Pope in Rome shul: Church saved Jews

ROME (JTA) – Pope Benedict XVI said church authorities played an active role in saving Jews during the Holocaust, though “often hidden and discreet” during a speech in Rome’s main synagogue.

“Despite a dramatic history, the unresolved problems, and the misunderstandings, it is our shared visions and common goals that should be given pride of place,” Rome’s chief rabbi Riccardo Di Segni said, speaking to a packed sanctuary.

In the weeks before the visit, Jewish-Catholic relations were strained by the pope’s decision to move World War II-era Pope Pius XII closer to sainthood. Critics accuse Pius of having turned a blind eye to Jewish suffering in the Shoah.

The president of the Italian Rabbinical assembly boycotted the papal synagogue visit in protest.

The pope did not mention Pius by name, but, recalling the horrors of the Holocaust, he praised Catholic individuals for saving Jewish lives. The pope was repeatedly applauded during his speech.