New York, N.Y., February 15, 2002 ... The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today applauded a step taken by the Vatican to open some of its archives from the pontificate of Pius XII, whose reign over the church spanned from the 1939 to 1958.

"While we applaud this important first step, the questions about Pope Pius XII and his behavior during the Holocaust will not go away without a complete examination of the Vatican archives from his papacy," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "Only then, when the Vatican grants experts and scholars the full access to the relevant records, will the speculation about Pius XII cease and the historical truth be determined."

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.