Pope Francis has praised Pius XII for sheltering Jews during the Holocaust.
Speaking during Mass on Monday, the Pope used the wartime pontiff as an example of people who took risks in order to be merciful.
"How many, beginning with Pius XII, took risks to hide Jews so that they wouldn't be killed, so that they wouldn't be deported!" Pope Francis said.
Pius XII has been much maligned for supposed silence in the face of the Nazis, especially in John Cornwell’s book, which labels him “Hitler’s Pope”. Cornwell has since backed down on some of his claims.
