A young Sister Margherita Marchione received in audience by Pius XII, Pacelli Elisabetta company Rossignani (1957)
The truth about Pope Pius XII
By Sister Margherita Marchione. Ph. D.
Pope Pius XII was not a collaborator with the Germans, much less pro-Nazi. Nor was passive or silent. As a member of the Catholic Church I dislike blatant accusations against the diplomacy of the Pope and the Church during the Second World War. It is not just indecent journalism, but also an injustice to a man who saved more Jews than any other person, including Oscar Schindler and Raoul Wallenberg. Unfortunately, even in the new Holocaust Museum in Battery Park in New York criticized the Pope is amiss. Yet it is historically inappropriate accused with the charge of "silence."
Is that the media will continue to perpetuate such falsehoods? The documents prove that these distortions are not true. Pius XII spoke to the extent possible and set well do more with actions than words. In the end, convinced that if Hitler had denounced publicly, would have been retaliation. And there was. Every time you raised protests the treatment of prisoners worsened immediately. Robert Kempner, the chief counsel for the United States in the Nuremberg Tribunal that tried for war crimes, wrote: "All the arguments and writings used by the Catholic Church against Hitler at the end were suicide, then prompted to continue the execution of Jews from Catholic priests ".
Pius XII, through his public speeches, his calls for governments and secret diplomacy "pledged more than anyone else in the effort to stop the war and building peace. The documents show how Pius XII was in contact with the German generals who wanted to overthrow Hitler. They also show how Jewish community received invaluable assistance: personal funds of Pius XII helped to rescue Jews persecuted by the Nazis. The representatives of the Pope in Croatia, Hungary and Romania intervened to stop deportations. The Pope, in a last-ditch attempt to avoid bloodshed, had proposed a conference in 1939 to preserve the peace to collect to Italy, France, Britain, Germany and Poland.
An interesting document is the testimony of Albert Einstein, who, disenchanted with the silence of universities and publishers of newspapers, told Time magazine (December 23, 1940): "Only the Church has maintained properly, standing in the way of Hitler's campaign to suppress the truth ... The Church alone has had the courage and perseverance to be erected for intellectual truth and moral freedom ". And indeed, following the directives of Pope Pius XII and religious opened their doors to save Jews.
Never were the Jews and the Vatican so close as during the Second World War. The Vatican was the only place on the continent were those friends. The response of Pope Pius XII to the plight of the Jews was to save as many as possible. Little has been done, however, to thwart criticism of Pius XII that began in 1963 when Rolf Hochhuth characterized him as a Nazi collaborator in his play The Vicar . In contrast to the image suggested by this work, the Vatican documents indicate that the Church set in motion a covert mechanism by which more than 800,000 Jews escaped the Holocaust. After careful study of documents available, anyone interested in the truth honestly can not persist in condemning the actions or words of Pope Pius XII and the Catholic Church during this tragic period.
An honest assessment of the words and actions can not Pius XII for less than discharge it of false accusations and show that it has been unfairly maligned. The Pope did not encourage nor was favored by the Nazis. The day after his election, March 3, 1939, the Nazi newspaper Berliner Morgenpost clearly stated its position: "The election of Cardinal Pacelli is not welcome in Germany because he has always opposed to Nazism" .
editorial The New York Times of December 25, 1942 was explicit: "The voice of Pius XII is a lonely voice in the silence and darkness that envelop Europe this Christmas. It is virtually the only ruler left on Europe dares to speak out ". Pope's Christmas message was also interpreted in a report by the Gestapo: "in a manner unprecedented [...] the Pope has repudiated the National Socialist New European Order [Nazism]. is true that the Pope does not refer directly to the National Socialists in Germany by name, but his speech is a broad attack on everything we stand for [...]. is clear that this is speaking for the Jews. " Perhaps the world should interpret the Pope's words for what they meant and, undoubtedly, in the sense that it correctly understand the Nazis, that is, that Pope Pius XII was always opposed to Nazism.
