Vatican's World War II archives should be opened soon, Pope tells Israeli paper

December 01, 2014

Pope Francis condemned anti-Semitism and said that he looks forward to opening the Vatican’s secret archives from World War II, in an interview with the Israeli daily newspaper Yediot Ahronot.

The Pope said that the access to the archives is still restricted because of standard policies—observed by most nations, and entrenched since the 1929 Lateran Accords that govern the Vatican’s relationship with Italy—requiring the passage of years before archives are opened to scholars. He said that for his part, he is satisfied that a sufficient length of time has now passed since World War II, and “I see no problem with opening the archives the moment we sort out the legal and bureaucratic matters.”

 

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Further information:

• Francis Says He’s Willing To Open Secret Holocaust-Era Vatican Archives (JPU)
• 'Anti-Semitism is a sin', Pope tells Israeli daily (ANSA)