Pope Francis has said the Roman Catholic Church will open up its archives on Pius XII, who was Pope during World War Two.

Axar.az reports citing BBC.

Pius, who was Pope from 1939 to 1958, has been accused of tolerating the rise of Nazi Germany and of not doing enough to protect Jews during the Holocaust.

The Vatican says he worked behind the scenes to try to protect Jews.

Jewish groups, which have been calling for full access to the archives for years, have welcomed the move.

Pope Francis said the archives would be opened in March next year, adding that Pius's legacy had been treated with "some prejudice and exaggeration".

He said it included "moments of grave difficulties, tormented decisions of human and Christian prudence, that to some could appear as reticence".

The prefect of the Vatican's Secret Archive said the opening would allow a more profound evaluation of a figure who had been subject to what he called "superficial criticism".