Pope Benedict XVI told Jewish leaders on Thursday morning that he is "seriously considering" freezing the sainthood process of Nazi-era Pope Pius XII until historical archives can be opened. Pius has been criticized for not speaking out, if not turning a blind eye to the Holocaust.
Rabbi David Rosen, a leader of a Jewish delegation which met the pope, told reporters, "One member of our delegation told the pope 'please do not move ahead with beatification of Pius XII before the Vatican archives can be made accessible for objective historical analysis' and the pope said 'I am looking into it. I am considering it seriously.'"
The Vatican said it would take at least six or seven more years before scholars can consult the archives. Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said 16 million documents have to be catalogued.