Pope Francis to Open Vatican Files on Argentina’s ‘Dirty War’

VATICAN CITY/ARGENTINA
Telesur

Relatives of the thousands of victims killed by the military regime could finally discover the fate of their loved ones.

Pope Francis has ordered the Vatican to open its files relating to Argentina’s military dictatorship, according to church officials Wednesday.

This move could lead to the clarification on the fate of tens of thousands disappeared under the military regime, who ushered in a period of state terrorism from 1974 to 1983.

The information was revealed by Father Guillermo Karcher, an Argentinian priest and pontifical usher that has known the Pope for over 20 years. Karcher said the pope wished “for something to be done,” adding that the secretariat of state – who is taking charge of the case – has already begun on declassifying the Vatican archives related to Argentina’s dictatorship.

Human rights groups say up to 30,000 people were kidnapped, murdered or disappeared during the dictatorship and the Catholic Church is acknowledged to have been a key player in the country during those years.

Church officials collected a large amount of information on the cases, and likely saved records of their dealings with the military regime.

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