Mideast Peace Possible: Pope at Holy Sepulcher

40,000 join Benedict in Nazareth, Israel's largest Arab city

(AP) - Pope Benedict XVI celebrated mass today with 40,000 adoring followers in Jesus' hometown of Nazareth, the AP reports, where he urged Christian and Muslim residents to overcome recent strife and "reject the destructive power of hatred and prejudice." On the fourth day of his Holy Land pilgrimage, the pontiff traveled to Israel's largest Arab city, where the government tore down an unauthorized mosque near the Basilica of the Annunciation. More»

Played 'no role in his life,' says spokesman

(NEWSER) - Pope Benedict's chief spokesman baffled many yesterday by insisting that the pontiff had never been in the Hitler Youth group, despite the Pope's own biography saying he was a member, the Los Angeles Times reports. "The Pope was never in the Hitler Youth, never, never, never,'' Father Federico Lombardi said at a Jerusalem press conference. He later retracted his statement and stressed that the Pope was enrolled against his will and never supported the Nazi Party. More»

Religious, political leaders say pontiff didn't go far enough

(NEWSER) - Pope Benedict XVI yesterday disappointed Israelis hoping to hear a historic statement of regret for the Catholic church's conduct during the Holocaust, the Guardian reports. The pope, speaking at a remembrance service at Israel's official Holocaust memorial, spoke of the church's compassion for the victims and the need to remember them—but critics say he avoided mentioning specifics or expressing remorse. More»

Benedict meets with leading Muslim cleric after visit to Dome of the Rock

(AP) - Pope Benedict XVI began the second day of his Holy Land tour at one of the most contentious sites in the Arab-Israeli conflict: the Dome of the Rock, where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, and the adjacent Western Wall. The pontiff urged both sides to engage in "a sincere dialogue aimed at building a world of justice and peace," reports the AP. More»

(NEWSER) - Pope Benedict paid his respects at the Holocaust Memorial in Israel today, the BBC reports, declaring anti-Semitism “totally unacceptable” as he laid down his wreath. “May the names of these victims never perish,” he said. “May their suffering never be denied, belittled, or forgotten.” Before his speech, he shook hands with six Holocaust survivors, as Israeli leaders looked on. More»