Pope visits Roman synagogue and gets an earfull

Pope Benedict XVI visited the synagogue of Rome on January 17; he had already attended synagogues in New York and his native Germany. Following a welcome from the rabbi, the pontiff begged Christians and Jews “to come together to strengthen the bonds which unite us and to continue travel together along the path of reconciliation and fraternity.” Referring to National Socialist Germany, the pope said that the 20th century had been a “tragic period for humanity: ferocious wars that sowed destruction, death and suffering like never before, frightening ideologies rooted in the idolatry of man, of race and of the state, which led to brother killing brother”.

The pope added, however, that “many, including Italian Catholics, reacted with courage ... opening their arms to assist the Jewish fugitives who were being hunted down and earning perennial gratitude. The Apostolic See itself provided assistance, often in a hidden and discreet way”.

Pope Benedict referred to his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who “wanted to make a decisive contribution to strengthening the good relations between our two communities, so as to overcome every misconception and prejudice”. He added, “My visit forms a part of the journey already begun, to confirm and deepen it.”
The Pope was met by Riccardo Di Segni, the Chief Rabbi of Rome. Rabbi Di Segni said that “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”.

Fifteen survivors of the Nazi camps attended the ceremony in Rome’s main synagogue but others boycotted it, condemning Pius for failing to raise his voice in defense of “our brothers who were sent to the ovens of Auschwitz” and angry at Benedict’s recent confirmation of his “heroic virtues” — a step toward his beatification.

One of the speakers, Riccardo Pacifici, the head of the Jewish community, said in a welcoming address that he respected those who boycotted the Pope’s visit. He added that “the silence of Pius XII before the Shoah [Holocaust]” remained painful. Said Pacifici “Perhaps he could not have stopped the trains of death, but he could have sent a signal, a word of extreme comfort, of human solidarity for those of our brothers who were sent to the ovens of Auschwitz.”

Before the Second World War, the Jewish community in Rome lived in relative peace under dictator Benito Mussolini until, in 1938, he introduced the Manifesto of Race - a set of anti-Semitic laws that stripped Jews of Italian citizenship. Critics say that Pope Pius XII sent a letter to Mussolini protesting against the policy but did little else. Following the admission of Nazi military into the Italian peninsula, the Germans entered Rome in 1943 and soon began searching homes for Jews. About 4,000 Jews were given sanctuary in monasteries, while 477 were allowed into the Vatican City. The Germans rounded up 1,015 of the city’s 6,700 Jews and sent them to death camps. Elsewhere in Europe, Catholic priests and religious and some laity took in Jews and gave them shelter despite Nazi reprisals.