Politics

Vatican plans to declassify Holocaust archives

Pope Francis intends to open part of the secret archives of the Vatican during the Holocaust in order to find out what role the Catholic Church played in the mass destruction of an entire nation.

According to the American publication The Sunday Times, such information was provided to reporters by a close friend of the Pope, Argentine rabbi Abraham Skorka. Most likely, Francis was particularly interested in the activities of one of the former heads of the church, and in particular Pius XII, deeds which, according to the pontiff, it is difficult to give any assessment.

The head of the Vatican's press service, Federico Lambardi, noted that he found nothing surprising in the decision of the Pope. Lambarty added that the Vatican has long been planning to release some of the secret information regarding the Holocaust. The thing is that recently the head of the Catholic Church, his advisers, as well as other clergymen are seriously considering whether to canonize Pius.

Lambarti suggested that classified data could shed light on the activities of the aforementioned pontiff and allow the current Pope to make the right decision.

Recently, the actions of the deceased back in 1958, Pius XII repeatedly criticized and condemned by the Jewish people and various organizations. They claimed that Pope Pius, who was the head of the Catholic Church from 1939 to 1958, did not condemn the fact of the Holocaust, sympathized with the Nazis, and also did not provide any help and support to the persecuted people. The opinion that Pius XII “dishonored the whole church” with his improper behavior arose in the mid-60s after the German writer Rolf Hokhut published his work “Representative”, in which he described how the pontiff was silent while observing the mass extermination of persecuted Jews.

Six years ago, the official Vatican confirmed its intention to elevate Pius XII to the rank of saints, despite the fact that this decision caused a storm of discontent from Israel.

The persecuted people claimed that the Pope did not react when the terrible news of the Holocaust came to him, and also did not take any action when the Roman Jews were taken to concentration camps. However, there is another version of the events, according to which Pius XII took an active part in protecting and helping the victims of the Holocaust. So, in 1944, the High Rabbi of Rome publicly thanked the pontiff for his work, and in particular for his help in sheltering refugees.

In 1955, Jewish organizations also expressed their gratitude to the Pope and provided 20 thousand dollars for the needs of the Vatican.

Francis's predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who abdicated last year, was the first pontiff to launch the process of canonization of Pius.

In his appeals and speeches, Benedict more than once tried to justify the actions of the former head of the church, claiming that he followed the teachings of Jesus, showing sympathy and support to those in need, as well as to those persecuted during the Holocaust, but due to insurmountable circumstances, he was forced to do it secretly.

Benedict’s words were confirmed a couple of years ago when a diary of a nun who led him during the Second World War was discovered. According to records made by a woman 60 years ago, Pope Pius personally ordered that the persecuted Jews be taken to shelter in one of the Roman monasteries.

The decision of Pope Francis was released a few days before the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This date is celebrated every year, January 27th, by decision of the UN General Assembly since 2006. The United Nations chose this day precisely because On January 27, 1945, the largest Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in the Polish city of Auschwitz was liberated. According to various sources, from 1941 to 1945 there were killed 1.4 million peopleincluding 1 million Jews.

Watch the video: USA: DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CONCERNING NAZI GOLD ARE DISCOVERED (November 2024).

Popular Posts

Category Politics, Next Article

Expo 2015 in Milan
Milan

Expo 2015 in Milan

The World Exhibition 2015 (the Italian name is Esposizione Universale Milano 2015), or, in short, Expo 2015 (Expo 2015) will be held in the Italian city of Milan from May 1 to October 31, 2015. The main theme of the event is "Feed the planet. Energy for life." The main idea is that all the inhabitants of the planet should be provided with high-quality and healthy products in the required quantity.
Read More
Milano Card - how to save money for tourists in Milan?
Milan

Milano Card - how to save money for tourists in Milan?

Advanced travelers can save tens of euros in Milan by purchasing the Milano Card online. What bonuses does the card give? For 24 hours, the card costs 8 euros, for 48 hours - 14 euros, and for 72 hours - 19 euros. Consider, for example, a 48-hour Milano card worth 14 euros. The card already includes a ticket for all modes of transport for 8.25 euros, so we need to beat off at least 14-8.25 = 5.75 euros.
Read More
Sforza Castle in Milan
Milan

Sforza Castle in Milan

The towers of the Castle of Sforza (Castello Sforzesco), laconic connected by the fortress walls into one magnificent structure, will inevitably catch the eye of visitors to Milan. Sforza Castle spent seven centuries under the azure Italian sky. During this time, he saw the rise and fall of the ruling dynasties, revolutions and popular uprisings, felt the touch of the hands of talented architects, sculptors and artists.
Read More
Milan Fashion Week: Fashion as Art
Milan

Milan Fashion Week: Fashion as Art

Since the middle of the last century, fashion weeks have spread all over the world, and the most important of them are held in four "fashion capitals": Milan, Paris, London and New York. Today, this grandiose show is known to the whole world for its scope, beauty and extravagance, but it all began in 1943 in New York to promote local fashion, since during the Second World War it became impossible to import clothes from Europe.
Read More