According to a Reuters report, the Vatican plans to allow access to the files of Pope Pius XI beginning on September 18. The documents encompass the pontificate of Pius XI, from February 6, 1922 through February 10, 1939; they are expected to shed light on the Holy See's involvement in the Spanish Civil War as well as the leadup to World War II.
The AP adds that the new materials may include an encyclical written by Pius XI but not released before his death: titled "Humani Generis Unitatis" ("The Unity of the Human Race") the document was "commissioned to denounce racism and the violent nationalism of Germany."
