VATICAN DENIES HELPING NAZI WAR CRIMINALS FLEE

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 15, 1992                   TAG: 9202150153
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
DATELINE: VATICAN CITY                                LENGTH: Short
VATICAN DENIES HELPING NAZI WAR CRIMINALS FLEE
Rebutting an old accusation, the Vatican on Friday rejected as "historically false" allegations that it aided Nazi war criminals to flee Europe to South America after World War II.
The assertion came in a written statement by Vatican press chief Joaquin Navarro, the spokesman for Pope John Paul II. It was triggered by reports from Argentina that newly declassified archives there show that Nazi officials arrived in Buenos Aires after the war on passports provided by the Vatican, the Red Cross and Spain.
Noting news reports from the Argentine capital, Navarro said, "The idea that the Holy See . . . helped Nazi criminals, persecutors of the Jews, to flee from Europe by helping provide passports is historically false."
In fact, he said, during and immediately after the war, the Vatican - on the specific orders of Pope Pius XII - cooperated with Jewish organizations seeking transit documents for displaced Jews in Europe. A pontifical commission cooperating with allied military authorities aided refugees of many nationalities to find new homes outside Europe. "It was probably easy for wanted criminals and others to disappear among the refugees trying to emigrate. . . . It was easy to create a false identity," the statement said.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB