The archives of the wartime pope Pius XII, whom some critics accuse of having kept silent during the Holocaust, may not be sorted out for up to six years, said a senior Vatican official Thursday."There are five or six years of preparation for the archives of pope Pius XII," Sergio Pagano, the official responsible for the Vatican's secret archives told reporters.
"Afterwards, the decision to open these archives to researchers will be the pope's," he added.
The documents would show that the pope had "taken risks, including personal risks, to save the Jews," said Pagano.
While he wanted the archives to be opened to everyone, there was a lot of work to be done on them, he added.
Pius's role during the Second World War has long been the subject controversy, as some historians and senior members of the Jewish community have accused him of not having done enough to oppose the Nazi genocide of the Jews.
The situation is all the more sensitive because of an ongoing process, which dates back to 1967, to have the pontiff beatified — which in the Catholic faith is the first step on the way to being declared a saint.
The current pope, Benedict XVI set up a special committee in December 2007 to consider the evidence before he decides on the issue.
In recent weeks he has come under pressure from Father Peter Gumpel, the priest in charge of the beatification dossier, who has accused him of backing off from the dossier because of pressure from Jewish organizations.
Benedict XVI has regularly spoken out in defence of his predecessor.
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