Retiring Vatican archivist publishes book, criticizes Pius XII’s sainthood cause

Bishop Sergio Pagano, the prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Archives (formerly the Secret Archives) since 1997, discussed his work in a new book and in an interview with the Associated Press.

The 75-year-old prelate, who is slated to retire, is a critic of Pope Pius XII’s sainthood cause. 

He alleges that the late Fathers Peter Gumpel and Paolo Molinari, SJ, in gathering documentation for the cause, never “set foot in the Apostolic Archive.”

“Written documents must weigh heavily on the life of a Servant of God, you can’t ignore the archives,” said Bishop Pagano. “But the postulation by the Jesuits wanted to bypass it.”