thinks the Shrine is the .
wrong place to hold a Holocaust memorial program

of any sort because of the photo exhibit.
The panel describing Coughlin states, in part:
"While his pastoral skills produced the splendid
Shrine, his political involvement and passionate rhet-
oric opened him to accusations of anti-Semitism."
Cohen said after a year of negotiating to change
the wording, "promises made were not kept by the
Shrine."
"While there was never question of the Catholic
Church condoning Coughlin, the Shrine still has
not come clean to face the anti-Semitism and fas-
cism espoused by Coughlin," Cohen said.
Ned McGrath, director of communication for the
Archdiocese of Detroit, said, "the interfaith service,
such as the one at Shrine parish this weekend, is part
of an ongoing dialogue — under way now for over a
decade — between and among Jewish and Catholic
leaders in the Detroit community.
"Thankfully, that dialogue continues to prosper,
albeit in the proper forum," he added. "Thar being
said, questions about specific individuals or publica-
tions or presentations are best kept in the spirit and

