Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to cancel a trip to Israel shines new light on a growing controversy over whether the late Pope Pius XII should be beatified. The current pope has voiced support for beatification, but has put that plan on hold since Pope Pius has come under heavy criticism for doing too little to save Jews during the second world war. A very direct charge against Pope Pius and his failure to aid the Jews is found in Israel’s Yad Vashem museum, which commemorates the Holocaust. The Vatican has expressed its displeasure about a particular exhibit in the museum, and a papal official says it was linked to the trip cancellation. Other Vatican officials say the matter is more complicated than a caption on a museum’s wall. Israel, which has noted Pope Pius’ ‘controversial historical role’ has urged Pope Benedict to visit despite the controversy. Emotions run deep on both sides of the issue. Pope Benedict has contended that Pope Pius helped Jews in the face of Nazi and Fascist threats in a ‘secret and silent way,’ in part to avoid making their situation worse. Pope Pius has other supporters as well. As The Times reported: […]