Pius XII 1939-1958
His leadership at the helm of the Catholic Church during the Second World War continues to be a matter of analysis and controversy, mainly as regards the intensity of his reaction to the crimes of the Nazi regime in Europe.
The main accusation by some historians that took flight from the sixties centers on the fact that the pope did not publicly condemn fascism and that he did not intervene to stop the deportations of Jews, even though he was aware of it. Another accusation is the support given by the Church, in the form of false documents, to Nazi officials to flee to South America, Adolf Eichmann among them.