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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 5 March 2019

Pope: Vatican next year to open archives on wartime Pius XII

By FRANCES D’EMILIO can archives “particularly could to save lives during
Associated Press important in these days of World War II.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — De- ongoing anti-Semitic at- In New York, Rabbi David
claring that the church tacks, the rewriting of his- Rosen, the international di-
“isn’t afraid of history,” tory and attempts to deny rector for interreligious af-
Pope Francis said Monday the Holocaust.” fairs at the American Jew-
he has decided to open Rabbi Arthur Schneier, a ish Committee, called Fran-
up the Vatican archives on Holocaust survivor who has cis’ decision “enormously
World War II-era Pope Pius led a New York synagogue important to Catholic-Jew-
XII, who has been criticized in New York since 1992 and ish relations.”
by Jews of staying silent on received a papal knight- “It is particularly important
the Holocaust and not do- hood four years ago for that experts from the lead-
ing enough to save lives. his activism promoting re- ing Holocaust memorial
Describing that criticism ligious freedom, said “the institutes in Israel and the
as fruit of “some prejudice archives will reveal what United States objectively
or exaggeration,” Francis Pope Francis delivers his speech during a Mass in the St. Crispino was done and what could evaluate as best as pos-
told officials and personnel parish church, in the Labaro neighborhood, Rome, Sunday, have been done in the sible the historical record of
of the Vatican Secret Ar- March 3, 2019. face of Nazi tyranny, par- that most terrible of times
chives that the documen- Associated Press ticularly the persecution of — to acknowledge both
tation would be open to locaust survivors are still save lives. the Jews that led to the Ho- the failures as well as the
researchers starting March alive. Eugenio Pacelli, the future locaust.” valiant efforts made during
2, 2020. “The church isn’t afraid of Pius XII, gained diplomatic The archives “might also be the period of the systemat-
The move could speed up history,” Francis told the ar- experience in the period a useful instrument on how ic murder of 6 million Jews,”
Pius’ path to possible saint- chive staff. following World War I, serv- to deal with dictators of our Rosen said.
hood, a complex process He said the Pius papacy in- ing the Holy See in postings day who disregard human Monsignor Sergio Pagano,
that in Pius’ case bore the cluded “moments of grave in Munich and Berlin in Ger- life, human rights and inflict in charge of the Vatican
weight of questions of what difficulties, tormented deci- many. suffering on their people,” Secret Archive referred in
he knew and did about sions of human and Chris- In Jerusalem, the Yad Vash- said Schneier, who heads comments Monday to the
Nazi Germany’s systematic tian prudence, that to em Holocaust memorial the Appeal of Conscience thousands and thousands
killing of Europe’s Jews. some could appear as reti- commended Francis’ deci- Foundation, which advo- of files, letters and other
Pius was elected pope on cence.” sion, expressing the expec- cates for religious freedom material to be made avail-
March 2, 1939, six months Instead, Francis said, they tation that “researchers will and human rights. able.
before World War II erupt- could be seen as attempts be granted full access to Vatican archivists had al- Writing in Vatican news-
ed in Europe. He died on “to keep lit, in the darkest all the documents stored in ready started preparing paper L’Osservatore Ro-
Oct. 9, 1958, at the Vatican and cruelest periods, the the archives.” the documentation for mano Monday, Pagano
summer residence at Cas- flame of humanitarian ini- Those hailing the decision consultation back in 2006, said the archives “spoke,
tel Gandolfo, near Rome. tiatives, of hidden but ac- to open the archives also at the behest of Francis’ speak, and, I hope, will
The Vatican usually waits tive diplomacy” aimed at saw usefulness in dealing German-born predecessor, speak to researchers and
70 years after the end of a possibly “opening hearts.” with present challenges of Benedict XVI. to historians of an almost
pontificate to open up the Francis words appeared to anti-Semitism and religious For decades, Jewish ad- superhuman work of Chris-
relevant archives. But the echo the long-held Vati- persecution and not just vocates had lobbied for tian humanism” amid mid-
Holy See has been under can defense of Pius which deepening understanding access to the documen- 20th century events “that
pressure to make the Pius maintains that the Italian of the past. tation to help answer the seemed determine to an-
XII documentation avail- pontiff used behind-the- Israeli President Reuven Riv- long-standing question nihilate the very notion of
able sooner and while Ho- scenes diplomacy to try to lin called opening the Vati- of whether Pius did all he human civilization.”q