Jewish leader criticizes World War II pope (event: pope's visit to synagogue)

[demoleft]

Source: ap

ROME – 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.
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Several prominent Jews said they would boycott the visit, but applause greeted the pope as he arrived at the temple in the Old Jewish Ghetto, where for hundreds of years Jews were confined under the orders of a 16th century pope.
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The German-born Benedict, ahead of his meeting with Rome's Jewish community, said that "despite the problems and difficulties, you can breathe in a climate of great respect and dialogue among the believers of the two religions, testimony to how matured the relations are and to the common commitment to value that which unites us."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100117/ap_on_re_eu/eu_vatican_pope_jews

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the climate was good and the jewish leader said more than just reference to pius XII.
efforts on both sides to heal the wounds, apparently.
in the applause of the people there's a liberating desire for more unity and peace.

everybody's quite tired of tensions of any kind.