'Hitler's Pope' Closer to Sainthood

Church helped Jews in 'hidden ways'

(NEWSER) - Pope Benedict yesterday defended the Vatican against criticism that it did little to challenge the Nazis during World War II, saying that the Catholic church helped Jews in "hidden" ways. "Unfortunately, many remained indifferent" to the suffering of the Jews, said the German pontiff. But the Vatican "itself provided assistance, often in a hidden and discreet way." His comments followed harsh criticism of the Vatican's silence during the Holocaust by the president of Rome's Jewish community, Riccardo Pacifici. More»

Benedict expected to beatify him this year

(NEWSER) - John Paul II's fast track to sainthood gets even faster this week. A Vatican panel has concluded that the former pontiff did indeed perform a miracle—a nun says her Parkinson's disappeared after she prayed to him—and will present its findings to Pope Benedict within days, reports Reuters . Benedict is expected to approve the miracle, then set a date for beatification later this year. That would bring John Paul one step from canonization, at which point he'll need either one more miracle or a waiver from Benedict. A Guardian columnist thinks the fast pace (it usually takes decades) is a mistake. More»

Jewish groups wanted Vatican to wait; John Paul II also 'venerable'

(NEWSER) - Pope Benedict has moved two of his predecessors one step closer to sainthood, including a wartime pope dogged by criticism that he did too little to stop the Holocaust. Benedict declared Pius XII and John Paul II to be "venerable," the first of three steps to sainthood. The latter was widely expected—John Paul died only four years ago, but he's being to be fast-tracked to the honor. Pius XII is a different story. More»

(AP) - A 19th-century Belgian priest who ministered to leprosy patients in Hawaii will be declared a saint October 11, the AP reports. In July, Pope Benedict XVI approved a miracle attributed to Rev. Damien de Veuster's intercession, declaring that a Honolulu woman's recovery in 1999 from terminal lung cancer was the miracle needed for him to be made a saint. De Veuster was beatified—a step toward sainthood—in 1995 by Pope John Paul II. More»

Papal trip comes as relations tense between Vatican, Israel

(NEWSER) - Pope Benedict XVI will visit Israel this May amid diplomatic tensions between the Vatican and the Jewish state, the New York Times reports. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert confirmed the visit today after the pontiff hinted at a trip last week. “We very much hope that the visit will be held in an appropriate atmosphere,” Olmert said. More»