LAST UPDATE: 19:30
Pope Francis announced today that he has decided to open up the Vatican Secret Archives on World War II – era Pope Pius XII, something that the Jews have been seeking for decades.
According to ANA-MPA, some Jews claim that Pius, who was the Pontiff from 1939 to 1958, turned a blind eye to the Holocaust by not denouncing it openly.
The Vatican has defended Pius, saying he used behind-the-scenes diplomacy to try to save Jewish lives and to avoid the deterioration of the situation.
Francis announced that the archive will open on March 2, 2020.
For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel welcomed in its announcement the initiative of opening up the Vatican archives in 2020 during the pontificate of WWII-era Pope Pius XII, after decades of controversy on his attitude towards the Holocaust.
“We are pleased by the decision and hope it will enable free access to all relevant archives,” ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said in a statement.
