International Catholic-Jewish Historical Commission
Encyclopedia
The International Catholic-Jewish Historical Commission was a body appointed by the Holy See
's Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews
in 1999. With three Jewish and three Catholic
scholars, the group evaluated Actes et documents du Saint Siège relatifs à la Seconde Guerre Mondiale
, 11 volumes of the Vatican's wartime documents devoted to Pope Pius XII
. In October 2000, the group issued a preliminary report with 47 questions on the Vatican's response to the Holocaust.
, one of the three Jewish members of the Commission, said the commission "ran up against a brick wall.... It would have been really helpful to have had support from the Holy See on this issue." By contrast, Vatican officials charged that the panel did a poor job of evaluating the material and leaked information to the press with the purpose of disrupting the Vatican's response to the report.
Cardinal William Keeler released a public statement after the commission dissolved itself, explaining the Catholic side's version of the events.
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
's Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews
Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews
The Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews is a pontifical commission in the Roman Curia tasked with maintaining positive theological ties with Jews and Judaism...
in 1999. With three Jewish and three Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
scholars, the group evaluated Actes et documents du Saint Siège relatifs à la Seconde Guerre Mondiale
Actes et Documents du Saint Siège relatifs à la Seconde Guerre Mondiale
Actes et Documents du Saint Siège relatifs à la Seconde Guerre Mondiale , often abbreviated Actes or ADSS, is an eleven-volume collection of documents from the Vatican historical archives, related to the papacy of Pope Pius XII during World War II.The collection was compiled by four...
, 11 volumes of the Vatican's wartime documents devoted to Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
. In October 2000, the group issued a preliminary report with 47 questions on the Vatican's response to the Holocaust.
Disbandment
In 2001, after failing to gain access to the Vatican archives after 1923, the group disbanded amid controversy. Unsatisfied with the findings, Dr. Michael MarrusMichael Marrus
Michael Robert Marrus is a Canadian historian of France, the Holocaust and Jewish history. He was born in Toronto and received his BA at the University of Toronto in 1963 and his MA and PhD at the University of California, Berkeley in 1964 and 1968...
, one of the three Jewish members of the Commission, said the commission "ran up against a brick wall.... It would have been really helpful to have had support from the Holy See on this issue." By contrast, Vatican officials charged that the panel did a poor job of evaluating the material and leaked information to the press with the purpose of disrupting the Vatican's response to the report.
Cardinal William Keeler released a public statement after the commission dissolved itself, explaining the Catholic side's version of the events.
External links
- October 2000 report
- Notice of Council suspending work
- Dimitri Cavalli, "The Commission That Couldn't Shoot Straight," New Oxford Review (July-August 2002)
- http://www.catholicleague.org/research/documents.htm Ronald Rychlak, "The Pope Pius XII Study Group: Read the Documents!", The Catalyst (December 2000)]