(AFP) — A Vatican representative on Tuesday expressed regret that some 15 Israeli archives do not allow access to documents relating to Pope Pius XII and his attitude during the Holocaust.
Walter Brandmuller, president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, one of the organisers of a meeting due to take place in Rome in November on the 50th anniversary of the death of Pius XII, cited in particular the World Jewish Congress.
"I do not understand some critics as most of the Vatican documentation is accessible... while others do not make their documents available," he told reporters at the Vatican.
Historians are demanding that they be allowed to freely consult all of the Vatican archives concerning World War II. Only parts are currently accessible.
According to Brandmuller, however, 15 Israeli archive collections keep documents to which they do not allow access.
Pius XII served as pope from 1939-1958 and his role during the war is viewed as controversial.
Many historians accuse him of staying silent and doing little to intervene during the Holocaust, when Nazi Germany killed some six million Jews in Europe. The Vatican however has highlighted Pius XII's efforts to shelter Jews during the occupation of Rome by Hitler's troops.
Pope Benedict XVI last December created a special panel to study the possible sainthood of Pius XII.
Vatican sources told one news agency the pope did not want to proceed and saw the creation of a special commission as the best way of postponing a decision.
The possible sainthood of Pius XII is a source of tension with Jewish organisations.
Walter Brandmuller, president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, one of the organisers of a meeting due to take place in Rome in November on the 50th anniversary of the death of Pius XII, cited in particular the World Jewish Congress.
"I do not understand some critics as most of the Vatican documentation is accessible... while others do not make their documents available," he told reporters at the Vatican.
Historians are demanding that they be allowed to freely consult all of the Vatican archives concerning World War II. Only parts are currently accessible.
According to Brandmuller, however, 15 Israeli archive collections keep documents to which they do not allow access.
Pius XII served as pope from 1939-1958 and his role during the war is viewed as controversial.
Many historians accuse him of staying silent and doing little to intervene during the Holocaust, when Nazi Germany killed some six million Jews in Europe. The Vatican however has highlighted Pius XII's efforts to shelter Jews during the occupation of Rome by Hitler's troops.
Pope Benedict XVI last December created a special panel to study the possible sainthood of Pius XII.
Vatican sources told one news agency the pope did not want to proceed and saw the creation of a special commission as the best way of postponing a decision.
The possible sainthood of Pius XII is a source of tension with Jewish organisations.
9 comments:
This is a bit more anti Catholic codswallop.The British Government in the same period behaved disgracefully,apart from a measly few children saved in the "kindertransport" they did next to nothing for european Jews,in fact they probably exacerbated the tragedy.
Non-stop raking over of Pope Pius's role during the war is a favourite ruse and it always has to be negative.
"What the Vatican did will be indelibly and eternally engraved in our hearts.... Priests and even high prelates did things that will forever be an honor to Catholicism.
—Former Chief Rabbi of Rome, Israel Zolli (Akin)
In the hidden chambers beneath Castelgandolfo there stands an enormous cross. Beautifully decorated, this cross was presented to Pope Pius XII at the end of World War II by the Jewish refugees whom he had hidden in all the rooms, cellars, and passages of his summer residence (Marchione 59). It is estimated that during the war twelve thousand refugees were given food and shelter there, and thirty-six children were born in the pope’s own private apartments (Brunelli)."
http://www.wf-f.org/06-3PiusXII.html
It is not particularly well known that the Chief Rabbi of Rome and his family became Catholics during this period as of course did the 13 year old future Cardinal Lustiger.
I get the impression that there are all sorts of people in all sorts of places who want to present the Catholic Church in the worst possible light and would hide evidence that spoilt that idea.
This is a complex debate because of the role of the allies in the period up to and including 1942. It will take centuries for Pius' name to be cleared because most of the West are convinced that the decision to go to war in 1939 was the correct one. All allied propaganda since then has sought to justify this fateful decision and uses the holocaust for ex post facto justification. Even Blair once publicly declared that the UK went to war to protect the Jewish people rather than "honour" a futile and stupid promise given by Chamberlain to the Poles in March 1939.
The only honest secularism to be found in Europe presently is the Eurovision song contest. That show represents what we are really like.
If the Americans pull out or lose interest in our continent we will be at war again within 20 years of their departure. Terry Wogan understands this
Sadie Vacantist.Do you mean without NATO we would be at each others throats in Europe ?
If it hadn't been for NATO a million Iraqis would still be alive.
If America had not intervened in Afghanistan Osama would not have been able to launch his fighters against New York.
Sadie, I take it that you reckon Hitler and his associates were OK guys? And presumably, you believe that the holocaust never happened and that the whole thing is just a story made up as part of the Jewish-Communist-Masonic conspiracy.
And the Apollo lunar landing was just a special-effects simulation.
Nick, I thought the Afghanistan campaign was after the attack on the twin towers of Mammon.
But I can't see how anyone can succeed in doing what the Soviets and the nineteenth century British failed to do.
The "Taliban" is an ideology and ideologies of that kind cannot be destroyed by military action. They have to be allowed to run their miserable course, and the more that outsiders interfere, the longer it will take.
It is a pity that our politicians do not understand this.
No Henry,the Mujaheddin led by Osama was armed to the teeth by the American War-Mongers to get rid of the Russians and then it got worse.
The same thing happened in Iraq when Saddam was to destroy Iran for chucking out the Pahlavi Stooge
Henry said...
Sadie, I take it that you reckon Hitler and his associates were OK guys?
Where in my post did I say Hitler was an "OK guy"? Your debate stopping rhetoric is typical of the mindset that seeks to condemn Pius in the first instance. It will also condemn Europe to another war if the Americans pull out.
Nickbris, what has the American presence in Mesapotamia got to do with this debate?
Only a fool would believe anything that the West has said about WWII and the events leading up to it.
The proposition is simple: the USA pulls out of Europe and another civil war will start.
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