Pope says Vatican helped save Italian Jews during war, doesn’t name Pope Pius
By APSunday, January 17, 2010
Pope says Vatican helped save Jews during war
ROME — Pope Benedict XVI has defended Vatican actions in the face of the Holocaust, saying the Holy See worked quietly to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis.
Benedict praised courageous actions by Catholics in Italy and elsewhere and said the Vatican “itself provided assistance, often in a hidden and discreet way.”
He did not name World War II Pope Pius XII, who some Jews and historians contend failed to speak out enough to save European Jews from the Nazi death camps.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
ROME (AP) — A Jewish leader has criticized World War II Pope Pius XII in a speech to Pope Benedict XVI, saying Pius’ “silence” in the face of the Holocaust “still hurts.”
Benedict is visiting Rome’s synagogue, where Jewish Community President Riccardo Pacifici offered praise for Catholics in Italy who sheltered Jews from the Nazis.
But Pacifici said that the “silence” of Pius “still hurts as a failed act.”
Many Jews object to Benedict moving Pius toward sainthood. The Vatican defends him, saying he used quiet diplomacy in efforts save European Jews.
