"It would have been unthinkable in a city like Cologne where there is the most ancient Jewish community and where during the second world war 11 thousand Jews lost their lives, for the Pope not to pay tribute. By this gesture Pope Benedict XVI underlined all the great steps made in the dialogue of his predecessor and his intention to continue along this journey with all his power and might". These were the words spoken by Cardinal Karl Lehmann, President of the German Bishops, commenting today to the journalists about the visit of the Holy Father to the Synagogue in Cologne. As regards the request by the Jews to open up the Vatican archives and their desire to deepen the assessment from a historical and theological point of view with regard to the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, Cardinal Lehmann underlined some themes, such as "assessment of the figure of Pope Pius Pio XII, the Church’s resistance against the holocaust, persistence of antisemitism in christianity". "Questions added the Cardinal on which there is still a great deal to be done". As regards the archives (the ones of the Congregation of Faith and the ones in the Vatican, of which a part has already been opened), the Cardinal explained that the Pope has certainly the intention "to go forward". Lehmann then spoke about the historical responsibilities of the Catholic Church towards the Jewish people during the Shoah. "We do not wish to apologise he said saying that there have been great examples of christians and catholics who saved millions of Jews from persecution. We do not want to say that the problem has been solved. This is an issue which will always persecute us and will also fall on the generations who have not experienced the war. The Pope has entrusted this task to us and to them. He said that never, never again will similar tragedies happen".
