A new movie depicting Pope Pius XII as a savior of Jews was criticized by the Vatican newspaper and an Italian Jewish publication.
“Shades of Truth,” featuring international stars Christopher Lambert and Giancarlo Giannini, had its premiere March 2 in Vatican City.
The movie attempts to prove that Pius XII was not “Hitler’s Pope,” as some have dubbed him, but “the Vatican’s Schindler,” in reference to the German businessman Oskar Schindler, who is credited with saving some 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust.
Critics have long accused Pius of not having done enough to help Jews during the Holocaust, while the Vatican has asserted he worked behind the scenes to save Jews.
According to the film’s director, Liana Marabini, the skillful diplomacy of Pius XII saved some 800,000 Jews from persecution.
But the Holy See’s daily newspaper, l’Osservatore Romano, called the film “naive” and “not credible.”
In an interview in June, Pope Francis defended Pius XII’s record during the war, calling the former pope “the great defender of the Jews.” — jta