Pope to visit Auschwitz
Benedict XVI to visit Nazi death camp during Poland trip
A spokesman for the archbishop of Krakow, Stanislaw Dziwisz, told The Associated Press that Dziwisz had invited the German-born pontiff to visit the former Nazi death camp.
Dziwisz was the longtime aide to Benedict’s predecessor, Polish-born John Paul II, who prayed at Auschwitz during a visit to his homeland in 1979, where he asked forgiveness from the Jewish people and the victims of the Holocaust.
Benedict will also visit the former home of John Paul, which is owned by Israeli psychologist Ron Blamuth.
Blamuth has told Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth that he plans on converting the home, which belonged to his grandfather, Rabbi Yehiel, into an interfaith dialogue center.
Low profile
The Israeli government has decided to mark International Holocaust Memorial day in a low profile manner, and no state ceremonies will take place, in order to avoid undermining Israel's national Holocaust Memorial Day, marked throughout the country.
Itamar Eichner contributed to this report
