NEW YORK, NOV. 2, 2010 (Zenit.org).- A Jewish man is giving testimony to how his father was saved from the Nazis by being hidden in the Vatican by Pope Pius XII.
This testimony is the latest collected by Pave the Way Foundation, which has been compiling documents and reports regarding the actions of Pius XII during World War II.
Gary Krupp, the foundation’s president, announced the latest testimony by Robert Adler, a member of the Alabama Holocaust Commission.
Adler recalled how his father, Hugo Adler, was taken into the Vatican in 1941 and was hidden for five weeks. During that time, he met personally with Pope Pius XII on several occasions.
Hugo was then sent through a Vatican network through France, into Spain, and then to Sosua, Dominican Republic.
Robert said in his testimony that he found through research that the Nazis planned to first annihilate the Jews and then the Catholics. He noted that, due to this fact, the Pontiff conducted the rescue efforts in secret.
He concluded that his father would have died if Pius XII had not intervened.
Krupp expressed gratitude for Adler’s testimony, affirming that “his coming forward with this most revealing recollection, has paid back an enormous debt owed to all of those who risked their lives by reaching out to save the victims to the Shoah.”
The foundation has posted some 40,000 documents along with video testimonies on its Web site to provide evidence about the role of Pius XII in World War II.
Elliot Hershberg, chairman of the foundation’s board, noted: “This effort has been a hugely expensive and arduous undertaking for [Pave the Way Foundation] but it has been well worth it.
“In accordance with our mission, if we can help to illuminate this controversial period, which has been a source of discord between Jews and Catholic for over 46 years, we will have helped to change the course of history and improve relations at a time this is so necessary.”
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On the Net:
Pave the Way Foundation: http://www.ptwf.org
