Pope Benedict’s Discourse to the Symposium organised by the Pave the Way Foundation
Pope Benedict’s Discourse to the Symposium organised by the Pave the Way Foundation SEDOC Pope
Benedict XVI met the Delegation of Pave the Way Foundation in his Summer Residence
at Castel Gandolfo on Thursday September 18th and expressed his gratitude
for the in depth study of the numerous works of Pope Pius XII around the time of
the Second World War. Pave the Way Foundation, is a US based non-sectarian organization,
tasked with removing obstacles between the world’s religions. The Pope said that
their focus of study during the days of Symposium in Rome has been the person and
the tireless pastoral and humanitarian work of Pius XII, Angelic Pastor. His fiftieth
death anniversary provides an important opportunity to deepen our knowledge of him,
to meditate on his rich teaching and to analyze thoroughly his activities, the Pope
said. He appreciated the aim of the symposium precisely to conduct a careful and
documented examination of many of his interventions, especially those in favour of
the Jews who in those years were being targeted all over Europe, in accordance with
the criminal plan of those who wanted to eliminate them from the face of the earth.
He added that everyone appreciated the human wisdom and pastoral intensity which guided
him in his long years of ministry, especially in providing organized assistance to
the Jewish people. The Holy Father appreciated their systematic documentation that
offers to the public forum the possibility of knowing more fully what Pius XII achieved
for the Jews persecuted by the Nazi and fascist regimes. The Pope recalled Pius XII’s
meeting on the 29th of November 1945 with eighty delegates of German concentration
camps at the Vatican, to thank him personally for his generosity to them during the
terrible period of Nazi-fascist persecution. He hoped that this year of his 50th
death anniversary will provide the opportunity to promote in-depth studies of various
aspects of his life and his works in order to come to know the historical truth, overcoming
every remaining prejudice.