Pope to open archives on Argentina’s ‘disappeared’

The Pope has promised to declassify the Vatican archive on the Argentinian junta in a move that could allow the families of thousands of victims finally to discover the fate of their loved ones, writes Hannah Roberts.

Argentinian human rights activist Lita Boitano asked Francis to open the Vatican archives on the “disappeared ones” and apologise for the Vatican’s complicity.

The 83-year-old campaigner, president of the Families of Disappeared and Political Detainees, lost her two sons when they were kidnapped and murdered during the military dictatorship. As many as 20,000 people were made to “disappear” by the military junta between 1976 and 1983. The Vatican collected a large amount of information on these cases, principally through the nuncio’s office in Buenos Aires. Ms Boitano said Francis told her: “The opening of the archives is happening – it will be completed.”