Newly-uncovered documents from the Vatican archives, dating back to Pope Pius XII’s pontificate, are painting a different picture of the Church’s role during the Holocaust.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, recently spoke at a conference at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome about these revelations. “Recent discoveries in the Vatican’s and other archives have made it easier for us to understand how the historical records were manipulated in the post-war era,” said Cardinal Parolin.
Historically, Pope Pius XII faced criticism for not openly condemning Nazi persecution of the Jews during World War II. But the Cardinal believes these records reveal Pope Pius XII’s clandestine resistance efforts and diplomatic attempts to save lives. He expressed, “It became evident that the Pope followed both the path of diplomacy and that of undeclared resistance.”
It’s worth noting the sheer volume of documents from Pius XII’s pontificate; they outnumber those of his predecessors. As Cardinal Parolin stated, “It will take more than a generation of historians to build up a consistency through the variety of the archival sources on Pope Pacelli.”
One remarkable example of the Church’s sentiment towards Jews, unearthed from the archives, was a statement from 1916 by then Secretary of State, Cardinal Gasparri.
Cardinal Parolin quoted, “‘Jews are our brothers.’ And the Jewish people should be considered brothers of any other people in the world.” This sentiment, it appears, was influenced by the future Pope Pius XII himself, who was known to have personal relationships with many Jewish leaders.
Riccardo Di Segni, Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community of Rome, highlighted the importance of distinguishing emotion from historical fact and acknowledged that positions have caused historical pain. But with this new information, both communities can look forward to a deeper understanding and strengthening of Jewish-Christian relations.
The revelations from the archives continue to be a significant development in understanding the Vatican’s role during WWII and its relationship with the Jewish community.
It is anticipated that more insights will emerge as historians delve deeper into the available records.
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