VATICAN CITY/NEW YORK (AFP-EJP)---As Pope Benedict XVI backed the beatification of his controversial World War II predecessor Pius XII, defending his actions during a "complex historical moment”, the Anti-Defamation League has called again on the Vatican to fully open its wartime archives.
Celebrating a mass commemorating 50 years since the death of the wartime pope, the 81-year-old pontiff said Pius XII "often acted in secret and in silence" but spared no effort in "the defence of the persecuted, with no distinction of religion, ethnicity, nationality or political affiliation."
"In light of the real situations of this complex historical moment, he sensed that this was the only way to avoid the worst and save the greatest possible number of Jews."
He said in his homily: "As we pray that the process of beatification of servant of God Pius XII proceeds happily, it is well to recall that holiness was his ideal, an ideal that he constantly urged for all."
The process of beatifying Pius XII, which was launched in 1967 and is approaching completion, would place the pope accused of remaining silent during the Holocaust one step away from sainthood.
It has sparked bitter debate and tension between Catholics and Jews, and Benedict lamented on Thursday: "Unfortunately the historical debate (has) not always been serene."
Pius XII led the Roman Catholic Church from 1939 until his death on October 9, 1958.
In a statement released earlier this week, Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said : « The need is greater than ever for the Vatican to fully open its wartime archives. It is essential that the full record of Pope Pius XII’s actions and policies towards the Jewish people before, during and after WWII be brought to light. The full truth concerning the Vatican’s actions during the war continues to reside in classified archives. “
He added: “Any conclusions drawn before these records are made accessible for rigorous research by independent historians would be subject to considerable doubt.”
“Today there are those who have renewed efforts to use incomplete historical evidence and testimony to reach definitive conclusions that Pope Pius XII did all he could to save Jews during the Holocaust.This is a risky and premature undertaking, since many historical facts about the Vatican’s actions during the war are still classified”.
Rabbi's opposition
On Monday, the chief rabbi of Haifa, Israel, Shear-Yashuv Cohen, who was the first Jew to address a synod of bishops at the Vatican,spoke out against such an honour for Pius XII.
The rabbi said Pius XII "should not be seen as a model and he should not be beatified because he did not raise his voice against the Holocaust."
Benedict did not indicate when he would sign a decree attesting to the "heroic virtues" cited in Pius XII's beatification dossier, which has been on his desk since May 8.
"The pope has not yet signed this decree, considering that a time for reflection would be appropriate," said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi.
In a note to journalists, Lombardi said the pope had "expressed his spiritual union" with those who back Pius XII's beatification but had not referred to "the stages to come, or the timeline."
One of the Vatican's most senior cardinals on Tuesday defended Pius XII's
wartime record.
Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone wrote in the Vatican newspaper, Osservatore Romano, that if Pius XII "had intervened publicly, he would have endangered the lives of thousands of Jews who, at his request, were hidden in the 155 convents and monasteries in the city of Rome alone."
The Vatican paper was quoting from the preface to a forthcoming book on Pius XII, in which the cardinal argued that it was "profoundly unjust" to attack Pius XII over his wartime position, "forgetting not only the historical context but also his immense charity work" for Jews.
Benedict asked in his homily: "And how can one forget the message over national radio in December 1942? With a voice choked with emotion he deplored the situation of 'hundreds of thousands of people who ... at times only for reasons of nationality or parentage are destined to death'."
This was "a clear reference to the deportation and the extermination perpetrated against the Jews," Benedict said.