The Jewish Community publicly acknowledged the wisdom of the diplomacy of Pope Pius XII. In September 1945 Dr. Joseph Nathan, representing the Hebrew Commission-stated "We thank, above all, the Supreme Pontiff and the religious who, under orders of the Holy Father, recognized the persecuted as their brothers and, with great abnegation, hastened to help them, disregarding the terrible dangers to which it exposed them ". In 1958, the death of Pius XII, Golda Meir sent an eloquent message of condolence: "share the pain of humanity [...]. When our people came upon the terrible martyrdom, the Pope raised his voice for victims. The life of our times was enriched by a voice that spoke of great moral truths above the tumult of daily conflict. We mourn a great servant of peace ".
The Pope of the Justice and Peace ON THE CHURCH AND THE HOLOCAUST
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1. The most important Jewish scholar from Hungary, Jeno Levai, insisted some years ago which is a "particularly regrettable irony that the person, among all occupied Europe, who did more than anybody else to stop the dreadful crime and alleviate its consequences is now the scapegoat for the failures of others ". Levai In his book does not hesitate to claim that the attacks on the Pope's war record are "manifestly malicious and the result of the plot [...]. Archives of the Vatican, diocesan authorities and the Ministry Ribbentrop Foreign contain a range of direct and indirect protests, diplomatic and public, secret and open. Nuncios and bishops of the Catholic Church intervened again and again under instructions from the Pope ". Their interventions were as unsuccessful as the demands and threats from the British and American governments. In addition, the precariousness of the situation is often intensified by the fact that such protests could increase the mortal danger that the Jews themselves and their protectors (Hungarian Jews and the Papacy) .
2. The Israeli diplomat Pinchas Lapide and journalist concluded his careful review the activities of Pius XII during the war with the words: "The Catholic Church under Pope Pius XII was instrumental in saving as many lives of 860,000 Jews from certain death at Nazi hands" . He added: "figure that far exceeds that of those saved by other churches and relief organizations together" . After referring statements of gratitude from a variety of prominent Jewish spokesmen noted: "No Pope in history has been most cordial expressions of thanks [...]. Many have suggested in open letters should planted a forest of 860,000 trees in the hills of Judea to properly honor the memory of the deceased pontiff "(Three Popes and the Jews) . Lapide acknowledged in his book that the Church "through an endless series of sermons, addresses, pastoral letters and encyclicals, was a clear and implacable enemy of all forms of racism of the time, and everyone knew: Jewish , Poles, Russians and, more disturbingly, the Nazi secret police ". Their files mention recalcitrant Catholic clergy to more than any other group.
3. The former chief rabbi of Rome during the German occupation, Israel Zolli, concluded their first-hand report on the events of the war era this way: "You could write volumes about the works of all kinds of Pius XII and the countless priests, religious and laity who stood up with him around the world during the war ". "No hero," he wrote in all history was more militant and combative, no other person more heroic than Pius XII in pursuing the works of true charity [...] and this for all God's children suffering ". Zolli was so moved by the work of Pius XII who decided to be finished católico al acabar la guerra, tomando el nombre de pila del Papa (Before the Dawn) .
4. En sus editoriales de Navidad de 1941 y 1942, el New York Times elogió a Pío XII por su liderazgo moral como una “voz solitaria que clama en medio del silencio de un continente” , denunciando, entre otras cosas, “la violenta ocupación de territorios y el exilio y persecución de seres humanos por no otra razón que la de la raza” . Ninguna otra institución produjo tantos héroes durante el Holocausto como la Igleisa: sacerdotes, monjas y laicos italianos, eslovacos, franceses, húngaros, etc., que arriesgaron y frecuentemente gave their lives for the sake of the persecuted Jews. This also deserves remembrance and respect.
5. Golda Meir, then Israel's representative to the United Nations, was the first of the delegates to react to news of the death of Pope Pius XII: "share the pain of humanity by the death of His Holiness Pope Pius XII . In a generation afflicted by wars and strife remained the highest ideals of peace and compassion. When a fearful martyrdom came to our people in the decade of Nazi terror, the voice of the Pope was raised for the victims. The life of our times was enriched by a voice that spoke of the great moral virtues above the tumult of daily conflict. We mourn a great servant of peace. "
6. Leonard Bernstein, to learn of the death of Pius XII as he led his orchestra the auditorium of Carnegie Hall in New York, struck with his baton requesting a minute's silence in tribute to the Pope who had saved the lives of so many people regardless of race, nationality or religion.
