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Last update - 10:41 17/12/2008
Italian MP says Vatican didn't do enough to help Jews in WWII
By Reuters
Tags: Israel News, Holocaust 

One of Italy's most prominent conservative leaders said on Tuesday the Roman Catholic Church did not do enough to oppose Fascist-era race laws under dictator Benito Mussolini.

"We must ask ourselves why Italian society wholly embraced the anti-Jewish legislation and why, beyond laudable exceptions, there were not demonstrations of real resistance. Not even, it hurts me to say, by the Catholic Church," said Gianfranco Fini.

Fini, himself a former Fascist, was speaking at an event marking the 70th anniversary of Mussolini's race laws.
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Introduced in 1938, the laws expelled Jews from public schools and offices and eventually led to the deportation of thousands to Nazi concentration camps.

Fini's remarks were challenged by Catholic scholars and reignited debate about the Vatican's wartime record.

Church scholars say Pope Pius XI opposed the race laws at the time and they also defend his successor, Pius XII, from accusations he turned a blind eye to the Holocaust.

"I can't see any reason to accuse the Church, which instead openly and firmly condemned the anti-Jewish legislation," said professor Agostino Giovagnoli at Catholic University.

He added that Pius XI, who died in 1939, gave public speeches against the race laws that "led in July 1938 to an open conflict with Mussolini".

Often the debate has involved Pius XII, who Jewish groups accuse of turning a blind eye to the Holocaust.

They are lobbying the Vatican to freeze his sainthood process even though Vatican officials say he worked silently behind the scenes and helped save many Jews.

Fini convinced his own party in the mid-1990s to dump neo-fascism and enter the mainstream of Italian politics. He has also visited Israel and the death camp at Auschwitz.

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  1.   What is Italy doing for oppressed palestinians today? 20:36  |  Aounist 16/12/08
  2.   Nobody Did 20:43  |  Yosemite 16/12/08
  3.   well done Fini 00:41  |  sWeis Melbourne 17/12/08
  4.   Forget About Vatican 01:24  |  Shimon Cleopas 17/12/08
  5.   God help us all if that pope`s behavior is considered as saintly 01:53  |  jesse 17/12/08
  6.   Vatican to Italian PM - Italy was a Nazi Ally During WWII 03:11  |  John Paul 17/12/08
  7.   Italy is not doing enough to help the oppressed palestinians 03:39  |  Aounist 17/12/08
  8.   to #5 Aounist 11:44  |  El_Justiciero 17/12/08
  9.   Fini has got a point 11:56  |  Mordechai Ron 17/12/08
  10.   #4 12:04  |  Rab Burns 17/12/08
  11.   Everyone of us has the right to live free and choose 12:15  |  Rami 17/12/08
  12.   to Aounist 12:23  |  Harry 17/12/08
  13.   For # 5. 12:28  |  David Nigel Braham 17/12/08
  14.   to#5 Italy dont help Pals because terrorist behavior 12:36  |  Claudio 17/12/08
  15.   It is the least you could say 13:13  |  Edith 17/12/08
  16.   #3 Jesse, I promise you that if ... 13:19  |  Edith 17/12/08
  17.   #4 John Paul 13:22  |  Edith 17/12/08
  18.   forget Vatican 14:54  |  Claudius Marin 17/12/08
  19.   My posting # 13 was meant for... 16:59  |  David Nigel Braham 17/12/08
  20.   Reply to #6 17:34  |  Joseph 17/12/08
  21.   Haaretz Italian MP 18:18  |  Victor 17/12/08
  22.   Eh, this is kind of strange 19:38  |  Magnus K. 17/12/08
  23.   #1 20:32  |  Jane 17/12/08
  24.   #1 what is Lebanon doing for oppressed palestinians today? 20:43  |  David K. 17/12/08
  25.   Re: 1938 Italian Race Laws 21:22  |  Ian Thal 17/12/08
  26.   Ya hadda be there 22:21  |  Colin Wright 17/12/08
  27.   Among the major myths of the Palestinians 00:05  |  Yaman Salahi 18/12/08
  28.   # 9 Mordechai 10:15  |  Yuhannon 18/12/08
  29.   RE: 24 03:38  |  Mr Popodopolous 19/01/09
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