Pope's message marking start of WWII omits mention of Jews

Manciano, Italy -- Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II, Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday recalled the "tragedy of the Holocaust" and the deaths of "tens of millions" in the conflict.

Speaking at an outdoor Mass on Sunday in Viterbo, north of Rome, Benedict said: "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," he said.

Just days after Poland held ceremonies marking the German invasion across its border that started the war, Benedict singled out the war's Polish victims, but he did not specifically mention the Jewish victims other than to broadly refer to the Holocaust.

Benedict, an 83-year-old German, witnessed the World War II firsthand, describing himself as an unwilling enlistee in the Hitler Youth and later the German army.

He has decried totalitarianism and anti-Semitism many times over the years. But as pope he has been criticized by Jewish groups as being insensitive at times.

During his first trip to the Holy Land as pope in May, Benedict was harshly criticized by some Israelis for his remarks at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, where he did not mention Germany, the Nazis or his own experience of that time.

Benedict also came under fire earlier this year after he revoked the excommunication of four schismatic bishops, one of whom had denied the scope of the Holocaust.

The pope later denounced Holocaust denial, and in a rare personal letter explained that his decision to reinstate the bishops had been aimed at reconciliation within the church.

Rachel Donadio / New York Times