FILM REVIVES ROW OVER PIUS'S WAR ROLE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01365R000300140006-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 4, 2004
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: December 11, 1973
• Content Type: NSPR

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Approved For Release 2005/Oil ' Ei'R D ~-01365R000 4
11 DEC 1973
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revives row over Pius's war role
By'KAY IVITIILR5
Sun Staff Correspondent
RomeThe film version of a
book 6y" an American author
has resuscitated controversy
over Pope Pius XII's role in
the closing years of World War
H.
The film, "Massacre in
Rome," based ? on the book,
"Death in Rome," ? by Robert
Hochhuth's famous play, "The intervention to prevent "the "In 1967, on publication of
Deputy," which accused Popel sword of Damocles," as he i y book, the Vatican publicly
Pius of silence in the face of !later described it, from drop- declared that it would disprove
the Nazis' mass extermination ping on Rome. what it called my 'vicious lies'
But the Pope, wrote Mr. within a few da s," he added.
of European Jewry. Katz, apparently decided "not y
This time,. however, the late No such proof was ever of
Pope's niece, Countess 'Elena to intervene, to remain silent feted.
al during the massacre and to
Rossignani, 58, has brought a react to it with great caution.' "Finally, in 1973, with the
libel charge against Mr. Katz; I
"I've always left it open- release in Italy of the film I
'
and its
ended," Mr. Katz said, "be- `Massacre in Rome
cause . . . I did not have a imminent release in New
signed confession from the York, the Vatican is still issu-
Pope. But the way the evi- ing, denunciations, innuendoes
donee goes, it's a legitimate and distortions without a
conclusion . . . that he knew shred of evidence to support
and he did not act." them," Mr. Katz continued.
Mr. Katz conceded that "it The Most Rev. Federico
was remotely conceivable that ff' ' 1 V ti-
a
h
Katz, 41, relates events leading Ilwho `produced it, and Richard
to a bomb attack by Italian, Burton and Marcello Mas-
'partisans, on German SS troops troianni, who play the roles in
in Via Rasella on March 23, the film of an SS officer and a
1944, and the reprisal that fol-
lowed 24 hours later. If the case goes to trial, it
blooded procedure, the Ger-
mans rounded up 335 hostages,
mostly on racial and religious
grounds or trumped-up
charges, and shot them, five at
a time, In the Ardentine Caves
on the outskirts of the city.
They then sealed the entrances
to the caves with explosive
charges, leaving inside two
huge mounds of bodies, many
with their knees still flexed
from kneeling. for execution.
Both the book and film,
which was co-scripted by Mr.
e s
oo
author sa
Katz, suggest that Pope Pius
position, which he based on
f
h
i
ort
com
ng
was informed of a
reprisal, but allowed political I research of the available doc-
prudence prudence to outweigh all other unlentation including an arti
considerations. cle in the Vatican newspaper
Msgr. "Alberto Giovanetti, L'Osservatore Romano, and
the current Vatican represent- on personal interviews,
ative to the United Nations in He said that evidence indi-
' New Yofk," Mr. Katz said this cated that Eugene Dollnfan,
week, "indicated in his book the representative of Heinrich
that the Germans had threat- Himmler, the SS chief in
ened a review of their attitude Rome during the war, told a
to certain negotiations if the Vatican liaison official and
1 trusted aide to Pope Pius, the
n
The New Yorker said he was
quite ready to review his posi-
further evidence. '
"It is well-known that Pope
Paul, who was then Monsignor
Montini, was one of Pius's
close collaborators," Mr. Katz
added, "and that he kept notes
of anything of importance.. .
Now either he should open his
archives or somebody should
. and let's see who's right."
Instead, "in 1965, when I was
researching my book, the Vati-
can declared it would respond
.
Vatican intervno
The publication of "Death Rev. Pankratius Pfeiffer, after Ito my [request for research
in Rome" in January, 1967, the bombing, that a reprisal (facilities] within a 48-hour pe-
provoked a storm of criticism li'as imminent, although he did riod," Mr. Katz said. "No such
from the Vatican, coming as it not know the details. reply was ever given, in spite
did just three years after Rolf The German asked for papalI of repeated requests.
Approved For Release 2005/01/13 : CIA-RDP88-01365R0003001,40006-6
e o squ
precedent. For the court would) the Pope was kept in the dark Alesspokes , t
can spokesman, brusquely re-
have to pass judgment on Pope by his closest, alder about the
I
Pius XII, the first time in I fused to comment on the latest
history that a secular court l events unfolding that tragic) developments, except to say,
has been called upon to pro- Iday ... [just as] we have the "I was working in the Vatican
I example of the President of in that period . . . and what
nounce on the actions of a the United States remotely, has been said by that Ameri-
Pope. conceivably being kept in the
Mr. Katz said that he wel- dark by his closest aides about can gentleman and what has
corned "the opportunity to see certain momentous events now bThiseen is said my in the film personal i is a a lie.
lie-
this thing through. I have not under discussion." "
sought to defame anybody," he ence.
added. "All I'm doing is a Katz ready for challenge
recording job."
d on his) Lion should the Vatican provide
t
id h