7. The great physicist Albert Einstein, who himself barely escaped annihilation at the hands of the Nazis, raised the issue very well in 1940 when he said: "Being a lover of freedom, when the revolution broke Nazi Germany, I returned look to universities to see if defended, but the universities were immediately silenced. Then I turned to the great editors of newspapers, but, as in the case of universities, were also silenced in the course of a few short weeks. I looked in the direction of the writers and also remained silent. Only the Church has maintained properly, standing in the way of Hitler's campaign to suppress the truth [...] Never before had a special interest in the Church, but now I'm inspired great affection and admiration [ ...] and I must confess that I once despised but now I can not praise unreservedly " .
2. The Israeli diplomat Pinchas Lapide and journalist concluded his careful review the activities of Pius XII during the war with the words: "The Catholic Church under Pope Pius XII was instrumental in saving as many lives of 860,000 Jews from certain death at Nazi hands" . He added: "figure that far exceeds that of those saved by other churches and relief organizations together" . After referring statements of gratitude from a variety of prominent Jewish spokesmen noted: "No Pope in history has been most cordial expressions of thanks [...]. Many have suggested in open letters should planted a forest of 860,000 trees in the hills of Judea to properly honor the memory of the deceased pontiff "(Three Popes and the Jews) . Lapide acknowledged in his book that the Church "through an endless series of sermons, addresses, pastoral letters and encyclicals, was a clear and implacable enemy of all forms of racism of the time, and everyone knew: Jewish , Poles, Russians and, more disturbingly, the Nazi secret police ". Their files mention recalcitrant Catholic clergy to more than any other group.
3. The former chief rabbi of Rome during the German occupation, Israel Zolli, concluded their first-hand report on the events of the war era this way: "You could write volumes about the works of all kinds of Pius XII and the countless priests, religious and laity who stood up with him around the world during the war ". "No hero," he wrote in all history was more militant and combative, no other person more heroic than Pius XII in pursuing the works of true charity [...] and this for all God's children suffering ". Zolli was so moved by the work of Pius XII who decided to be finished católico al acabar la guerra, tomando el nombre de pila del Papa (Before the Dawn) .
4. En sus editoriales de Navidad de 1941 y 1942, el New York Times elogió a Pío XII por su liderazgo moral como una “voz solitaria que clama en medio del silencio de un continente” , denunciando, entre otras cosas, “la violenta ocupación de territorios y el exilio y persecución de seres humanos por no otra razón que la de la raza” . Ninguna otra institución produjo tantos héroes durante el Holocausto como la Igleisa: sacerdotes, monjas y laicos italianos, eslovacos, franceses, húngaros, etc., que arriesgaron y frecuentemente gave their lives for the sake of the persecuted Jews. This also deserves remembrance and respect.
5. Golda Meir, then Israel's representative to the United Nations, was the first of the delegates to react to news of the death of Pope Pius XII: "share the pain of humanity by the death of His Holiness Pope Pius XII . In a generation afflicted by wars and strife remained the highest ideals of peace and compassion. When a fearful martyrdom came to our people in the decade of Nazi terror, the voice of the Pope was raised for the victims. The life of our times was enriched by a voice that spoke of the great moral virtues above the tumult of daily conflict. We mourn a great servant of peace. "
6. Leonard Bernstein, to learn of the death of Pius XII as he led his orchestra the auditorium of Carnegie Hall in New York, struck with his baton requesting a minute's silence in tribute to the Pope who had saved the lives of so many people regardless of race, nationality or religion.
7. The great physicist Albert Einstein, who himself barely escaped annihilation at the hands of the Nazis, raised the issue very well in 1940 when he said: "Being a lover of freedom, when the revolution broke Nazi Germany, I returned look to universities to see if defended, but the universities were immediately silenced. Then I turned to the great editors of newspapers, but, as in the case of universities, were also silenced in the course of a few short weeks. I looked in the direction of the writers and also remained silent. Only the Church has maintained properly, standing in the way of Hitler's campaign to suppress the truth [...] Never before had a special interest in the Church, but now I'm inspired great affection and admiration [ ...] and I must confess that I once despised but now I can not praise unreservedly " .
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