Could Jewish opposition to the beatification of Pope Pius XII lead to an increase in anti-Semitism among Catholics?
There is no way that Jewish opposition to the beatification of Pope Pius XII could lead to any increase in anti-Semitism among Catholics. As stated in the document on the Holocaust: To remember this terrible experience is to become fully conscious of the salutary warning it entails: the spoiled seeds of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism must never again be allowed to take root in any heart. One cannot be properly Catholic and be anti-Semitic at the same time. As Pius XI boldly proclaimed: We are all spiritual Semites. However, this ongoing campaign against Pius XII and the heated rhetoric it has engendered against the Church could have a negative impact on Catholic-Jewish relations. Beginning with the papacies of Pius XI and Pius XII, proceeding through the Vatican Council and Paul VI, great strides had been made in Catholic-Jewish relations. The papacy of John Paul II has seen one historic event after another, celebrating the Church s understanding that all Christians are spiritual Semit
