VATICAN ARCHIVES: ARCHIVIST CONFIRMS PARTIAL

UNCLAS VATICAN 005356 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI),EUR/PA/PD (PICKREL),EUR/RHA (BELL),EUR/AGS, DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL GM VT SUBJECT: VATICAN ARCHIVES: ARCHIVIST CONFIRMS PARTIAL OPENING FOR NAZI GERMANY AND WWII DOCUMENTS REF: VATICAN 0819 ¶1. CHIEF VATICAN ARCHIVIST CARDINAL JORGE MEIJA CONFIRMED OCTOBER 29 THE VATICAN'S ACCELERATED TIMETABLE FOR THE RELEASE OF MATERIAL RELATING TO WORLD WAR II AND THE PONTIFICATE OF PIUS XII, AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED BY POST (REFTEL). MATERIAL PERTAINING TO VATICAN ASSISTANCE TO PRISONERS OF WAR WILL BE RELEASED IN JANUARY 2003. THIS UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 05356 311605Z RELEASE WILL ENCOMPASS 3.5 MILLION FILES AND LETTERS ON SIX CD-ROMS. MATERIAL ON THE PRE-WAR ACTIVITIES OF POPE PIUS XII IN GERMANY WHEN HE SERVED AS APOSTOLIC NUNCIO IN BERLIN WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN JANUARY 2005. THE VATICAN ALSO ANNOUNCED IT HAD INCREASED ITS PERSONNEL WORKING TO CATALOGUE DOCUMENTS. ¶2. COMMENT: THE VATICAN'S CONFIRMATION OF THE ACCELERATED DOCUMENT TIMETABLE IS A WELCOME SIGN AND INDICATES COGNIZANCE OF INTERNATIONAL CALLS FOR WORLD WAR II ARCHIVE MATERIAL TO BE RELEASED AS A MATTER OF JUSTICE. THIS TIMETABLE ALSO REFLECTS THE HOLY SEE'S DESIRE TO BEGIN PUTTING THE CONTROVERSY OVER PIUS XII AND HIS ROLE BEHIND THEM. NICHOLSON UNCLASSIFIED > 2002VATICA05356 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED