Customer Reviews

Pope Pius XII: Architect for Peace

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1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book provides an excellent resource for anyone interested in a true scholarly study of actual documents and articles from the time of the war. Ms. Marchione also provides a wealth of quotes from prominent Jewish leaders and rabbis in support of the constant efforts of the Pope. It is especially telling when the Rabbi in Rome talks about how he personally, along with many others he was with, was saved from deportation and likely death by the Pope hiding him in the Vatican and Church properties.

Most people agree with the saying "Actions speak louder than words". This book provides documentary evidence from first hand sources and articles from the time of the Popes constant efforts to ease the suffering of the Jews and all those persecuted by the Nazis.

The later chapters also provide some insight into the pressure the Pope was receiving from POLITICAL leaders to speak out and why he chose his words as carefully as he did- to save more lives. It also documents how other organizations such as the International Red Cross also consciously and explicitly chose not to speak out in direct terms about Jews specifically because they knew this would result in the Nazis cutting off their access to those in concentration camps who they were able to help. The Pope never waivered in defense of the dignity of life and all persons and the Nazis considered him an enemy for his statements. The Allies wanted the Pope as a political tool regardless of how it would increase the suffering of Jews. This part of the book is especially insightful on these key points about the Pope's "silence".

One of the strongest merits of this book is that it relies first and foremost on facts, quotes and articles and provides the source so one can check facts. Other books written against this Pope rely heavily on assumptions about why Pius XII did or did not do things. That is a very dangerous approach and has less to do with recording history than with advancing an agenda, essentially editorializing.

Anyone interested in the truth as heard from the Jewish people of the time and, traditionally anti-Catholic media such as the NYT and Washington Post, should read this book. Trust the people who lived through this frightening and sad time to portray events accurately rather than contemporary "historians" interested more in sensationalism and false scandals.

"This Christmas, more than ever, the Pope is a lonely voice crying out in the silence of a continent." --New York Times editorial, Dec. 25, 1942.

"Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler's campaign for suppressing the truth." --Albert Einstein in Time magazine, Dec. 23, 1940.

"The Pope is virtually accusing the German people of injustice toward the Jews and makes himself the mouthpiece of Jewish war criminals." --Reaction of SS leader Reinhard Heydich to Pius XII's Christmas message of 1942.

If these words don't fit with what you've heard lately about Pius XII, this book will be an eye-opener. Marchione has compiled numerous references from journals, statesmen, ambassadors, and both Catholic and Jewish historians which refute recent claims that the Pope presiding during World War II was silent in the face of Nazi atrocities. She portrays instead a man who used his authority to render aid and alleviate the sufferings of all Hitler's victims.

While her defense is passionate, she avoids the criticism of bias by basing her statements on the abundance of documents that she brings to bear on the subject. In fact, the book is worth having for the footnotes and bibliography alone. At times touching--as this citation from Jeno Levai, Jewish Hungarian historian: "In the autumn of 1944 there was practically no Catholic Church institution in Budapest where persecuted Jews did not find refuge."*--and at times stunning--as this from Pinchas Lapide, Israeli Consul General in Milan: "The Catholic Church, under the pontificate of Pius XII, was instrumental in saving as many as 860,000 Jews from certain death at Nazi hands."** --the book is a good read as well as a good reference.

One weakness of the book to my mind is its cursory treatment of the Concordat made between Germany and the Vatican in 1933. As this political agreement is a point of controversy among those who interest themselves in Jewish-Catholic relations, I think it deserved more prime time.

In addition to the numerous footnotes and annotated bibliography, the book contains over 100 pages of selected documents from the Vatican Archives. The two essays by Graham and Blet, both editors of the Vatican archival documents relating to the war, are persuasive and powerful.

The Chief Rabbi of Israel, Isaac Herzog, declared in 1945 that "The people of Israel will never forget what His Holiness and his illustrious delegates ... are doing for our unfortunate brothers and sisters in the most tragic hour of our history...." Why should we read this book? So that we will never forget.

*Hungarian Jewry and the Papacy **Three Popes and the Jews

This is a compelling, well written book which bases its conclusions on quotes from prominent Jewish leaders from the time of Pope Pius XII and Hitler and headlines from typically anti-Cathlolic sources such as the New York Times and Washington Post. When the Chief Rabbi of Rome was saved from death by being hidden in the Vatican and praises Pius XII for all he did to save thousands of Jews, it is difficult to believe than anyone today is "uncovering" the "real" story. Why should anyone believe John Cornwell or any other current day "researcher" when all one has to do is read what the Jews of the time were saying about this Pope? Does Cornwell who did not live through the holocaust have more authority and credibility than Jews who were saved from death by Pius XII?

Dr. Marchione does not rely on her own interpretation of Piux XII's motivations to build her case. She does an excellent job of dissecting the actual recorded historical events of the time and the reaction of prominent leaders around the world, especially Jewish leaders. She also traces back the origin of the criticism of this Pope to the FICTIONAL play "The Deputy". It is unfortunate that many critics of Pope Pius XII either will not take the time to review the facts of what Jewish leaders said about this Pope at the time or will not be honest about their agenda to discredit and tear down the Catholic Church regardless of whether their writings are based on lies and supposition.

The book also provides reprints of documents written by Pope Pius XII decrying Nazism and National Socialism. It also recounts Nazi reaction to some of the Pope's messages identifying him as clearly an enemy of the Nazi regime.

