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Last update - 20:27 30/11/2008
Pope praises Nazi-era pontiff who Jews say turned blind eye to Holocaust
By Reuters
Tags: israel news 

Pope Benedict paid tribute on Sunday to Nazi-era pontiff Pius XII, who is at the center of a controversy with Jewish groups accusing him of turning a blind eye to the Holocaust.

The pope was giving mass at Rome's San Lorenzo basilica, which was partly destroyed by massive Allied bombing on July 19, 1943 that killed at least 3,000 people across the neighborhood. He said Pius had rushed to the scene to assist the victims.

"The generous gesture on that occasion by my venerable predecessor, who immediately ran to help and comfort the stricken population in the smoldering rubble, cannot be erased from historical memories," the Pope said in his homily.
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The Nazi-era pontiff, who ruled from 1939 until his death in 1958, has been accused by some Jews of inaction over the Holocaust during World War Two, a charge his supporters and the Vatican deny.

Several influential Jewish groups have called on Benedict to freeze the process that could one day make Pius a saint until more Vatican archives on the wartime period are opened, with one Italian Jewish leader saying that making Pius a saint before information is available would open a "wound difficult to heal."

At issue is whether Benedict should let Pius proceed on the road to sainthood - which Catholic supporters want - by signing a decree recognizing his "heroic virtues." This would clear the way for beatification, the last step before sainthood.

Benedict has so far not signed the decree - approved last year by the Vatican's department in charge of saints, opting instead for what the Vatican has called a period of reflection.

The Vatican says while Pius did not speak out against the Holocaust, he worked behind the scenes to help Jews because direct intervention would have worsened the situation by prompting retaliation by Hitler.

