Rome  - A leading Italian Jewish religious leader has accused Pope Benedict XVI of moving to cancel "50-years" of work aimed at improving relations between Roman Catholics and Jews.

Elia Enrico Richetti, chief rabbi of Venice, made the remark in an article in which he explained the reasons why Italy's Jewish religious leaders intend to boycott an annual Church celebration of Judaism scheduled for Saturday.

In the op-ed piece, published in the Jesuit journal Popoli, Richetti referred to what he said were the pontiff's definition of "dialogue as unnecessary because in all cases one must bear witness to the superiority of the Christian faith".

The Vatican's top official for relations with Judaism, Cardinal Walter Kasper, on Wednesday denied the rabbi's allegations.

"Benedict has never said these things nor does he think them," Kasper told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. Richetti did not say in his article when or where the pope allegedly made the comments to which Richetti takes exception.

In Western society threatened by secularism it would be "better for those who share the same values not to divide," but rather meet in dialogue, Kasper said.

Richetti listed as the main reason for the boycott the reintroduction in 2009 of a Holy Week prayer for the conversion of the Jews.

A revised version of the prayer - expunged of terminology the Vatican thought may offend Jews - is contained in the church's Latin rite liturgy for Good Friday, which commemorates Jesus' crucifixion.

In an apparent attempt to appease traditionalist Catholics, Benedict in 2007 eased restrictions on the use of the Latin liturgy which, since the 1960s, has been universally replaced by liturgy in local languages.

However, while Benedict had removed the "most offensive" portions of the original Good Friday prayer, Italy's Jewish leaders regard the inclusion of any reference to the conversion of Jews as signalling "no respect for their identity," Richetti said. (dpa)