Whether you are Catholic, Jewish or from any other perspective, including atheist, this book provides facts which must be considered before anyone can come to their own conclusion about the actions of Pius XII. Anyone interested in making an informed judgement must include this book in their list of sources before making a judgement.

Great book! It really opened my eyes to a subject I knew little about and cleared up the sources of the attacks against this Pope and the Catholic Church in general.

This is a superb study of Pius XII's work for peace and for aid to the persecuted during World War II.

What is overhwelming here is the documentation of the literally thousands of times when Pius XII, his nuncios, and the various institutions of the Catholic Church reached out to save persecuted Jews.

An irrefutable argument.

It never ceases to amaze me how easily reputations and a life's work can be destroyed by untruths in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Margherita Marcione makes no attempt to hide her indignation about those Monday morning quarterbacks who utter unsubstantiated comments and theories.

The sheer number of documentary evidence pertaining to Pius's efforts to save as many Jews and others as possible should be sufficient. Testamonials from Jewish civic and religious leaders speak volumes of the gratitude and affection they bestowed on Pius XII.

Could the attacks against Pius actually be a thinly veiled attack against the Catholic Church? Where, in balance is the criticism of world leaders of the day, Churchill, Roosevelt and their like? Where is the condemnation of the Red Cross or the American Jewish community for their "silence" and lack of action? Marcione's book is not an apology but a no nonsense defense of one of the few men of his day to not only "talk the talk but also walk the walk," that saved hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of innocent people, Jews and non-Jews alike.

Although it is written from the point of view of defending Pius's actions, the author provides a complete reference bibliography for the serious searcher of truth. Perhaps the critics of Pius should make availabile an equal amount of factual data to defend their position.

Pope Pius XII saved hundreds of thousand of Jews from certain death---yet this most righteous of Gentiles has become the object of bitter anti-Catholic calumny. This scholarly work simply piles fact on fact, speech on speech, diplomatic cable on diplomatic cable to dismiss the libel. A work of scholarship, a work of justice.

After reading John Cornwell's libelous "Hitler's Pope," I sought a neutral and dispassionate history of the Church during World War II. This book does not provide what I sought. It is clearly an apologetic for Pope Pius XII, the Curia, and all things Roman Catholic. Professor Marchione is, after all, also Sister Margherita.

There are ditches on both sides of most roads. It is just as possible to fall into one ditch, as it is to fall into the other. Whereas Cornwell fell into the ditch of vilifying an holy and decent man, Marchione falls into the other, seemingly canonizing the late Pontiff well before the Vatican has concluded that (inevitable?) action. Dr. Marchione's commitment to her faith and her passion for this cause, out-shine her scholarship.

Nevertheless, this is a scholarly book in which Professor Marchione goes far to prove her points that the Holy Father was not silent in the face of the Holocaust, was not cowered by Hitler, and acted decisely to save hundreds of thousands of intended victims of the Third Reich. The end notes, annotated bibliography, appendices, documents, and indices take up approximately 1/3 of the book. Dr. Marchione's scholarly documentation, alone, makes this book worth reading. Her appeal to the original source documents handily refutes the arguments of Cornwell, Hochhuth, and others, who attempt to drag the good name of the Holy Father through the mud of innuendo and lies.

To counter the argument that the Pope kept silence during the Holocaust, Sister Margherita presents to us the encyclicals "Mit Brennender Sorge," and "Summi Pontificatus," as well as the thirty-three wartime messages which directly addressed the issue. To counter the argument that the Vatican did nothing to save the Jews, or others, hunted by the Nazis, she tells us of the thousands hidden in the old Roman ruins under the Papal residence at Castel Gandolfo, and the hundreds of thousands hidden in churches, monasteries, and convents throughout Europe with the knowledge and approval of the Holy See. Then, just to make her point, she introduces us to Israel Zolli, the Chief Rabbi of Rome, who converted to Christianity after the war, taking the Pope's first name as his own.

This is not a neutral, dispassionate history. Still, unlike some of what has been written lately about Pope Pius XII, it is fair. It is well documented. It is well written, and it is worth reading.

Sister Margherita Marchione has done a great service to the World for telling the truth about Pope Pius XII during WW II. It is easy for us to sit back and Monday Morning Quarter Back as to what he should and should not have done. What had any religious leader done about the slaughter in Africa or Bosnia?

Marchione's documentation is superb. She shows how many Jews, starting with the Grand Rabbi of Rome, praised Pius XII for his heroic efforts to save them from the Nazis. She also shows the source of the calumny against Pius XII which began with Hochhuth's 1963 play the Deputy (most of the characters and texts of the play are in fact pure fiction).

What is new here is how Pius XII's peace efforts made him a bete noire to both sides. He wouldn't bless the Russian Comuninists (so he must be secretly pro-Axis). He wouldn't bless the Nazis (so he must be secretly pro-Allied). He despised both the concentration camps and the obliteration bombing, both the Nazi invasions and the Allied calls for unconditional surrender----eminently moral positions, but not one to win applause from belligerents looking for religious cheerleaders.

The book provides an excellent overview of the Pope's role during World War II in light of history. The evidence in support of the Pope is overwhelming, to say the least. An eye-opening refutation of Cornwell's book, "Hitler's Pope."