Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Antonio Franco & Holocaust commemoration

I heard bits and pieces of this story over the weekend, but did not get a chance to speak to it until tonight.

For a very long time, Pope Pius XII has been vilified by some for 'not doing enough' to save the Jews during the Nazi Holocaust, presumably for not speaking out more, in spite of a New York Times Editorial published on Dec 25, 1941 that stated:

"The voice of Pius XII is a lonely voice in the silence and darkness enveloping Europe this Christmas. He is about the only ruler left on the Continent of Europe who dares to raise his voice at all".

In spite of testimonies of the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Issac Herzog, or former Chief Rabbi of Rome, Eugenio Zolli who later converted to Catholicism; in spite of those like Golda Meir, Albert Einstein, and others of that time who spoke out in gratitude to him for saving many lives, Pius XII is still vilified.

In spite of MANY articles and books by Sr Margherita Marchione, Rabbi David Dalin, Ronald Rychlak, and others that disprove those like John Cornwall and those who disparage him.... it continues to this date.


For one man, it has gotten to be too much. He had written last year, voicing his concerns then, and again this year, finally deciding not to attend...

The Apostolic Nuncio to Jerusalem and Palestine, Archbishop Antonio Franco, has announced that he will not attend the annual ceremony in commemoration of the Holocaust due to be held next week at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum of Jerusalem. The Vatican representative said he was refusing to participate after Yad Vashem refused to remove an inflammatory and highly contested description of Pope Pius XII.

The article ends with Archbishop saying:

Franco adamantly added that his refusal to attend the ceremony,
“does not mean I am disrespectful of the memory and the victims of this tragedy.
This is out of the question!”

“In reading the papers today I refuse point-blank to say the Catholic Church
and the Holy See have any responsibility for not helping out the Jews,
with all they did.
That photo offends all of the Catholic Church. And that’s what I wanted to make clear.”

A reader from Canada left this comment at the site:

The Catholic Church played a major role during the Second World War saving 32,000 Italian Jews and several thousand foreign Jews with the help of the Italian people, successfully hiding most of them in monasteries and religious institutions. In a book entitled "The Assisi Underground The Priests who rescued Jews" by Alexander Ramati as told by Padre Rufino Niccacci, "the Italians showed great restraint in telling of their actions which had resulted in saving 80 per cent of Italian Jewry, the opposite of what happened in the rest of Europe, where except for Denmark with its 8,000 Jews spirited away to Sweden, 80 per cent of the Jews perished." All this despite the fact that Italy was governed by Facist Dictator Mussolini, who was in cahoots with Germany, and helping Jews escape some Priests were shot on the spot. Pope Pius XII did not speak up more publicly because he did not want to jepardize the entire rescue operation and put the lives of these Priests and religious at stake. To suggest that Pope Pius XII did not know what all these Priests, monasteries and religious institutions were doing in this major rescue effort defies all logic and reason. "Monsignore Montini, who headed the Holy See's Aid Service to Refugees during the War, and who in 1955 was to become Cardinal and later on Pope Paul VI, turned down the Gold medal offered him by the Jewish Community of Italy. 'I acted in the line of duty,' he answered, 'and for that I am not entitled to a medal.' Well said!

I have to agree with you, George Angel of Canada, and to YOU, I also add my own.... WELL SAID!!

God Bless!!