Pope puts wartime predecessor back on sainthood path

VATICAN CITY Dec 19 (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Saturday moved his controversial wartime predecessor Pope Pius XII further along on the road to Roman Catholic sainthood.

Jewish groups who have accused Pius of turning a blind eye to the Holocaust had asked the pope to freeze the process until more World War Two archives could be studied.

The pope approved a decree recognising Pius' "heroic virtues", meaning he will have the title "venerable". It puts Pius two steps away from eventual sainthood in the Church.