International Conference

New documents from the Pontificate of Pope Pius XII
and their Meaning for Jewish-Christian Relations:
A Dialogue Between Historians and Theologians

From Monday 9 to Wednesday 11 October 2023

Aula Magna of the Pontifical Gregorian University
Piazza della Pilotta 4 - Rome

In March 2020 Pope Francis made accessible millions of documents relating to the pontificate of Pope Pius XII (1939-1958), which have the potential to be studied via multiple approaches, relevant for both historical and theological questions.

It will take decades of examination and analysis to ascertain the real value of these archives, estimated to consist of at least 16 million pages. However, some important discoveries are ready to be shared with the public at large.

The conference New Documents from the Pontificate of Pope Pius XII and their Meaning for Jewish-Christian Relations will focus on the ways in which these archives cast light on the historical and theological controversies regarding Pope Pius XII and the Vatican during the period of the Holocaust, and on Jewish-Christian relations at various levels: from non-specialists to those who hold offices of authority in decision-making environments and in Jewish and Catholic institutions.

Indeed, in 1965 the Catholic Church renewed its teaching with Nostra Aetate, a declaration that condemns antisemitism and presents the Jewish people as blessed by God. What can the new documents tell us about the encounters that led to this crucial moment in the renewed teaching of the Church? The conference will bring together historians and theologians, Christians and Jews, who study together to advance historical knowledge and Jewish-Christian relations.

The event will be open to the public and accredited media. Further information, as well as the procedures for accreditation to the conference, will be provided in the month of September. For any need, it is possible to contact Dr. Paolo Pegoraro (Press and Communication Office of the Pontifical Gregorian University: press@unigre.it).

The international conference is organized by:

Il Convegno internazionale è organizzato da

·      CDEC – Foundation Centre of Contemporary Jewish Documentation (Fondazione Centro di Documentazione Ebraica Contemporanea, Milan, Italy)

·      “Cardinal Bea” Centre for Jewish Studies – Faculty of History and Cultural Assets of the Church, Pontifical Gregorian University (Rome, Italy)

·      Programs on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (Washington DC, USA)

·      Institute for International Research Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center (Jerusalem, Israel)

·      Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies, Saint Leo University (Saint Leo, Florida, USA)

The international conference is sponsored by:

·      UCEI – Unione delle Comunità Ebraiche Italiane (Union of Italian Jewish Communities)

·      The Holy See, Vatican Apostolic Archive

·      The Holy See, Dicastery for Culture and Education

·      The Holy See, Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity

·      U.S. Department of State, Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues

·      U.S. Embassy to the Holy See

·      Israeli Embassy to the Holy See

·      FSCIRE – Fondazione per le Scienze Religiose Giovanni XXIII (John XXIII Foundation for Religious Sciences)

·      Resilience, https://www.resilience-ri.eu

·      AJC – American Jewish Committee