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Pope Benedict XVI at the crypt of Pius XII on the 50th anniversary of his death in the Vatican't Saint Peter's Basilica. (Reuters)
Last update - 23:09 23/10/2008
Israeli official weighs into row with Vatican over Nazi-era pope
By Adi Schwartz
Tags: Isaac Herzog, Pope Pius XII 

Cabinet minister Isaac Herzog declared his opposition on Wednesday to the proposed beatification of Pope Pius XII - a highly unusual move in the often delicate relationship between the Israeli government and the Vatican.

Pius served as pope during World War II, and many Jews believe that he could have saved thousands of lives had he publicly condemned the Holocaust instead of keeping silent.

"The intent to turn Pius XII into a saint is unacceptable," said Herzog, who in addition to his main job as social affairs minister is also in charge of Diaspora affairs, the fight against anti-Semitism and ties with Christian communities.
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"Throughout the period of the Holocaust, the Vatican knew very well what was happening in Europe," said Herzog in an exclusive interview with Haaretz. "Yet there is no evidence of any step being taken by the pope, as the stature of the Holy See should have mandated. The attempt to turn him into a saint is an exploitation of forgetfulness and lack of awareness. Instead of acting according to the biblical verse 'thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy neighbor,' the pope kept silent - and perhaps even worse."

Herzog was responding to reports that the Vatican plans to accelerate Pius' beautification process. Earlier this month, the current pope, Benedict XVI, said he hoped the process of declaring Pius "blessed" - the final stage before sainthood - would be successful.

Pius served as pope from 1939-58. His beatification process began in the 1960s, but has been repeatedly delayed by objections from Jewish groups. The Vatican claims that while Pius was afraid to speak out publicly, lest this lead to Nazi reprisals against Christians, he secretly saved thousands of Jews. However, it has consistently refused to open its archives for the years of Pius' papacy, making it impossible for scholars to verify this claim.

