Returning to Rome from his visit to the Holy Land, Pope Francis told reporters that he won't allow the beatification of his wartime predecessor Pius XII, who stands accused of not speaking out enough against the Holocaust.
Francis told reporters on the plane that without a confirmed miracle on his record, the beatification of Pius was stalled.
"There is still no miracle. If there are no miracles we cannot go forward". However, the pope said that the file on Pius XII was still open.
The first step of the Catholic Church's lengthy process for declaring someone a saint involves the beatification, which includes the confirmation of a miracle performed by God through the intercession of the candidate.
Pius XII is a controversial figure as many critics have claimed he did not do enough to protect Jews from the Nazi war machine and did not publicly denounce the Holocaust.
Supporters say Pius was working quietly behind the scenes through the war to protect Jews. There have been demands, including from the World Jewish Congress, for the Vatican to open all archives relating to that period so researchers can assess what Pius XII did in this respect.
