Pope Benedict XVI has created a special panel to study the possible sainthood of a predecessor, Pius XII, accused of being apathetic to the fate of Jews during the Nazi era, a report said Tuesday. "The pope does not want to sign and intends to keep a close watch over this sensitive issue," a Vatican source told I-media news agency, which specializes in coverage of the Holy See.
"The best way to postpone a decision is to create a special commission."
The source said the beatification of Pius XII (1939-1958) "could cause a lot of turbulence at a time when relations with the Hebrew state remain tense."
On Monday, the Vatican urged Israel to send out the "positive signals" the pope needs to pave the way for an historic visit to the Holy Land.
Israel and the Vatican have been in negotiations since 2004, following a 10-year hiatus, over a bilateral accord on the legal and financial status of the Roman Catholic Church in Israel.
In September, Israel's President Shimon Peres indicated after a private audience that the pontiff could make the journey in 2008, but chief Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said obstacles remain.
"The conditions for a papal visit, specifically the pacification of the situation in the region and the sending of positive signals by Israel in these bilateral negotiations, are not yet in place," said Lombardi.
Pius XII, who served as pope from 1939-1958, took a step towards beatification on May 8 when the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved a statement of the candidate's "virtues".
The pope authorized recognition of the "heroic virtues" of several people on Monday, but Pius XII was not among them.
Many historians accuse the wartime pope of being silent and doing little to intervene during the Holocaust.
The Vatican, however, has highlighted his efforts to shelter Jews during the occupation of Rome by Hitler's troops.
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