Since the end of the Second World War, supporters of Pius XII have often claimed that he was instrumental in saving hundreds of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust. Assistance from the Holy See allegedly included measures to facilitate Jewish emigration from Europe, as well as diplomatic interventions before and during the war. A third activity consisted of direct Vatican involvement in hiding, supplying, and guiding Jews who were trying to escape deportation. Some papal advocates maintain that Pius XII initiated these rescue efforts and ordered men and women of the Church to participate in them. More specifically, they assert that he issued directives to the heads of Church institutions to open their doors to Jews and other fugitives from the Nazis and local collaborators.

Papal critics disagree with advocates on the extent and effectiveness of the pope's efforts in all three of these assistance options. They maintain that Vatican efforts to facilitate Jewish emigration were directed almost exclusively toward converts to Catholicism. They indicate, also, that most Vatican diplomatic interventions on behalf of Jews during the war were tentative, tardy, and ineffective. These positions have been examined elsewhere and are not described further here. This chapter focuses exclusively on the third option, the issuance of a papal directive to save Jews. The analysis is limited to Italy, the country where Vatican officials, primarily Italian in origin, were most able to be helpful.

The conclusion that the pope did not issue a rescue order is based on several factors.