papacy of Pius XII: the known and the unknown

The response of Pope Pius XII to the challenge of the Holocaust has been the subject of much discussion. He was resposible, according to Fr. Peter Gumpel, for saving hundreds of thousands of Jews and therefore deserves sainthood. The critics of Pius XII both Christian and Jewish argue that his public silence regarding Jews contributed to the staggering loss of Jewish and other lives under the Nazis. Pawlikowski argues that it would be wise if scholars were allowed to carry out their research without the prospect of Pius's canonization clouding the issue