The changing nature of the commemorations of international Holocaust Memorial Day on Jan. 27 — including discussion of other genocides and attempts by Arab groups to highlight the plight of the Palestinians — reflects the changing times.
While sparring between the Jewish community and the Vatican over beatification of the Holocaust-era Pope Pius XII cast a shadow over Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Rome’s main synagogue, the visit was marked by an effort to mend ties and reaffirm the Vatican’s commitment to Christian-Jewish dialogue.
