A condemnation of the "unprecedented crime" of the Holocaust by Pope Benedict XVI during his visit on Friday to a synagogue in Germany has brought praise and an appeal for further action from Italy’s Jewish community.

Amos Luzzatto, president of the body that represents the some 30,000 Italian Jews, welcomed the pope’s statement and asked for "concrete measures"
against anti-Semitism.

"The intervention by the pope represents a radical new step for Jews in Europe," Luzzatto said.

At a synagogue in Cologne, the pope said that the extermination of some six million Jews by Nazi Germany was an "unprecedented crime that had until then been unimaginable".

After his predecessor John Paul II’s historic visit to a synagogue in Rome in 1986, Benedict XVI has become only the second pope to enter a synagogue in modern history.

Luzzatto said that he was equally pleased by the pope’s call for "vigilance" against "new signs of anti-Semitism".

"It is now a question of (Jews and Catholics) acting together on concrete measures," Luzzatto said.

European Jewish Congress praises Pope

The pope’s synagogue visit and speech, made on the occasion of World Youth Day, came nearly a month after an spat with Israeli political authorities after the pope left out a mention of Israel when listing countries hit by terrorism.

The Paris-based European Jewish Congress saluted Pope Benedict XVI on his landmark visit to Cologne’s synagogue and commended him for promising to continue down his predecessor’s path through increased Jewish-Catholic relations.

The EJC stressed that Pope Benedict XVI has already proved himself to be committed to adding on the strong foundation Pope John Paul II built in Judeo-Catholic relations. “He has already suspended the planned beatification of a French priest accused of 19th century anti-Semitic writings,” an EJC spokesman added.

The EJC having already organized two Judeo-Catholic seminars in Paris, attended by Vatican official, Jewish leaders and European politicians, said it “welcomes the Pope’s efforts and looks forward to further interr-eligious dialogue with the Catholic church.”