Letter heals Vatican-Israel row

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has sent a letter to Pope Benedict in a bid to end a diplomatic row that became one of the biggest challenges to the new papacy.

The Vatican and Israel fell out over a papal address in July that condemned terrorist action in a handful of countries, but did not mention Israel by name.

Israel's Foreign Ministry swiftly denounced the omission, sparking a war of words that threatened to undermine decades of effort to repair Catholic-Jewish ties severely tested by the Holocaust.

"A letter from Sharon was delivered to the Vatican on August 23," a diplomatic source said yesterday. "There has been a reconciliation and the recent controversies are behind us."

Mr Sharon's letter, hand delivered to Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano by Israel's ambassador to the Holy See, Oded Ben Hur, marked a turning point, the source said.

"There has been a clarification and the incident is over," the source said.

Corriere della Sera newspaper, citing Israeli sources, said Mr Sharon admitted his government had reacted "too aggressively" while Cardinal Sodano said the omission was unintentional and admitted the Vatican could have been more sensitive.

"I'm pleased with the way things have turned out," the Holy See's ambassador to Israel Pietro Sambi was quoted as saying by Corriere. "The clarifications have been satisfactory."

The reconciliation will be sealed by a visit of two of Israel's leading rabbis to Pope Benedict on September 15, Corriere della Sera reported yesterday.

Pope Benedict has said he would "give priority" to an invitation from Mr Sharon to visit Israel.