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Related: About this forumVatican to reveal truth about ‘Hitler’s Pope’
JEWISH groups worldwide hope to learn soon the extent of papal collaboration with Hitler during the Holocaust, when the Vatican archives – sealed since the time of Pope Pius XII – are opened.
Pius has been branded “Hitler’s Pope”, who did not do enough to try to save the doomed Jews of Europe.
After the war “rat lines” assisting top Nazi war criminals to escape to South America were set up in Rome by Bishop Hudal, a German who critics say acted with papal approval.
Now current Pope Francis has reiterated his position on opening secret Vatican archives to researchers.
In an extensive interview with the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronot, Francis said there was “an agreement between the Vatican and Italy from 1929 that prevents us from opening the archives to researchers at this point in time. But because of the time that has passed since World War Two, I see no problem with opening the archives the moment we sort out the legal and bureaucratic matters”.
The pope expressed worries that the current debate about Pius XII was unfair. “One thing worries me – the image of Pope Pius XII. Pope Pius XII has been accused of all sorts of things, including having been aware of the extermination of the Jews and doing nothing. I’m not saying he didn’t make mistakes. He made a few. I get things wrong often too.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/vatican-to-reveal-truth-about-hitler-s-pope-1-3620771
Emphasis all mine.
1. an agreement: that agreement was between the Vatican and the fascist government of Mussolini, hiding behind that is shameful.
2. "I get things wrong often too" - are you fucking kidding me? we are talking about the holocaust. That is the thing Hitler's Pope got wrong.
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trotsky
(49,533 posts)
Manifestor_of_Light
(21,046 posts)THE POPES AGAINST THE JEWS The Vatican's Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism by David I. Kertzer.
I got it at the Jewish Museum in New York City.
hedgehog
(36,286 posts)and did he show the moral courage expected of one who claims the authority of the Papacy? Certainly, he was aware of some efforts to save small groups of people. Certainly, individual Catholics and groups of Catholics risked their lives to save people. But I think a solid case can be made that the Vatican's fear of Communists and eagerness to claim sovereign rights over Vatican City blinded it to the reality of the Fascists.
I think Pius XII did get around to denouncing Hitler, but it was way too late, and it was done in a whisper instead of shouted from the mountain top. The excuse is that he had to tread carefully in order to protect Catholics, Catholic bishops and Catholic property.
Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)
TexasProgresive
(12,157 posts)Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)Nazi government, that is correct. I think perhaps you meant that given opportunities to bomb transport systems into death camps the allies chose not to do that, which I agree was a heinous decision. So does that make the opportunistic relationship between the Vatican and the fascist regimes of Italy and Germany ok?
TexasProgresive
(12,157 posts)Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)Obviously they didn't "do nothing" they were the leaders of nations in an all out war to eliminate Nazi Germany. Equating that with the Vatican's behavior is ridiculous.
mr blur
(7,753 posts)I would argue the point but I'd imagine it's not worth it.
TexasProgresive
(12,157 posts)Some argue that if the rail lines to the camps were bombed it would've hampered the efforts of the NAZIs in killing Jews and others in the death camps. The Allies did bomb forced labor camps that were manufacturing war materials but the Jews weren't a priority.
rug
(82,333 posts)Without your emphasis.
The reference in the article is to the 1929 Lateran Treaty, which was subsequently incorporated into the current Italian Constitution.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateran_Treaty
Here is its text:
http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/treaty.htm
Try harder.
customerserviceguy
(25,183 posts)when he throws Pius XII under the bus, where he belongs. Of course, Francis' minor mistakes are not comparable to the Holocaust, but there are living Catholics who still remember him, it's not like picking on a 15th Century pope.
We're going to get the truth, no matter how much Vaseline Francis has to coat it with to get it past those who would keep the secrets forever. That's something to be grateful for.
