By tradition or believe I am a catholic, as were my parents and they parents before them.

Supposedly, I should obey to the doctrine of the Vatican.  My conscience however, makes me a rebel of some of Pope’s ideas.  

Looking at the recent news about the Pope Benedict XVI intention of visiting Rome Synagogue, trying to close the gaps left in the friendship between the two religions, I could not resist in thinking of the way he has handled the matter in his papacy.

After a few blunders by His Holiness, Benedict XVI, in the Jewish matter, I was not surprised with his idea to bring the status of sainthood to the Pope Pius XII.

My question is: Does every pope needs to be made a saint?  I admit that I am not too versed in the Canonic laws and its matters.  I remember however, learning in Sunday school, that you need to be an extraordinary person, with a benevolent spirit of love and compaction towards your fellow man or do something special to became a saint. I don't see that in the pope Pius XII.

Let’s not forget that while some members of the Vatican were making deals with Nazi Germany or some clerics in Europe, were actualy denouncing Jewish people to the Nazi SS, the Vatican was looking to the other side and ignoring the all thing, as it seems.

The Pope Pius XII did not personaly pointed the finger to the victims, but by knowing what it was going on, he was guilty and sinning by association. His duty, was to rise from the pulpit and condemn the Nazi leaders, forced them to stop and denounce to the world what was going on. His weakness to rise, maybe because he was afraid of Nazi invasion or any other political reprisal, doesn’t justify his behavior.  Some people became saints by rising they voices to injustice, some even became martyrs by defending the lives of the oppressed.

It seems quite strange and even sacrilegious, to think of giving to the Pope Pius XII the status of sainthood. No wonder the Jewish Community feels it is a back step in the relations between the two religious. 

What happen to the humble request of forgiveness by the Pope John Paul II to the Jewish Community, on His trip to Israel, for the way the Vatican handled the matter with Nazi Germany? Doesn’t that say that the Vatican admitted that Pius XII made some horrible mistakes? Although only God knows who is a saint and who is not.  The Catholic Church should not forget history and its consequences.

I believe that the Pope Benedict XVI is a deep religious man and that he is trying to do his best to lead the Catholic Church, specially, in these difficult times. However he must think that, as a leader of such importance, he must be careful of what he says, what policies and what decisions he brings to his papacy, in a world not too much turned to God.