'Holy all the time.' Peres
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Pope Benedict XVI
Photo: AP
Peres urges Pope Benedict XVI to visit
President says Yad Vashem allegations that wartime Pope did not act to save Jews from Nazi genocide should not put off present pontiff's visit to Holy Land
Israeli President Shimon Peres urged the Vatican on Sunday not to let a contentious reference to World War II Pope Pius XII put off a visit to the Holy Land by the present pontiff.
Wartime Pope
Anat Shalev
As Vatican fights for beatification of WWII pope, cardinal announces Holy See won't visit Israel until inscription asserting Pius XII ignored Holocaust during war is removed
A caption accompanying a photograph on display at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial alleges the wartime Pope did not act to save Jews from the Nazi genocide.
A Catholic official promoting the cause which could lead to sainthood for Pius said the caption was an obstacle to a visit by Pope Benedict XVI, but a spokesman for Benedict said that the spat is not standing in the way of a visit.
Peres told reporters that the issue should not be a barrier.
"The visit to the holy country (has) nothing to do with anger or disputes," Peres said. "It's holy all the time, it's holy for all of us."
