I declared myself ready to forgive my enemies, and perhaps even to love them, but only when they showed certain signs of repentance, that is, when they ceased being enemies. In the opposite case, that of the enemy who remains an enemy, who perseveres in his desire to inflict suffering, it is certain that one must not forgive him: one can try to salvage him, one can (one must!) discuss with him, but it is our duty to judge him, not to forgive him.

Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive, as we had during the war. … And half of you already want to ask me, “I wonder how you'd feel about forgiving the Gestapo if you were a Pole or a Jew?” So do I. I wonder very much. … When you start mathematics you do not begin with the calculus; you begin with simple addition. In the same way, if we really want (but it all depends on really wanting) to learn how to forgive, perhaps we had better start with something easier than the Gestapo. One might start with forgiving one's husband or wife, or the nearest NCO, for something they have done or said in the last week. That will probably keep us busy for the moment.

Sometime the hating has to stop.