The Vatican and the Shoah: Unanswered Questions of Material Complicity

The Roman Catholic Church, which directs from the Vatican City the activities of a network of spiritual, educational, charitable and diplomatic institutions across the globe, had a unique status during the Second World War. The Holy See was neutral, yet like any institution it had its own list of prioritized interests. Despite the centralized hierarchy which is such a dominant characteristic of Roman Catholicism, Catholics reacted in various ways to the moral challenges of the war.