The Pope Visits The Shul

Pope Benedict traveled to Rome's synagogue in a historic visit where he asked for forgiveness for Christians and their antisemitism. The Popes visit was controversial based on the recent events of moving his predecessor Pius Xll closer to sainthood. Riccardo Pacifici, president of Rome’s Jewish community took a very hard line with the Pope and insisted that if the Vatican would open it's wartime archives historians could judge for themselves just how much Pop Pius really knew about the Nazis. The Vatican claimed it would do so, once the archives were cataloged but defended Pope Pius. the Vatican's stance is that Pope Pius  was afraid of backlash should he have publicly denounced the Nazis, instead opting to work behind the scenes to help the Jews.

Pope Orders Anti-Semitic Words Removed!

Pope Benedict XVI, plans to rewrite the Good Friday prayer. He will remove the negative text that refers to the "blindness" and "darkness" of the Jews and asking that they convert to Christianity. Certainly a step in the right direction towards keeping a good relationship with the Jewish community.

Jews Pay Pope a Visit...

Concerned with the growing Anti-Semitism in Europe and recent comments made by Polish Priest, Tadeusz Rydzyk the World Jewish Congress met up with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican. WJC President Ronald Lauder and Secretary-General Michael Schneider discussed the betterment of relations between Christian, Muslims and Jews.

A WJC statement said the group "called on the Pontiff to take action against those in the Church who wanted to do damage to the close and positive relationship between Christians and Jews".Lauder told Vatican officials during two days of meetings that statements by Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, a controversial broadcaster, "should not be tolerated anymore", the statement said. Jewish and other groups have accused Rydzyk of spreading anti-Semitism and meddling in politics.Rydzyk is the head of a powerful Catholic media empire, which includes Radio Maryja and television Trwam, watched and listened to by millions of Poles.

Pope: Angers Jews by reinstating old Mass...

Pope Benedict XVI got an earful from some Jewish groups after he allowed the old style of Latin mass to continue. The ADL was particularly upset about it because part of this prayer includes that Jews 'be delivered from their darkness' and converted to Catholicism. I'm certainly not surprised by this personally. I think anything a Pope does for Catholic-Jewish ties is all a show.