Vatican to open secret archives of WWII pope in 2020

© Provided by AFPPope Francis said he hopes historical researchers will treat the archives of actions of wartime pope Pius XII "in a fair light"

Pope Francis announced Monday that the Vatican will open the secret archives of the wartime pontiff Pius XII in March next year, which could shed light on why the Catholic Church failed to intervene more against the Holocaust.

Researchers have long sought to examine the World War II-era archives for what they consider the lack of strong action by Pius XII (1939-1958) against the German Nazis over the massacre of Jews, an attitude denounced as a form of passive complicity.

"I decided that the opening of the Vatican Archives for the pontificate of Pius XII would take place on March 2, 2020," the pontiff said. The date is the 81st anniversary of the election of Eugenio Pacelli to the papacy.

"The Church is not afraid of history," added Francis, recalling that Pius XII found himself as head of the Roman Catholic Church "at one of the saddest and darkest times of the 20th century".

Francis said he made the decision understanding that serious historical research will evaluate "in a fair light, with appropriate criticism the moments of exaltation of this pope and, no doubt also moments of serious difficulties, tormenting decisions, and Christian and humane care."

© Provided by AFPPope Pius XII, seen here on his 80th birthday in 1956, has been criticised for not more forcefully condemning the massacre of Jews by the Nazis in World War IIFor many historians, pope Pius XII could have condemned more forcefully the massacre of Jews by the Nazis, but he didn't do it out of diplomatic caution and in order not to put Catholics in danger in occupied Europe.

'Matter of controversy' 

Yad Vashem -- The World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem -- said it "commends" the decision, "which will enable objective and open research as well as comprehensive discourse on issues related to the conduct of the Vatican in particular, and the Catholic Church in general, during the Holocaust".

It said it "expects that researchers will be granted full access to all documents stored in the archives".

In 2012, the centre changed the caption on Pius XII in its museum, saying his reaction during the Holocaust continues to be a "matter of controversy among scholars".

The Vatican was officially neutral during the war. Other historians point out that Pius XII saved tens of thousands of Italian Jews by ordering convents to open their doors to take them in.

According to Vatican Archives head Bishop Sergio Pagano, preparations to make the documents public began under Francis's predecessor Benedict XVI in 2006.

The Holy See hoped everything would be ready by 2015, but the amount of documents and a lack of staff pushed that deadline back, he told Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano.