A question I have is, does Pope Pius XII have a tree or another special honor that is given to thoes whom both Israel and the Jewish people call, that is in Israel a “rightous gentle” ? That would be a great start.
There is a long-term and ongoing attempt to recognize Pius at Yad Vashem.
I suspect that the difficulty isn’t Pius’ actual conduct, but rather the general feeling that, as the leader of the Christianity that birthed the culture the lead to the Holocaust, Pius should not be recognized. Very unfair to him personally for sure.
Pius will eventually be recognized at Yad Vashem.
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/abbott/090507
In 1958, when Pope Pius XII died, the first official dignitary to react was Golda Meir, delegate to the United Nations and the future prime minister of Israel. She said in her public message:
We share in the grief of humanity at the passing away of His Holiness, Pope Pius XII. In a generation afflicted by wars and discords he upheld the highest ideals of peace and compassion. When fearful martyrdom came to our people in the decade of Nazi terror, the voice of the Pope was raised for its victims.
It was estimated by the newly created government of Israel that Pope Pius XII’s policy of quiet but intense behind-the-scenes effort had saved over 800,000 Jewish lives during the Holocaust — more than all other relief organizations combined. James Bogle points out the fact that the government of Israel officially approved the creation of a memorial forest with the planting of 800,000 trees in the Negev desert, southeast of Jerusalem, to stand as a perpetual monument to the heroic efforts of a truly great man and a true friend of the Jews, Pope Pius XII.