Vatican reassures Jews of its esteem

The Vatican acknowledged that some Jewish groups had expressed "disappointment" over the prayer Pope Benedict XVI revived from the old Latin rite that had historically been used as an excuse for violence and discrimination against Jews.

But it insisted that a landmark document of the Second Vatican Council continues to sustain bonds of esteem, love and cooperation between Catholics and Jews, and repudiates any form of anti-Semitism.

The pope will visit Manhattan's Park East synagogue during his April 15-20 visit to Washington and New York.

Benedict had revised the prayer to address Jewish fears, but some Jewish leaders said the changes did not go far enough. The revised prayer does remove some key words that Jews found particularly offensive in the earlier version, including a reference to their "blindness" and the need to "remove the veil from their hearts."