But the problem with doing nothing is that the Pope is charged with the duty of being shepherd to the sheep - to guard the sheepfold and try to keep the wolves away.
He was attempting to keep the Catholic schools from being nationalized or closed by the Nazis, and to keep his priests and people from being persecuted. It didn't work out because the Nazis were dealing in bad faith, but if he had stood by and done nothing, with his people being beaten, some murdered, and crying for help, he would be the more culpable.
Kind of like the old joke about the guy sitting on his roof in the flood and waving off a truck, a boat, and a helicopter with "God will take care of me!" Drowned, got to heaven, and asked St. Peter, "Why didn't God take care of me?"
"What do you mean? He sent you a truck, a boat, and a helicopter!"
Interesting sidelight: I knew a Dutchman who was in the Netherlands during the Nazi occupation. He said most of the people were very passive and allowed the Nazis to take over and cart off the Jews because after all, God had placed them in authority so it must be His will . . .
Wrt your other remark -- I was a trial lawyer for almost 25 years -- even in the legal biz "discovery" is not a carte blanche to rummage promiscuously through somebody's records. Opposing counsel does not get to just go into your client's archives and rummage around seeing what he can find. What is done is just what was done in this case -- the client (or the Church) reviews its files and produces all relevant material to opposing counsel (or the committee). Just like a client, the Church has confidential materials, matters personal to individuals not involved in the controversy, financial records, and so forth. Imagine folks with a possible axe to grind rummaging through your personnel file, job reviews, and so forth at your employer's office -- and then making it public!
Here, the committee had not even begun to review what they had been given when rogue members went public questioning the Church's good faith and demanding unfettered access to everything. It just doesn't work that way, not in the law, not in historical research. The U.S. Census Bureau does not release any raw returns until 75 years have elapsed, despite all the genealogists' begging and whining.
On the first, my question was his motivation - i.e. if he signed the Concordant out of fear. But the truth of his motive is only known to God and to him.
If he were acting out of faith then I would have no concern at all. Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David and so on - all acted out of faith, not fear.
On the second, I wonder how it would have turned out if the Vatican had responded to the preliminary report's 47 questions specifically much like an attorney would, e. g. attached, irrelevant, documents do not exist, confidential, etc.