The Pope has indicated that he may open the Vatican archives… no, he will not be returning the Menorah or telling us where it is (the myth that won’t go away, and one I particularly enjoy)… these are archives from the Holocaust-era.
Basically, the Pope is willing to look at the activity of Pope Pius XXII and address the accusations that the Pope neglected the Jews during the Holocaust (or worse).
A rabbi friend of the Pope from Argentina believes the Pope will carry through with what he has intimated. Rabbi Skorka says that the Pope has said the same when he was a cardinal and will surely carry through with it.
It sounds like a good thing. I am just not sure what then. Will it be a shock to learn that the Catholic Church was behind, or at least supported, antisemitism and the murder of Jews? The Catholic Church was behind nearly two thousand years of antisemitism and murder of Jews. I am not sure what benefit can come of this. Maybe it will reveal the names of many of the young children who were taken in by the Church from Jewish families and have thought of themselves as Christians until today.. besides for that? just for historical perspective? I do not think there is much that can be revealed from this.
I commend the Pope for doing the right thing, but I don’t expect to be surprised by the results.
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