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Pope may freeze Pius XII sainthood process - International Herald Tribune
Pope Benedict Thursday told Jewish leaders he was "seriously considering" freezing the sainthood process of his Nazi-era predecessor Pius XII until historical archives can be opened, one Jewish leader said.
Some Jews have accused Pius, who reigned from 1939 to 1958, of turning a blind eye to the Holocaust. The Vatican says he worked behind the scenes and helped save many Jews from certain death during World War Two.
Rabbi David Rosen, a leader of a Jewish delegation that met the pope Thursday, said the subject came up in conversations after formal speeches were delivered.
"One member of our delegation told the pope 'please do not move ahead with beatification of Pius XII before the Vatican archives can be made accessible for objective historical analysis' and the pope said 'I am looking into it, I am considering it seriously'," Rosen told reporters.
A Vatican statement said another six or seven years of preparatory work would be needed before the archives on Pius's period could be opened to scholars and the pope would have the final decision.
Well, the Vatican has to have time to redact a lot of documentation on this subject!
Pope Benedict Thursday told Jewish leaders he was "seriously considering" freezing the sainthood process of his Nazi-era predecessor Pius XII until historical archives can be opened, one Jewish leader said.
Some Jews have accused Pius, who reigned from 1939 to 1958, of turning a blind eye to the Holocaust. The Vatican says he worked behind the scenes and helped save many Jews from certain death during World War Two.
Rabbi David Rosen, a leader of a Jewish delegation that met the pope Thursday, said the subject came up in conversations after formal speeches were delivered.
"One member of our delegation told the pope 'please do not move ahead with beatification of Pius XII before the Vatican archives can be made accessible for objective historical analysis' and the pope said 'I am looking into it, I am considering it seriously'," Rosen told reporters.
A Vatican statement said another six or seven years of preparatory work would be needed before the archives on Pius's period could be opened to scholars and the pope would have the final decision.
Well, the Vatican has to have time to redact a lot of documentation on this subject!
