Second World War
Catholic Church in Rome hid more than 3,000 Jews
An undated archive photo of Pope Pius XII (M). During World War II, the Catholic Church in Rome hid more than 3,000 Jews, according to previously unpublished documents
© AP/DPA
Around 3,200 names can be found on previously unpublished documents kept in the Vatican. They belong to Roman Jews who the Catholic Church wanted to have saved from being deported and murdered by Nazi Germany during the Second World War.
The Catholic Church in the Second World War: a role that is still controversial today
The documents were created by a Jesuit partner after the liberation of the Italian capital in June 1944. They were then also the basis for a study by the Italian historian Renzo de Felice in 1961, but had been considered lost for decades. In total, there are 4,300 people in hiding, although several hundred of them have not yet been identified by name. Out of consideration for the affected families, no names were given by the others on Thursday.
View of a former monastery on a quiet residential street. It once housed Jews fleeing deportation during World War II. The building, purchased by the Vatican in 2021 as a residence for foreign nuns studying at Rome’s pontifical universities, now stands empty, another victim of the latest financial scandal to hit the Holy See
© Alessandra Tarantino / AP / DPA
The role of the Vatican during the Nazi dictatorship and the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini in Italy is still controversial today. In particular, it is about the responsibility of Pope Pius XII, whose pontificate lasted from 1939 to 1958. The Italian – whose real name is Eugenio Pacelli – was criticized during his lifetime for his dealings with Nazi Germany. He is also accused of remaining silent on the subject of the Holocaust. However, there are also historians who defend him.
Nazis murdered more than 2,200 Jews in Rome
Today’s Pope Francis ordered the disclosure of all files. The archives have been accessible since 2020. At the beginning of the Second World War, between 10,000 and 15,000 Jews lived in Rome. More than 2,000 were murdered by Nazi troops. The city was occupied by German troops for nine months until it was liberated by the Allies in June 1944.