Related articles:
  • Pope to make rare visit to Israel in May, following months of Jewish-Catholic tension
  • Vatican: Jewish charges against Nazi-era pope are 'outrageous'
  • Jerusalem and Babylon / Should Pope Pius XII be made a saint? Leave that to the Vatican to decide
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      1.   Turning a blind eye 20:59  |  surreal 30/11/08
      2.   German Pope praises Hiltler`s Pope who did not recognise Israel 21:00  |  Liliane 30/11/08
      3.   Note to Liliane from the U.K. 21:10  |  Colin Wright 30/11/08
      4.   Pope/Vatican 22:51  |  Jewish Survivor 30/11/08
      5.   #3 to colin and the real perfidious albion 22:56  |  victor hardman 30/11/08
      6.   #3 to colin and the real perfidious albion 22:56  |  victor hardman 30/11/08
      7.   #3 to colin and the real perfidious albion 22:56  |  victor hardman 30/11/08
      8.   who cares pontiff is dead where he belongs 23:40  |  Dale 30/11/08
      9.   What I expect from a church is ... 00:46  |  Edith 01/12/08
      10.   The department of what? 01:01  |  Joan 01/12/08
      11.   Surreal 01:18  |  judith 01/12/08
      12.   # 4 joan 01:40  |  Axel 01/12/08
      13.   surreal is 100% correct 02:16  |  leven5 01/12/08
      14.   #2 Liliane. What`s Israel got to do with anything? 02:20  |  Maureen Ann 01/12/08
      15.   An internal church matter 02:25  |  Arie 01/12/08
      16.   Matters not foruniversal participation 03:06  |  David R. Zukerman 01/12/08
      17.   No. 10 Arie 03:17  |  David R. Zukerman 01/12/08
      18.   To Maureen Anne 03:26  |  Angel 01/12/08
      19.   The Pope`s shameless praise 03:34  |  Mike 01/12/08
      20.   the serving pope was a member of the Hitler Youth 06:01  |  zionist forever 01/12/08
      21.   hitler youth 09:37  |  jean la salle 01/12/08
      22.   The world remains out of step with Israel 09:50  |  Natallie Durson 01/12/08
      23.   #13 Angel (with wings?) 10:21  |  Maureen Ann 01/12/08
      24.   #7 Judith 10:35  |  Mike 01/12/08
      25.   Ratzinger = Nazinger 10:47  |  Ran 01/12/08
      26.   impious popes 11:16  |  papal bull 01/12/08
      27.   Some facts about Pope Pius 11:18  |  Ofer 01/12/08
      28.   ANTISEMITIC TRADITIONS 11:43  |  Alka Seltzer 01/12/08
      29.   joan 10 11:50  |  potobac 01/12/08
      30.   angel 18 11:56  |  potobac 01/12/08
      31.   ofer 12:00  |  potobac 01/12/08
      32.   potoboc why have you jailed over one million blacks 12:11  |  avi 01/12/08
      33.   To Potobac 12:55  |  Ofer 01/12/08
      34.   I agree with Joan from Vancouver 12:57  |  Edith 01/12/08
      35.   #4 I agree 13:03  |  Edith 01/12/08
      36.   avi 32 14:31  |  potobac 01/12/08
      37.   ofer 35 14:35  |  potobac 01/12/08
      38.   edith 34 14:39  |  potobac 01/12/08
      39.   Natallie Durson, Aristotle and Maimonides 15:48  |  Israeli cititzen 01/12/08
      40.   Can your read Maureen Anne? 16:21  |  Zelkha 01/12/08
      41.   Re: Maureen Anne 17:13  |  Angel 01/12/08
      42.   For once, Natalie Durson, we agree 17:40  |  Angel 01/12/08
      43.   Re: Protobac 17:48  |  Angel 01/12/08
      44.   OH, POOR POPE JOHN PAUL II 18:31  |  indrajaya 01/12/08
      45.   REFLECTION IS A POSITIVE STEP 19:29  |  B. Roffman 01/12/08
      46.   angel 42 19:44  |  potobac 01/12/08
      47.   So when is the Vatican going to open secret archives? 20:43  |  Bennie 01/12/08
      48.   #42 Angel 21:13  |  gearoid 01/12/08
      49.   Extrapolating? 21:26  |  Angel 01/12/08
      50.   Very funny 21:49  |  Gee 01/12/08
      51.   20 , Zionist forever , again this stupidity 22:08  |  Charles 01/12/08
      52.   Prove what you are saying 22:30  |  Tobia 01/12/08
      53.   Re: #48 Gearoid 22:30  |  Angel 01/12/08
      54.   #51 - POPE NOT 6 IN 1945! 22:38  |  B. Roffman 01/12/08
      55.   #28 Alka Seltzer 23:35  |  janet 01/12/08
      56.   Tobia--which mike, which # 23:40  |  mike 01/12/08
      57.   Should the Catholics be right... 23:53  |  Zev Chohen 01/12/08
      58.   The Pope 00:12  |  G. Ron 02/12/08
      59.   angel 49 00:17  |  potobac 02/12/08
      60.   To Colin Wright 00:19  |  G.Ron 02/12/08
      61.   #Zelkha and Angel. Poland was occupied by Hitler`s army 1939. 00:54  |  Maureen Ann 02/12/08
      62.   pope praises nazi-era pope 00:59  |  rich 02/12/08
      63.   22 01:21  |  I`m dirtsin too 02/12/08
      64.   vote for popesicola but not on yontiff for the pontiff 01:24  |  no argument 02/12/08
      65.   Re: Maureen Anne`s nonsense at #55 01:57  |  Angel 02/12/08
      66.   israel zolli chief rabbi of rome 03:00  |  Jean La Salle 02/12/08
      67.   #23 he did not do it on his own 03:42  |  Rab Burns 02/12/08
      68.   Which reminds me 03:44  |  Al khansa 02/12/08
      69.   #55 suffer 03:50  |  Rab Burns 02/12/08
      70.   To Maureen Ann 04:37  |  Danny 02/12/08
      71.   maureen ann-do you ever base writing on reality? 04:54  |  Arie 02/12/08
      72.   Zolli 04:56  |  Angel 02/12/08
      73.   Internal Church Matter 05:03  |  Scott G 02/12/08
      74.   The censor did not like it 05:12  |  Mark Lincoln 02/12/08
      75.   #59 Rab Burns. It must irk you to see what... 05:15  |  Maureen Ann 02/12/08
      76.   To Mark Lincoln 06:26  |  Angel 02/12/08
      77.   Daily portion of poison by Natallie Durson 06:34  |  Victor 02/12/08
      78.   Mark Lincoln: You acknowledge both were Hitler`s Popes 06:46  |  Bennie 02/12/08
      79.   #mureen anne 07:43  |  Zelkha 02/12/08
      80.   Angel @65 - There were millions 09:31  |  Chris 02/12/08
      81.   To: Chris in Warsaw 12:33  |  Angel 02/12/08
      82.   Re: Protobak 59 12:38  |  Angel 02/12/08
      83.   If the Pope really wants to set the record straight! 04:27  |  Shlomo 03/12/08
      84.   Claiming the authority of G-d 14:55  |  Isaac 03/12/08
      85.   Jews can veto the Second Coming 15:06  |  chelemer 03/12/08
      86.   Pius XII weak person 20:17  |  catholic 03/12/08
      87.   What was not behind the scenes... 08:25  |  Puregoldj 20/12/08
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