Mormons Baptize Anne Frank

Member of church conducts ritual in Dominican Republic
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 22, 2012 2:52 PM CST
Mormons Baptize Anne Frank
A symbolic grave for Anne Frank is seen at the site of the Bergen-Belsen camp. Her body is actually buried somewhere in one of the camp's mass graves.   (Wikimedia/Reena)

The Mormon Church last weekend appears to have once again baptized Anne Frank, defying an agreement with Jewish leaders to refrain from posthumously baptizing Jews in general and Holocaust figures in particular. Former Mormon Church member Helen Radkey discovered the baptism on a Mormons-only database used to chart genealogy and submit names of dead people to be posthumously baptized, the Huffington Post reports.

This isn't the first time the church has tried to claim Frank—she's been submitted at least a dozen times before. But the attempts are especially egregious because Mormons had promised Jewish leaders they would confine such baptisms to their direct ancestors, and Frank had no children whatsoever. Mormons have attempted to baptize other Holocaust victims as well. The database recently, for instance, listed Elie Wiesel as "ready" for posthumous baptism, even though Wiesel is alive and has campaigned against the practice. (More Mormon stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X