US embassy cable - 02VATICAN5356

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VATICAN ARCHIVES: ARCHIVIST CONFIRMS PARTIAL OPENING FOR NAZI GERMANY AND WWII DOCUMENTS

Identifier: 02VATICAN5356
Wikileaks: View 02VATICAN5356 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Vatican
Created: 2002-10-31 15:00:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: PREL GM VT
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.


 
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 


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