Pope Pius XII A Church academic has said historians are not expecting a ‘smoking gun’ from the Pope Pius XII ‘secret’ archives.
The archives were opened to scholars on Monday who will likely take time to examine the documents. Pius XII has been accused a number of times of turning a blind eye to the Holocaust in 1963 of Rolf Hochhuth’s play, The Deputy and John Cornwell’s Hitler’s Pope (1999).
Salvador Ryan, Professor of Ecclesiastical History in St Patrick College Maynooth said: “I don’t think too many historians are expecting to see a smoking gun in that there will be huge revelations.”
“Maybe his greatest contribution will be in those post war years.” Information on these years will tell of the Holy See’s involvement the post war reconstruction of Europe and its diplomatic relations with different countries.
While Prof. Ryan said it’s a step forward that may bring closure and historians are not expecting major revelations, no one knows what the documents could contain.