Saturday, February 25, 2012

Anne Frank 'Posthumously Baptised as a Mormon'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Anne Frank, one of the most revered victims of the Holocaust, was posthumously baptised by the Mormon church, according a researcher examining the church's proxy records.

The allegations come just a week after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints apologised when it was brought to light that the parents of Holocaust survivor and Jewish rights advocate Simon Wiesenthal were posthumously baptised by church members at temples in Arizona and Utah in late January.

Mormon researcher Helen Radkey, who revealed the Wiesenthal baptisms, said this week she found Anne Frank's name in proxy baptism records dated Feb 18, showing the ritual was performed in the Santo Domingo Temple in the Dominican Republic.

The Mormon church almost immediately issued a statement, though it didn't mention Frank by name.

"The Church keeps its word and is absolutely firm in its commitment to not accept the names of Holocaust victims for proxy baptism," the Salt Lake City-based church said. "It is distressing when an individual wilfully violates the Church's policy and something that should be understood to be an offering based on love and respect becomes a source of contention." » | AP | Friday, February 24, 2012