Movers and Shakers of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Robert Prantner

Tuesday, 2 September 2008

Robert Prantner

Dr. Robert Prantner - Lecturer at the Theological Seminary at the Heiligenkreuz Monastery; Member of Engelwerk, a Right-Wing Catholic organization; Director of Studies at the Political Academy of the Österreichische Volkspartei; Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the SMOM

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"The Zur Zeit weekly - which received a government subsidy to the tune of $80,000 last year - is close to the FPO, and has clear anti-Semitic tendencies. For instance, in 1997 a right-wing Catholic, Dr. Robert Prantner, wrote that the Jews should apologize for the crucifixion of Christ and for the so-called 'ritual murder' of Anderl von Rinn centuries ago. He then still held the exalted post of 'Extraordinary Envoy of the Knights of Malta.' He was, however, thereafter relieved of this position by the Order for 'reasons of health.'"

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"The Zur Zeit weekly - which received a government subsidy to the tune of $80,000 last year - is close to the FPO, and has clear anti-Semitic tendencies. For instance, in 1997 a right-wing Catholic, Dr. Robert Prantner, wrote that the Jews should apologize for the crucifixion of Christ and for the so-called 'ritual murder' of Anderl von Rinn centuries ago. He then still held the exalted post of 'Extraordinary Envoy of the Knights of Malta.' He was, however, thereafter relieved of this position by the Order for 'reasons of health.'"

http://www.jcpa.org/phas/phas-15.htm

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JEWISH GROUPS BLAST POPE'S PLANS: Jewish groups are outraged over Pope John Paul II's plans to meet Friday with a professor of theology who has accused the Jews of ritual murder.The pope's three-day visit to Austria was to include a meeting with the Vienna-based diplomatic corps, whose members include Dr. Robert Prantner, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the Knights of Malta. In a December 5 article in the Austrian publication ZUR ZEIT Prantner argued that rather than the Catholic Church apologizing to the Jews for centuries of antisemitism, the Jews should apologize for "their deplorable crimes ... against Catholic children like the holy martyr-child Anderl von Rinn, against adults in the days before Easter ... and for the blood of murdered Christians, spilled by Jewish hands, which cries to heaven, too." Efraim Zuroff, head of the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Israel office, said "this theologian, Prantner, is basically saying that the blood libel is true - we're in 1998 for God's sake! This is outrageous. This is taking us back to the Middle Ages." The blood libel accusing Jews of the ritual murder of Anderl von Rinn took place in the 17th century and was used to incite pogroms against the Jews. It was condemned in 1985 as a falsehood by Innsbruck Bishop Reinhold Stecher, who also banned pilgrimages to the Church of Rinn, which had become a shrine as the purported place of the ritual murder. (JERUSALEM POST)

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JEWISH GROUPS BLAST POPE'S PLANS: Jewish groups are outraged
over Pope John Paul II's plans to meet Friday with a professor of theology
who has accused the Jews of ritual murder.The pope's three-day visit to
Austria was to include a meeting with the Vienna-based diplomatic corps,
whose members include Dr. Robert Prantner, envoy extraordinary and
minister plenipotentiary of the Knights of Malta. In a December 5 article in
the Austrian publication ZUR ZEIT Prantner argued that rather than the
Catholic Church apologizing to the Jews for centuries of antisemitism, the
Jews should apologize for "their deplorable crimes ... against Catholic
children like the holy martyr-child Anderl von Rinn, against adults in the
days before Easter ... and for the blood of murdered Christians, spilled by
Jewish hands, which cries to heaven, too." Efraim Zuroff, head of the
Simon Wiesenthal Center's Israel office, said "this theologian, Prantner,
is basically saying that the blood libel is true - we're in 1998 for God's
sake! This is outrageous. This is taking us back to the Middle Ages." The
blood libel accusing Jews of the ritual murder of Anderl von Rinn took
place in the 17th century and was used to incite pogroms against the
Jews. It was condemned in 1985 as a falsehood by Innsbruck Bishop
Reinhold Stecher, who also banned pilgrimages to the Church of Rinn,
which had become a shrine as the purported place of the ritual murder.
(JERUSALEM POST)

