REGARDING the new decree by Pope Benedict XVI recognizing Pope Pius XII as “Venerable” and moving him one step further to sainthood.I commend the Vatican for moving Pope Pius XII a step closer to sainthood. Despite largely Jewish efforts to cast a dark shadow over Pope Pius XII ’s good character it is an irrefutable fact that Pius II and the Catholic Church saved more Jews in Europe during the Second World War than any other party, with the only exception being the Allied liberating armies themselves.

He often acted secretly and silently because, in the light of the practical situations of that complex period of history, he foresaw that only in this way could he avoid the worst and save the greatest possible number of Jews.

In 1946 Isaac Herzog, chief Rabbi of Jerusalem wrote a letter to Pius XII thanking him for helping Jews during the Holocaust and for “sheltering thousands of children, who were hidden in Catholic institutions”. Herzog further stated: “God willing, may history remember that when everything was dark for our people, His Holiness lit a light of hope for them”.

It is estimated by Gary Krupp, of the Pave the Way Foundation, that Pius XII and the Roman Catholic Church saved the lives of 850,000 Jews and other Nazi persecutees during the Second World War.

Pope Pius XII promoted intense charitable work on behalf of the persecuted, without distinction of religion, race, nationality or political affiliation. Relatives and other witnesses have attested to the fact that he voluntarily deprived himself of food, heating, clothes, comforts in order to share the condition of the people, so harshly tried by the bombing and the consequences of war.
PAUL KOKOSKI
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