The Vatican has put the planned beatification of a French priest, the Rev. Leon Dehon, on hold after complaints about anti-Semitism in his writings emerged, a Vatican official said Friday.
Dehon, who founded the Sacred Heart of Jesus religious order, was supposed be beatified in a ceremony in St. Peter's Square on April 24. That ceremony was postponed because of the death of Pope John Paul II and the election of Pope Benedict XVI, who was formally installed as pope on April 24.
Rather than rescheduling the beatification, the Vatican formed a commission to study the Dehon case, effectively putting it on hold, a Vatican official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity since the case is "under study" and nothing official has yet emerged.
The move came after complaints in France emerged that some of Dehon's writings were anti-Semitic, according to reports in the French media.