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  • French Jewish group: Pius XII sainthood would be blow to Catholic-Jewish relations
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      1.   Herzog is right 07:14  |  Carlo 23/10/08
      2.   Can we invest in holocaust futures? 07:32  |  Natallie Durson 23/10/08
      3.   The Thing Is... 07:54  |  Yosemite 23/10/08
      4.   Hidden truths 1933-1948 08:42  |  Josh 23/10/08
      5.   Pius was afraid 08:53  |  ron 23/10/08
      6.   Why Pius wasn`t pious 09:13  |  quotation acknowledg 23/10/08
      7.   Natallie Durson, an element of truth 10:30  |  Seymour 23/10/08
      8.   #2 Natallie Durson 10:40  |  Double Dutch 23/10/08
      9.   Re no 2 Natalie `Can we invest in holocaust futures` 10:40  |  Aron 23/10/08
      10.   Natallie I think you need a deposit of a human soul first 10:53  |  x-ray 23/10/08
      11.   Pius helped Nazis after the War 11:26  |  Dr. Jonathan Levy 23/10/08
      12.   Ball is in their court 11:44  |  Motic 23/10/08
      13.   vatican 11:57  |  HRM 23/10/08
      14.   Others who didn`t speak up... 12:55  |  Erastus CoupeDeVille 23/10/08
      15.   #13 HRM 13:03  |  Scott G 23/10/08
      16.   Don`t worry about it 13:05  |  Polyarmour 23/10/08
      17.   #14 conniving in evil doesn`t absolve you 13:12  |  Iz Ray Leigh 23/10/08
      18.   HERZOG RIGHT, POPE SHOULD RESIGN 13:19  |  Barry S. Roffman 23/10/08
      19.   can any pope divorce himself from the evil past 13:36  |  victor hardman 23/10/08
      20.   Official role liable to contradict historical truth 13:36  |  H.H.M. 23/10/08
      21.   a small caveat 13:42  |  potobac 23/10/08
      22.   #2 Natallie Durson 13:44  |  chelemer 23/10/08
      23.   # 18 Barry Rofman 13:54  |  H.H.M. 23/10/08
      24.   What is the big deal? 14:08  |  MIKE 23/10/08
      25.   Battle of Rome 14:24  |  joe Smith 23/10/08
      26.   Vatican, the house of horror, 14:29  |  ottomatik 23/10/08
      27.   Joe S,the Pope requested Moroccan troops under French command 14:42  |  Absolute Sweden 23/10/08
      28.   You`re making it easier... 14:59  |  Indiginous 23/10/08
      29.   To all those "pro pope" 15:10  |  Charles 23/10/08
      30.   Not just in Italy ... 15:14  |  Muslim 23/10/08
      31.   The "Nazi Pope" 15:17  |  Angel 23/10/08
      32.   Re: Others who didn`t speak up... 15:26  |  Angel 23/10/08
      33.   what is important is the present 15:30  |  sharon 23/10/08
      34.   Absolute 15:32  |  joe Smith 23/10/08
      35.   A FORMER MEMBER OF NAZI YOUTH AND POPE PIUS 15:49  |  indrajaya 23/10/08
      36.   Vatican lawsuit 15:50  |  Jonathan Levy 23/10/08
      37.   The Coward Pope 15:53  |  Peter 23/10/08
      38.   Beautiful! 15:55  |  curious george 23/10/08
      39.   Mr Herzog should study 15:57  |  Luisa Pomodoro 23/10/08
      40.   #24 It`s not an internal affair 16:08  |  Flavia 23/10/08
      41.   An clear edict was not possible 16:08  |  Luisa Pomodoro 23/10/08
      42.   Jewish Historians in Italy claim the Pope is not to be blamed 16:18  |  Ilsa 23/10/08
      43.   #13 try not to be naive 16:22  |  Flavia 23/10/08
      44.   #12 see the evidence? 16:27  |  Flavia 23/10/08
      45.   Pius 12 16:42  |  sam Needleman 23/10/08
      46.   Journalist Adi Schwartz - Papal archives not needed 16:58  |  Manny Goldstein 23/10/08
      47.   Curious George you have my permission to suffer 17:03  |  x-ray 23/10/08
      48.   Ilsa it`s true that others did as little but 17:05  |  x-ray 23/10/08
      49.   Re: Mr Herzog should study 17:10  |  Angel 23/10/08
      50.   Luisa, Ilsa, please 17:27  |  Flavia 23/10/08
      51.   Re: Beautiful! 17:37  |  Angel 23/10/08
      52.   #42 Ilsa - Kindertransport saved 10,000 17:39  |  Manny Goldstein 23/10/08
      53.   Forgiveness 17:51  |  Claudius 23/10/08
      54.   Indrayaja # 35 , the nazi youth 17:53  |  Charles 23/10/08
      55.   others than Chistians should not have any point of view on this 18:02  |  Normal person 23/10/08
      56.   Luisa Pomodoro 41 18:02  |  Charles 23/10/08
      57.   Needless to say 18:22  |  hollingsworth 23/10/08
      58.   Re: Forgiveness 18:35  |  Angel 23/10/08
      59.   Re: others than Chistians should not have any point of view on th 18:37  |  Angel 23/10/08
      60.   No War Criminal left behind 18:57  |  Dr. Levy 23/10/08
      61.   what the jewish rabis are doing for Christians? 19:29  |  To (dark) angel 23/10/08
      62.   A stout history of hypocracy 20:01  |  goldberg 23/10/08
      63.   Israel is a theocratic state 20:18  |  goldberg 23/10/08
      64.   #59 - they have a right to comment on the actions 20:22  |  Erastus CoupeDeVille 23/10/08
      65.   Re: what the jewish rabis are doing for Christians? 20:57  |  Angel 23/10/08
      66.   Re: A stout history of hypocracy 21:04  |  Angel 23/10/08
      67.   The Vatican failed and still doesn`t get it 21:09  |  Myles 23/10/08
      68.   Re: Comment No. 64 21:38  |  Angel 23/10/08
      69.   Any objections? 21:49  |  Shimon Cleopas 23/10/08
      70.   Re 57 Needless to say Hollingsworth 21:54  |  Aron 23/10/08
      71.   to dark angel 22:02  |  "Russia" 23/10/08
      72.   re: #32 NY Angel about Re: Others who didn`t speak up... 22:53  |  Queen Bee 23/10/08
      73.   Pope Pius 22:54  |  Tony Price 23/10/08
      74.   To Russia 22:55  |  Angel 23/10/08
      75.   myles 67 23:33  |  potobac 23/10/08
      76.   To Queen Bee 00:05  |  Angel 24/10/08
      77.   #4 my gosh what tosh from josh!! 00:11  |  victor hardman 24/10/08
      78.   to angel 00:16  |  curious george 24/10/08
      79.   Let he who is without sin cast the first stone 00:41  |  Nathan 24/10/08
      80.   Thousands of Nazis got Vatican passports 01:25  |  Seymour 24/10/08
      81.   Why do we not bomb Rome 01:48  |  H. G Welles 24/10/08
      82.   Download Crux Ansata 01:55  |  H.G. Welles 24/10/08
      83.   hollingsworth - "evenhanded, balanced view of Pius XII and the 02:06  |  17 24/10/08
      84.   To (dark) angel from Moscow 02:14  |  17 24/10/08
      85.   Re: Protobac/Myles 57 02:21  |  Angel 24/10/08
      86.   small wonder: Jesus himself was an antisemite 04:31  |  John 8 24/10/08
      87.   STUPID 05:13  |  PETER SM 24/10/08
      88.   NATALIE can we buy photos of Sheikh Al Husseini&his friend Hitler 05:18  |  PETER SM 24/10/08
      89.   Pius XII 05:20  |  Louis 24/10/08
      90.   Erastus 06:26  |  utagawa 24/10/08
      91.   Rabbis who blocked Herzl, Beatified? 14:02  |  John Isenhower 24/10/08
      92.   angel 85 16:24  |  potobac 24/10/08
      93.   Was Jesus an anti-semite? 20:38  |  hollingsworth 24/10/08
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