Pope Benedict XVI has described his visit to the Holocaust memorial as an upsetting encounter with cruelty and senseless hatred.
The pontiff made his remarks in a Vatican speech Monday, just days after his decision to move the wartime Pope Pius XII closer to sainthood angered Jewish groups.
Benedict signed a decree Saturday on the virtues of Pius, who has been criticized for not doing enough to stop the Holocaust. The decree means Pius can be beatified once a miracle attributed to his intercession has been recognized. Beatification is the first major step before possible sainthood.
Special: Get Sarah Palin’s New Book – Incredible FREE Offer -- Click Here Now.
The pope said his May visit to the Yad Vashem, in Jerusalem, was "an upsetting encounter with the cruelty of human fault," and with "the hatred of a blind ideology."
© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.