Pope Benedict today told Jewish leaders he was "seriously considering" freezing the sainthood process of his Nazi-era predecessor Pius XII until historical archives can be opened, a Jewish leader said.
Some Jews have accused Pius, who reigned from 1939 to 1958, of turning a blind eye to the Holocaust. The Vatican says he worked behind the scenes and helped save many Jews from certain death during World War II.
Rabbi David Rosen, a leader of a Jewish delegation that met the Pope today, said the subject came up in conversations after formal speeches were delivered.
"One member of our delegation told the Pope 'please do not move ahead with beatification of Pius XII before the Vatican archives can be made accessible for objective historical analysis', and the Pope said 'I am looking into it, I am considering it seriously'," Rabbi Rosen told reporters.
Beatification is the last step before sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. Some Jews have asked the Pope to hold off on beatifying Pius until more information on his papacy can be studied.
Pius did not come up in the formal speeches between the Pope and Rabbi Rosen, but the Jewish leader did repeat a request for the Vatican archives to be open for study.
"We reiterate our respectful call for full and transparent access of scholars to all archival material from the period, so that assessments regarding actions and policies during this tragic period may have the credibility they deserve both within our respective communities and beyond," Rabbi Rosen told the Pope.
Reuters