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Pope to make rare visit to Israel in May, following months of Jewish-Catholic tension By Anshel Pfeffer Tags: pope benedict, Israel news  Pope Benedict XVI is set to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories in May 2009 after accepting an invitation by President Shimon Peres. The Vatican and Israel are said, thus, to hopefully end the high tension of recent months between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people over the initiative of canonizing Pope Pius XII. This visit, which would be the third visit of a pope to Israel since the establishment of the state, has not yet been officially confirmed. Peres met about two weeks ago with Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Antonio Franco, the pope's envoy to Israel. Franco told the president that Benedict would respond positively to an invitation from Israel. The president sent the invitation, and a positive response was indeed reportedly received. Advertisement Since the visit has not yet been publicly confirmed, no preparations are underway in the Foreign Ministry or the Vatican. However, the Pope's arrival is apparently planned for the second week of May. The tension began after calls came by ultra-conservatives at the Vatican to expedite canonization on the 50th anniversary of Pius' death. The process began during the time of the previous pope, John Paul II, but both he and the present pope were aware of the harsh criticism such a move could engender in the Jewish world, which accuses Pius XII of remaining silent and not protesting the extermination of European Jewry during the Holocaust. The debate was fanned by the Jesuit Father Peter Gumpel, who said a month ago that the pope would not visit Israel until a change was made in the caption to two pictures of Pius XII in the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum, which state that Pius' response to the murder of Jews during the Holocaust is controversial. The captions also state that when Jews were deported from Rome to Auschwitz, Pius did not intervene. The caption caused a diplomatic storm in the past when the papal nuncio threatened to boycott the Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at Yad Vashem in protest over the caption, although he did attend the ceremony. The Vatican has since distanced itself from Gumpel's statements. Pope Benedict's spokesman said the caption is not a factor in his decision on whether to visit Israel or not. Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog also contributed to the dispute when he told Haaretz a month ago that Pius' canonization was "unacceptable." The Vatican demanded that Herzog apologize for the statement. However, Benedict praised Pius' actions during the Holocaust and criticized historians who said he did not help to save Jews. In a meeting a few weeks ago with Jewish leaders, Benedict was asked to delay the canonization process until all the documents in the Vatican archives involving the period of the Holocaust were released, a process that is expected to take about another seven years. The pope told the delegation he was "seriously considering" the matter. In other meetings at the Vatican, understandings were obtained that the canonization process would not be rushed. Another source of tension between Jews and the Vatican was Benedict' decision to bring back the ancient Latin mass which calls for the Jews to recognize Jesus. Following Jewish protests and the announcement by Italy's Jewish community that they were severing ties with the Vatican, a representative of the pope said the verse in question was a wish, and not a call on Catholics to missionize among Jews. The pope is also expected to visit the Palestinian Authority, apparently in Bethlehem. This could be one of the diplomatic obstacles of the visit because of the legal ambiguity of the PA's presidency in light of the struggle between Fatah and Hamas. Another stumbling block could be a papal visit to Yad Vashem because of the controversial captions. This matter might be resolved by having Benedict visit only the monuments at Yad Vashem, not the museum. Rabbi David Rosen, head of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations said of the expected visit: "If the information is correct, I am sure the pope will be warmly received by Israel's leaders and its people." The President's Residence declined to comment on the report. The secretary of the Apostolic Nuncio's office in Israel said he could neither confirm nor deny the report. Pope Paul VI visited Israel in 1964, even before the Vatican recognized the state. In 2000, Pope John Paul II visited the country. Bookmark to del.icio.us   'Unfair Gaza probe' Peres tells Ban that Israel will never accept UN's conclusions on its Gaza war conduct. Arab fears on Iran U.S. allies in the Gulf are worried over Obama's diplomatic overtures to Tehran.   