Vatican opens archives to historians seeking clues to late Pope’s silence on Holocaust
- Scholars finally gain access to documents associated with World War II-era Pope Pius XII, who has been accused of failing to speak out against Hitler
- Pontiff’s defenders say he worked behind the scenes to save Jews prosecuted by Nazis, including opening doors of church premises to shelter them
The Vatican on Monday opened the archives of World War II-era Pope Pius XII, an event keenly awaited by historians looking for new insights into the Catholic Church's response to the Holocaust.
“We hope that the sources will give us answers to the central questions” surrounding Pius XII's actions, said Professor Hubert Wolf, a German church historian from the University of Muenster, before entering the archives.
Pius XII, whose papacy lasted from 1939 to 1958, is a highly controversial figure, as has been accused of showing indifference to the massacre of the Jews and of failing to speak out against Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
But his defenders say he should be credited for working behind the scenes to save those persecuted by the Nazis, including opening the doors of monasteries, convents and other church premises to shelter Jews.
“It is a question of world history: 6 million Jews died. Did the Pope stay silent? Or did he want to do more?” Wolf added later.