As has been widely reported, in early March, the Vatican announced it would shortly allow access to the wartime files of Pope Pius XII to enable scholars to professionally explore his failure to denounce Hitler and the Holocaust, a matter of continuing controversy.
Over the years, Pius has been attacked by some as being insensitive to the plight of the Jews and defended by others who claimed, rather incongruously, that he was either not fully informed of what was going on or did what he had to do to protect the Church and European Catholics and save as many Jews as he could under the radar. All of this, mind you, while completely vulnerable to an all-powerful homicidal maniac.
Unfortunately, after a week’s access, the examinations were interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic (although the project is expected to resume after things get back to normal). But some scholars took full advantage of the access they did manage to get, and what they already report is stunning, especially since the Vatican had total physical control over the files since they were created and Vatican archivists reportedly took more than 14 years to ready the 2 million documents for public scrutiny.
Presumably they were in a position to sanitize the original record, at their leisure with no appreciable time pressures. Yet, what has already emerged is incontrovertible documentary evidence that Pius XII was well informed about what people were saying the Nazis were doing to the Jews.
Graphic and extensive written reports, letters and memos, corroborating rumors of mass murders across Europe, have been located in Pius’ files. There are even notations, memos, and receipts indicating that he had received them and either read them or was aware of their contents.
However, with all that, a new, complicating wrinkle has emerged. While the extent of his knowledge is still to be pursued and analyzed, some of the materials already available indicate that some of Pius XII’s aides broadly counseled him to discount much of the information about the Holocaust received from various sources because, for example, “Jews easily exaggerate” and “Orientals are not really an example of honesty.”
So while evidence that the Pope actually was aware of much of what Nazis were reportedly doing is not in doubt, some will contend that he didn’t believe most of it and was reasonable in that disbelief.
Obviously, this could be a possible line of argument available to Pius’ defenders. We doubt, though, that too many will find persuasive the notions that the Pope was so profoundly gullible and the intellectual captive of his underlings as to explain his silence.
There is also an intriguing side story here to be noted. Intense interest in the Pius files is well more than half a century old, but the Vatican adamantly refused to allow access citing the fact that it usually waits 70 years after the death of a pontiff to do so. An exception was made here apparently because Pius is being considered for Catholic church sainthood and the current Pope wanted to get out in front of any potential criticism.
“The church isn’t afraid of history,” he is quoted to have said. Yet, it also certainly would not do for Pius to become a saint with his role in such a momentous period in history not fully explored.
We should know more soon.