1.   What now were importing religious nut cases 08:44  |  SJ 27/11/08   2.   A Sincere Welcome 11:54  |  guy 27/11/08   3.   Who opposed the holocaust? 12:03  |  Anonymous 27/11/08   4.   Of course nr. 3 is right too 12:41  |  Edith 27/11/08   5.   No Need to be Browbeaten 13:15  |  Makevet 27/11/08   6.   Pilgrimage 15:14  |  Anthony 27/11/08   7.   #4 - Pilgrimage my donkey! 16:03  |  nonecumenical 27/11/08   8.   Pope Visit 17:12  |  Sk 27/11/08   9.   Pope Pius XII 17:58  |  Robert 27/11/08   10.   Pope Pius XII 18:59  |  US CITIZEN 27/11/08   11.   More appeasement 19:14  |  Arie 27/11/08   12.   Pope to make rare visit to Israel 20:18  |  Harry 27/11/08   13.   CANONIZATION OF PIUX XII 20:28  |  BARBARA PELLICANE 27/11/08   14.   Historic Offense or current offense 21:24  |  SJR 27/11/08   15.   Pius X11 21:29  |  Fred 27/11/08   16.   Canozation of Pius XII 21:31  |  MM 27/11/08   17.   #13 21:47  |  Anthony 27/11/08   18.   The Vatican 21:59  |  Marc Tanen 27/11/08   19.   # US citizen 22:01  |  Edith 27/11/08   20.   @ Last the Pope Comes to Israel, He must try the Schwarma ***** 22:12  |  dp 27/11/08   21.   PLEASE STAY AWAY - WE REALLY DON`T NEED YOU HERE 22:20  |  Sid 27/11/08   22.   DEAR POPE - PLEASE MAKE SURE TO VISIT THE ICEJ - TALK TO MALCOM H 22:39  |  ANDREW 27/11/08   23.   Pope with nazi past 22:40  |  menachem 27/11/08   24.   Why antagonize everyone? 22:45  |  John 27/11/08   25.   To all Jews who oppose the beatification of Piux XII 22:47  |  Vernon 27/11/08   26.   Go have another drink Babs 23:16  |  ripped born again 27/11/08   27.   Stop the non-sense! 23:31  |  Angel 27/11/08   28.   #20 00:35  |  Anthony 28/11/08   29.   HITLERS POPE by John Cornwell 00:37  |  vogel 28/11/08   30.   Sid 21 00:37  |  Anthony 28/11/08   31.   Andrew 22 00:39  |  Anthony 28/11/08   32.   Pope Visit Shawarma, Humus, Gefilte Fish 01:08  |  Ilsa 28/11/08   33.   Pope Pius 01:14  |  David A. 28/11/08   34.   David 03:14  |  Anthony 28/11/08   35.   makevet 5 03:57  |  potobac 28/11/08   36.   #25 05:57  |  David Zukerman 28/11/08   37.   If Pius XII made a Saint break relations 07:49  |  Liliane 28/11/08   38.   Paul the second 11:10  |  sWeis Melbourne 28/11/08   39.   liliane 37 12:01  |  potobac 28/11/08   40.   #35 Potomac 16:12  |  Makevet 28/11/08   41.   #37 German Pope making Hitler`s Pope a Saint 17:17  |  Elly 28/11/08   42.   Interference in another`s religion 17:44  |  Sarah 28/11/08   43.   pope visit may 18:17  |  rich 28/11/08   44.   #40 Hateful antisemitic prayers are OK 18:48  |  Albert 28/11/08   45.   Pope Pius XII 19:41  |  Domingo 28/11/08   46.   Pope Pius XII` s stand on holocaust 19:52  |  Kathleen 28/11/08   47.   Pope Pius XII` s stand on holocaust 21:03  |  Domingo 28/11/08   48.   Pius XII once honored by Jews but name smeared by KGB 21:16  |  Carney 28/11/08   49.   `spitting problem` of devout jews 21:19  |  erschel rivkin 28/11/08   50.   Pope Pius XII 23:12  |  Larry McKinney 28/11/08   51.   Nut cases?? 02:27  |  SMP65 29/11/08   52.   Cornwell`s Hitler Pope 04:06  |  FW1952 29/11/08   53.   Jews` Views on Pius XII (Part 1) 05:11  |  Abraham 29/11/08   54.   Jews` Views on Pius XII (Part 2) 05:19  |  Abraham 29/11/08   55.   Pius XII`s Christmas Message 1942 05:29  |  Abraham 29/11/08   56.   Nazi View of Pius XII Christmas Message 1942 05:30  |  Abraham 29/11/08   57.   Pope in Hitler 07:30  |  C D Rossini Jr. 29/11/08   58.   israeli media is really unafraid 08:36  |  henry carter 29/11/08   59.   Pius XII 09:45  |  Andrew C. 29/11/08   60.   Andrew C #59 15:26  |  Brod 29/11/08   61.   HEY ANTHONY - WHO MADE YOU FALAFAL & SCHWARMA POLICE CAPTAIN? 19:55  |  dp 29/11/08   62.   makevet 04:30  |  potobac 30/11/08   63.   #62 Potomac 07:45  |  Makevet 30/11/08   64.   # 41 elly 18:38  |  Axel 30/11/08   65.   Pope defends Nazi blind Pope 22:19  |  bob 30/11/08   66.   Pius X11 10:38  |  Joe 31/01/09

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