EUROPE/ITALY - The Pope who acted to save Jews. Vatican Secret Archives reveal the whole truth about Pius XII. Book by Matteo Luigi Napolitano and Andrea Tornielli. Fides Service met one of the authors

Tuesday, 25 May 2004

Rome (Fides Service) - “The Pope who saved Jews” is the title of a book on Pope Pius XII based on hitherto hidden facts preserved the Holy See’s Secret Archives will be presented on May 31 at 4pm at LUMSA Catholic University in Rome. The book was written by Matteo Luigi Napolitano and Andrea Tornielli and is published by Piemme, Among the speakers at the presentation Senator Giulio Andreotti, Jesuit Father Pierre Blet and Giuseppe Dalla Torre Rector of the university.
«With detailed documentation this book sheds light on a paradox witnessed by my generation. - Ambassador Sergio Romano writes in the preface - For a few years, after the war, Pius XII was praised and thanked by many people, including the Jewish community, for the courage and generosity with which he had protected and saved many Jews from Nazi persecution…Then all of a sudden opinions changed».

We put a few questions to one of the authors, expert in Vatican policy Andrea Tornielli.
What is new in the book?
«We publish and analyse dozens of documents from the Vatican’s Secret Archives, recently opened by Pope John Paul II, concerning relations between the Holy See and Germany during the pontificate of Pius XI , when the future Pius XII was Cardinal Secretary of State XII».

What do these documents show?
«The documents prove without a doubt that from the time Hitler first came to power the Holy See intervened in favour of the Jews and tried to dissuade Nazi Germany from using discrimination policies against them. It was Pacelli in person who asked the Nuncio in Berlin Cesare Orsenigo to look into the question of the Jews. It has always been said that the Vatican was deaf and prudent while there were some interventions on the part of Bishops’ Conferences. In actual fact the papers examined demonstrate the exact opposite: it was the Holy See which urged Bishops’ Conference to take action».

What did Pius XII actually do to help save the Jews?
«In the book we not only cite the enormous quantity of material once known but sadly forgotten concerning initiatives to save Jews, but, thanks to new testimony, we also reveal hitherto unknown details with regard to precise instructions issued by the Holy See to Italian dioceses. The instructions are part of a letter in which the Vatican urged Bishops to do everything possible to save the Jews from persecution».

There is one merciless chapter which uncovers errors, falsehood, omissions and resounding blunders found in many works on Pius XII. Why did you write it?
«To try to demonstrate the effects of one-way use of documentation and scorn for credible eyewitnesses given attention only if their evidence is what you want to hear and not if it leads in a different direction. Sad to say these one-way errors are found not only in writings of journalists but also in serious text books and history works. Something we felt it was our duty to reveal».

We will speak again about the book when it is presented. (AP) (25/5/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe:44; Parole:524)


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