Pope to visit synagogue during US visit: US officials

0 Comments | AFP, April, 2008

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Pope Benedict XVI will visit a synagogue and hold a private meeting with Jewish leaders during his historic trip to the United States later this month, church officials announced Thursday.

Both meetings were added to the busy papal itinerary at the request of the Vatican, and are intended as a gesture of good will during the Jewish feast of Passover, the US Conference of Bishops (USCCB) said.

But a US-based Vatican observer insisted the last-minute additions during the April 15-20 trip were also an exercise in "damage control" by the pontiff, who has stirred some criticism from both Jewish and Muslim communities.

The German-born pope will meet with Jewish representatives after an inter-faith gathering at the John Paul II Cultural Center in...