World | Pope Benedict XVI Pope Recalls Holocaust Horrors, Forgets Jews Benedict XVI has testy relationship with Jewish community By Drew Nelles Posted Sep 6, 2009 5:12 PM CDT Copied Pope Benedict XVI, in white, visits the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Bagnoregio near Viterbo central Italy, Sunday Sept. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlo Ferraro, POOL) Pope Benedict XVI recognized the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II today by paying tribute to Poles and the “tragedy of the Holocaust,” but did not mention its Jewish victims, the New York Times reports. The omission may further strain relations between Jewish leaders and the pope, who once served in the Hitler Youth and has revoked the excommunication of a Holocaust-denying bishop. Benedict's words: “We cannot forget the major events that took place during one of the most terrible conflicts in history, that left tens of millions dead and provoked so much suffering for our beloved Polish people. It was conflict that saw the tragedy of the Holocaust and the extermination of so many other innocents.” Read These Next A White House press briefing got pretty heated Thursday. Democratic leaders sit out bid to impeach Trump. Venezuela responds to the US seizure of an oil tanker. Liam Neeson's reps have some PR spin to do over an anti-vax film. Report an error