As I have shared with you in previous columns, the cause to elevate Pope Pius XII to sainthood has triggered great disquiet among Jewish scholars and Holocaust survivors. I shared with you that in December Pope Benedict XVI angered many Jewish groups when he approved a decree recognizing Pope Pius XII’s “heroic virtues,” moving him one step closer to sainthood. There are only two more stages in his assent to sainthood, beatification and canonization. In response to the negative outcry from some Jewish quarters the Vatican announced the other week that it will soon make some of its World War II archives available on the Internet. L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper observed that this will “render service to the historic truth.”
This past week a letter written to Pope Benedict XVI signed by 19 Catholic scholars of theology and history from America, Germany and Australia was leaked to the press. Copies of the letter were also sent to Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, episcopal moderator for Catholic-Jewish relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and to Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Vatican Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews. This letter was meant to be a private correspondence to the pope and bishops by the scholars but was disclosed to the press by an unknown source.
The authors of the letter are some of the preeminent scholars in the field of Catholic-Jewish relations and Holocaust study. They include among others: Servite Father John Pawlikowski, professor of ethics at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, a leading historian on Judaism and the Holocaust; Dr. Eugene Fisher, the retired expert on Jewish relations for the U.S. Conference of Bishops; Father Eilas Fullenbach of the Institute for Church History, University of Bonn, Germany; Paul O’Shea, senior religious education coordinator, St. Patrick’s College, Strathfield, Australia, and Holy Cross Father Kevin Spicer, associate professor of history at Stonehill College. One local scholar, Mercy Sister Carol Rittner, professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Richard Stockton College in Pomona, was also one of the signatories.
They wrote an impassioned letter begging the pope to slow down the process of making Pope Pius XII a saint. “Holy Father, we implore you, acting on your wisdom as a renowned scholar, professor and teacher, to be patient with the cause of Pius XII,” they wrote. They said that current research “leads us to the view that Pope Pius XII did not issue a clearly worded statement, unconditionally condemning the wholesale slaughter and murder of European Jews.”
“At the same time, some evidence also compels us to see that Pius XII’s diplomatic background encouraged him as head of a neutral state, the Vatican, to assist Jews by means that were not made public during the war. It is essential that further research be conducted to resolve these questions,” they wrote.
“The movement to press forward at this time the process of beatification of Pius XII greatly troubles us. We implore you to insure that such a historical investigation takes place before proceeding with the cause,” they said.
They also wrote, “Proceeding with the cause of Pius XII without an exhaustive study of his actions during the Holocaust might harm Jewish-Catholic relations in a way that cannot be overcome in the foreseeable future.”
“Mistrust and apprehension still exist. For many Jews and Catholics, Pius XII takes on a role much larger than his historical papacy. In essence, Pius XII has become a symbol of centuries-old Christian anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism. It is challenging to separate Pope Pius XII from this legacy,” they wrote.
After the unsanctioned release of the letter Father Pawlikowski told the press, “We’re not on a bandwagon to stop his eventual canonization, we are saying allow some time.” Father Spicer added that they want to convey to the Holy Father that not just Jews are concerned with the pace of the canonization process of Pope Pius XII.
I can’t wait for the pope’s response, if he even gives one. Next column will give more details on our Catholic-Jewish Seders on March 15 at the Retreat House and March 24 at Temple Emanuel in Cherry Hill. Mark your calendars.
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