http://philologos.org/bprdigests/1998/d062198i.htm

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Friday, June 19, 1998 25 Sivan 5758 The Jerusalem Post - Internet Edition Jewish groups blast pope's plans to meet antisemitic envoy By ELLI WOHLGELERNTER and KARL PFEIFER JERUSALEM (June 19) -- Jewish groups are outraged over Pope John Paul II's plans to meet today with a professor of theology who has accused the Jews of ritual murder. The pope's three-day visit to Austria is to include a meeting with the Vienna-based diplomatic corps, whose members include Dr. Robert Prantner, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the Knights of Malta. In a December 5 article in the Austrian publication Zur Zeit Prantner argued that rather than the Catholic Church apologizing to the Jews for centuries of antisemitism, the Jews should apologize for "their deplorable crimes... against Catholic children like the holy martyr-child Anderl von Rinn, against adults in the days before Easter... and for the blood of murdered Christians, spilled by Jewish hands, which cries to heaven, too." Efraim Zuroff, head of the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Israel office, said "this theologian, Prantner, is basically saying that the blood libel is true - we're in 1998 for God's sake! This is outrageous. This is taking us back to the Middle Ages. This guy is the antithesis of everything the present pope has worked on in terms of Catholic-Jewish relations and is a dark stain on the Austrian church unless this person is totally condemned by their leadership." The Knights of Malta is a Catholic lay order. While Prantner is not a diplomat, he is an employee of the Vatican, according to Rabbi David Rosen, director of the Israel office of the Anti-Defamation League. "The Knights of Malta is a lay order in which he serves as their ambassador," Rosen said, "and which still has status within the Catholic Church, and therefore it's certainly within the power of the Catholic Church to tell the Knights of Malta to clip this fellow's wings." Prantner was a lecturer at the theological seminary at the Heiligenkreuz monastery, a member of Engelwerk, a right-wing Catholic organization, and is a former director of studies at the political academy of the Oesterreichische Volkspartei. "He has some significant credentials within the Catholic Church," Rosen said. "In certain areas of academic specialization, as well as diplomatic representation, he might be perfectly competent. But that doesn't in any way detract from the fact that he has publicly on record made some of the most outrageous antisemitic comments - and has not been publicly chastised by either the local church or the Vatican, despite letters that we have sent to the headquarters of the Knights of Malta in Rome." The blood libel accusing Jews of the ritual murder of Anderl von Rinn took place in the 17th century and was used to incite pogroms against the Jews. It was condemned in 1985 as a falsehood by Innsbruck Bishop Reinhold Stecher, who also banned pilgrimages to the Church of Rinn, which had become a shrine as the purported place of the ritual murder.

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Friday, June 19, 1998 25 Sivan 5758
The Jerusalem Post - Internet Edition

Jewish groups blast pope's plans to meet
antisemitic envoy

By ELLI WOHLGELERNTER and KARL PFEIFER

JERUSALEM (June 19) -- Jewish groups are outraged
over Pope John Paul II's plans to meet today with
a professor of theology who has accused the Jews
of ritual murder.

The pope's three-day visit to Austria is to
include a meeting with the Vienna-based diplomatic
corps, whose members include Dr. Robert Prantner,
envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary
of the Knights of Malta.

In a December 5 article in the Austrian
publication Zur Zeit Prantner argued that rather
than the Catholic Church apologizing to the Jews
for centuries of antisemitism, the Jews should
apologize for "their deplorable crimes... against
Catholic children like the holy martyr-child
Anderl von Rinn, against adults in the days before
Easter... and for the blood of murdered
Christians, spilled by Jewish hands, which cries
to heaven, too."

Efraim Zuroff, head of the Simon Wiesenthal
Center's Israel office, said "this theologian,
Prantner, is basically saying that the blood libel
is true - we're in 1998 for God's sake! This is
outrageous. This is taking us back to the Middle
Ages. This guy is the antithesis of everything the
present pope has worked on in terms of
Catholic-Jewish relations and is a dark stain on
the Austrian church unless this person is totally
condemned by their leadership."

The Knights of Malta is a Catholic lay order.
While Prantner is not a diplomat, he is an
employee of the Vatican, according to Rabbi David
Rosen, director of the Israel office of the
Anti-Defamation League.

"The Knights of Malta is a lay order in which he
serves as their ambassador," Rosen said, "and
which still has status within the Catholic Church,
and therefore it's certainly within the power of
the Catholic Church to tell the Knights of Malta
to clip this fellow's wings."

Prantner was a lecturer at the theological
seminary at the Heiligenkreuz monastery, a member
of Engelwerk, a right-wing Catholic organization,
and is a former director of studies at the
political academy of the Oesterreichische
Volkspartei.

"He has some significant credentials within the
Catholic Church," Rosen said. "In certain areas of
academic specialization, as well as diplomatic
representation, he might be perfectly competent.
But that doesn't in any way detract from the fact
that he has publicly on record made some of the
most outrageous antisemitic comments - and has not
been publicly chastised by either the local church
or the Vatican, despite letters that we have sent
to the headquarters of the Knights of Malta in
Rome."

The blood libel accusing Jews of the ritual murder
of Anderl von Rinn took place in the 17th century
and was used to incite pogroms against the Jews.
It was condemned in 1985 as a falsehood by
Innsbruck Bishop Reinhold Stecher, who also banned
pilgrimages to the Church of Rinn, which had
become a shrine as the purported place of the
ritual murder.

http://www.hebroots.org/hebrootsarchive/9806/980622_e.html

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Specialized Bibliographies Bibliography of the Knights of St. John of the Hospital Compiled by Lynn Nelson [...] 145. Author: Prantner, Robert. Title: Malteserorden und Volkergemeinschaft / von Robert Prantner. Place: Berlin : Publisher: Duncker & Humblot, Date: [1974]