Vatican Secretary on Pius XII research: Practically at the beginning

The Vatican Commission for Relations with Judaism was one of the sponsors of a high-profile expert conference on the Vatican files on Pope Pius XII (1939-1958). The secretary of the commission, the German Salesian priest Norbert Hofmann, talks in an interview about new findings and consequences.

Question: The meeting was supposed to be a prelude to the processing of the long-closed archives on Pius XII. How did the meeting of experts go?

Hofmann: I would indeed call it a prelude: The Vatican archives on the pontificate of Pius XII were opened on 2 March 2020 and had to close again six days later because of the Corona pandemic, so it has only been possible to work in them for a year and a half. Serious historians have told me that one has to research for at least five to ten years to achieve profound results. First impressions have now been gained and documents have been sifted through, which have been presented here. So we are practically at the beginning. And it was a success that so many historians and theologians working on this topic came together here.

Question: What new things have you learned, what has moved?

Hofmann: I did indeed learn some new things - even if some things were already known: that the Vatican and Pius XII knew very early on about the fact of the Holocaust, about its extent, the awfulness and cruelty. And that actually all governments knew about it as well.

And secondly, that church institutions in Rome - monasteries, parishes and also the Vatican - opened their doors to hide Jews. In principle, this has always been known. But it has since become clear that this could not have happened without a central voice: That the Vatican and Pius XII himself were behind it and had given permission and orders accordingly.

Question: Is there a new image of Pius?

Hofmann: I think we really have to wait another five to ten years until researchers can present reliable material. Admittedly, the research of Professor Hubert Wolf from Münster, for example, has shown that there were many letters of supplication from Jews to the Vatican and that they tried to help where possible. The extent of the willingness to help has become clearer. The Vatican has tried to help behind the scenes from the very beginning. Whether other governments have always done the same is a question that also came up in the meeting.

Question: Has the opening of the archives removed the ground from the polemic about Pius?

Hofmann: In my work, the Jewish-Catholic dialogue on the part of the Vatican, this topic was always on the table until the opening of the archives: Pius XII, his silence, the opening of the archives, the historical truth. Since the opening of the archives, this polemic and its advocates have had the wind taken out of their sails. In this respect, things have calmed down for my work. Now we are waiting for the results. For it was clear from the beginning that the opening of the archives and the Jewish-Christian dialogue should be linked. This conference has contributed to that.

Question: But have new controversies not arisen here? For example, when exactly did the Vatican know about the Holocaust?

Hofmann: I believe that these new controversies concern the historians, who can argue about it, but not the general situation.

Question: What are the consequences for your work now?

Hofmann: I find it a great relief that the archives are open. I no longer have to constantly take a stand on the polemics about hidden truths. I am glad about this conference, about this starting point, and I hope that the historians and theologians will keep at it and soon be able to deliver results.

Question: So Pius is no longer the decisive, the divisive figure?

Hofmann: In the Jewish-Catholic dialogue, Christ has always been the decisive, the divisive figure. There have been strains between Jews and Christians throughout the centuries, if you think of the pogroms. Now, most recently, Pius XII was thrust into the limelight. But the limelight is good, I hope that the work will be objective and that the historical truth will come to light.

Question: And how will your work continue?

Hofmann: I will continue my work as usual. We have a Jewish-Christian meeting in Sao Paulo from 13 to 16 November. It is about ethical issues, about common values of Jews and Christians, about the human being created in the image of God and the consequences for human dignity. And we will also talk about abortion and questions related to the end of life.