July 2, 2012. (Romereports.com) Pius XII did many things as Pope. But, his legacy has mainly revolved on what he did or didn't do during the Holocaust.
Now, a significant change has been made in Israel's National Holocaust Memorial.
The wall exhibit in the Yad Vashem, still shows Pius XII, but the description is different. The newest addition includes the point of view of those who've defended his actions. Before it only had the point of view of those who opposed him.
The new text says that according to his supporters, the Pope's neutrality helped save the lives of many Jews. T
he Vatican claims that if Pius XII would have been more outspoken and critical of the Nazi regime, it would have caused the death of even more Jews. Instead the Vatican says, his quiet diplomacy allowed the Church to carry out secret rescue missions.
The text description still includes the point of view of critics, who say he should have said and done more.
The Holy See's ambassador in Israel, Antonio Franco described it as a 'positive evolution,' adding that the text went from straight condemnation to an evaluation.
Pius XII was Pope from 1939 to 1958. Before that he was the papal envoy in the German state of Bavaria. The controversy over his approach has been discussed between the Vatican and Israel, for decades.
Some claim the controversy between both groups has stopped the beatification of Pius XII from going forward.
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