Vatican to Open Archives to Defend Pius XII Against Claims of Anti-Semitism
Pope Pius XII, wearing the ring of St. Peter, raises his right hand in a papal blessing at the Vatican (news - web sites) in this September 1945 file photo. On Saturday, Feb. 15, 2003, the Vatican will take the extraordinary step of opening to scholars pa
VATICAN CITY - For years the Vatican has struggled to defend its wartime pope, Pius XII, against claims he was anti-Semitic and didn't do enough to save Jews from the Holocaust.
Now the Vatican is taking the extraordinary step of opening part of its secret archives ahead of schedule, in a bid to silence attacks against a man it is considering for sainthood. Starting Saturday, millions of Vatican documents from the years leading up to World War II will be available to scholars.
