Did the Vatican influence Italian elections in 1948 to thwart a Communist Party victory?

That’s what Villanova University professor Massimo Faggioli hopes to find out now that the Vatican is unsealing the archives of Pope Pius XII, writes Sylvia Poggioli for NPR.

“I would be curious to know what kind of communication there was between the secretariat of state and the CIA,” he said. “(Pope) Pius was certainly convinced that he had to defend a certain idea of the Christian civilization in Europe against communism.”

Scholars also hope to determine the relationship of Pope Pius and the church to Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, and if it had any possible role in vilifying Jews.

The papacy of Pope Pius XII covered World War II and continued into the Cold War. The pope took no direct public action against the Nazis, but several thousand Jews found refuge in Catholic convents in Italy.

More than 150 scholars have applied to study documents covering 1939 to 1958. Cardinal Jose Tolentino Calaca de Mendonca said all researchers are welcome.

More than 1,300,000 documents have been digitized, providing easy access for researchers.

Read more about the Vatican from NPR here.

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