Euronews Quotes Judaic Studies Professor on Controversial War-Time Pope Archives

More than 150 historians and researchers around the world have signed up to access the Vatican archives of Pope Pius XII set to be released on March 2, showing overwhelming interest into the World War II-era pope and his record during the Holocaust. But what can we expect to learn from the archives?

In a recent Euronews article, Alan Avery-Peck, Kraft-Hiatt Professor of Judaic Studies at College of the Holy Cross, helped shed some light on the controversial period of Vatican history. According to Avery-Peck, there is strong evidence that the wartime pontiff was silent during the Holocaust.

"The World Jewish Congress begged the pope openly to proclaim his revulsion for Nazism," said Avery-Peck. "Even the U.S. informed the Vatican in September 1942 that residents of the Warsaw Ghetto were being slaughtered."

Ultimately Professor Avery-Peck believes "there is strong evidence that Pius XII knew of the Nazis' 'Final Solution' – their intention to annihilate the Jews."

It's unclear what this will mean for Pius XII's potential beatification, but the Vatican and historians alike are in agreement: the release of the archives are a "necessary transparency" step that can only enhance Catholic-Jewish relations.

To read the full article, go to Euronews.com.