pius the twelfth would be made available to researchers next year past became pope in one hundred thirty nine and has been criticized for staying silent about the plight of jews during the holocaust he died in nine hundred fifty eight a rather than wait the usual seventy years after pope's death before opening his archives the vatican appears to be responding to pressure to declassify the documents while holocaust survivors are still alive. because reported extensively on religious affairs for the welcome john what did pope pius the twelve do or fail to do during the war that was so controversial. well i think the situation is that most historians today agree that probably the twelfth knew full extent of the genocide against the jews by nazi germany even before the ana the question of course is why then didn't he condemn it more strongly it's not that