Hitler's pope The secret history of Pius XII

A long-debated issue in recent history is whether Pope Pius X11, by taking a more forceful stand against the Nazis, could have saved many Jewish people from the Holocaust. Defenders have argued that bold opposition to Hitler would have brought serious reprisals; critics say the pope lacked moral leadership and courage to oppose evil. Cornwell (Jesus College, Cambridge) adds to the debate with a book highly critical of the pope's inaction. He describes Pius XII (Eugenio Pacelli) as an ambitious, authoritarian churchman who sought to secure the advantage of the church throughout his career. Cornwell traces Pacelli's entire life, with emphasis on his many years of representing the papacy in Germany and his political policies as pope (1939-58). In Cornwell's view, Pacelli's negotiations with Germany allowed Hitler to neutralize the influence of the church during the Third Reich (1933-45). Hitler allowed the German church its religious practices but insisted that it cease all political activity; Pacelli responded with appeasement. Cornwell says that the pope was asked repeatedly by national representatives and Jewish spokespersons to condemn Nazi atrocities but that he only delivered platitudes that failed even to mention Jews or Nazis--hence the sensational title, Hitler's Pope. General readers and undergraduates. W. L. Pitts Jr.; Baylor University

Relying on exclusive access to Vatican and Jesuit archives, an award-winning Roman Catholic journalist argues that through a 1933 Concordat with Hitler, Pope Pius XII facilitated the dictator's riseÄand, ultimately, the Holocaust. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.