Pope Pius XII Knew About Holocaust, Newly Discovered Letter Reveals

Pope Pius XII, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from March 1939 to October 1958, knew about the Nazi atrocities in the death camps in 1942.

According to media reports, a recently discovered letter between Pope Pius XII and a German Jesuit mentions the Nazi crematorium at the Belzec concentration camp in German-occupied Poland, as well as the Auschwitz camp.

The letter provides proof of the news circulating about Nazi crimes reaching the Holy See simultaneously with the ongoing genocide, according to reports. It also states that as many as 6,000 individuals, predominantly Poles and Jews, perished daily in the crematorium at the Belzec concentration camp near the Ukrainian town of Rawa Ruska.

Pius XII's failure to publicly denounce the mass crimes committed by the Third Reich during World War II has sparked intense debate, according to the publication.

During World War II, the Vatican received numerous and detailed news reports about the atrocities committed by the Nazis. However, according to the report, Pius XII chose to remain silent or speak in general terms about the matter.