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Article: Israeli minister blasts beatification of Pius IX.
- Article from:
- United Press International
- Article date:
- September 5, 2000
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 United Press International. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept. 3 (UPI)
Israeli's Minister for World Jewish Communities, Rabbi Michael Melchior, Sunday criticized the Vatican for beatifying Pope Pius IX, the leader of the Roman Catholic church during World War II and the Holocaust.
Melchior said Pope John XXIII, who was also beatified this weekend, was a "Righteous Gentile" who had risked his life to save Jews during the Nazi Holocaust. Melchior said that as Pope, John paved the way for "a genuine dialogue with the Jewish people."
However, he said, the beatification of Pius IX by Pope John Paul "is liable to be ...