Hitler's Pope

In the early 1990s, John Cornwell undertook a study of one of the most controversial Popes in Catholic history: Pope Pius XII. Known as the "icebox Pope", Pius XII, the Roman born Eugenio Pacelli, was elected Pope on the eve of the Second World War and ruled with unprecedented power and autocracy until his death at the height of the Cold War in 1958. Pacelli refashioned the role of Pope as a position of unrivalled absolutist power, in his papal edicts and dealings with the most influential figures in 20th-century history, from Hitler and Stalin to Roosevelt and Churchill. Most controversially, Pius was accused of contributing to the fate of the Jews under the Nazis in his sympathetic dealings with Hitler as papal nuncio to Germany throughout the 1920s.

The result of Cornwell's decision to write about Pius is his magnificent and shocking book Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII.The author explains that he had initially set out to vindicate Pius's career and as a result obtained access to hitherto restricted documents held at the Vatican. The results of his research, however, left him "in a state I can only describe as moral shock." Cornwell's study "told the story of a bid for unprecedented papal power that by 1933 had drawn the Catholic Church into complicity with the darkest forces of the era ... from an early stage in his career Pacelli betrayed an undeniable antipathy towards the Jews ... his diplomacy in Germany in the 1930s resulted in the betrayal of Catholic political associations that might have challenged Hitler's regime and thwarted the Final Solution." The subsequent account is an engrossing read, revealing a picture of a fascinating but repellent figure, who fashioned an aura of saintliness in the pursuit of ever greater power and authority.

Wherever an authoritarian or reactionary decision was taken by the Church Pacelli was there, signing the Serbian Concordat that aided the onset of the First World War, signing the Reich Concordat with Hitler in 1933, trivialising the Holocaust and even supporting Croatian Fascism throughout the Second World War. Hitler claimed that the Concordat of 1933 would help the Nazis "in the developing struggle against the international Jewry", a situation compounded by Pius's destruction of Catholic opposition to Nazism and refusal to speak out against the Holocaust.

Hitler's Pope brilliantly captures the ascetic, fastidious Pius, from his hypochondria and querulousness to his offhand anti-semitic and racist remarks--such as his request that the Allies should desist from deploying "coloured" soldiers in the relief of Rome in 1944. Cornwell is "convinced that the cumulative verdict of history shows him not to be a saintly exemplar for future generations, but a deeply flawed human being from whom Catholics, and our relations with other religions, can best profit by expressing our sincere regret." -- Jerry Brotton

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Thoroughly Researched Biography of a Deeply Flawed Man - Rated
This book is a superbly written and highly engaging biography of Eugenio Pacelli, the man who went on to become Pope Pius XII and served throughout the Second World War. The major strength of this book is that Cornwell has painstakingly researched his subject, and has a very strong grasp of historical fact; whilst entirely avoiding any sort of sensationalism that Catholic apologists (who will, of course, not have read the book) would undoubtably level at him.

The subject matter necessarily makes for disturbing reading at times, especially regarding the Pope's long maintained policy of non-intervention on the matter of the Final Solution, including turning a giant blind eye whilst thousands of Italian Jews were marched past the windows of the Vatican to their deaths.

This book would appeal to anybody with an interest in twentieth century history, and is accessible for the casual reader as well as enlightening to a more academic readership. Naturally, there are those who will find the book offensive, but then parochial reactionaries who prefer to ignore the truth and pretend everything is well with an entirely corrupt institution would sympathise with Pacelli. Now, in the light of a new papal era, where the reactionaries hold so much sway, this book, and others like it become increasingly vital. It is only through mass ignorance that atrocities such as the Vatican's war time policies can happen. It's time to defend ourselves with knowledge and education. The Reformation did happen, didn't it?

Pius XII the Pope of the Jews - Rated
Everything in this book is lies.
Pope Pius XII has been a great defender of the jews before and during WWII.
If you want to read a true historic book about this matter, i would suggest "Il Papa degli Ebrei"(The Pope of the Jews) by italian schollar Andrea Tornielli.
Unlike the bad book that`s the subject of this review, Mr. Tornielli`s book is based in documents, not in anti-catholic masonic propaganda.

Engaging - Rated
John Cornwell’s Hitler’s Pope: the secret history of Pius XII is an engaging and thought-provoking read. Contrary to the somewhat sensationalist National Enquirer-esque tone of the title this book is a serious albeit non-academic study of Piux XII’s culpability in both the rise of National Socialist Germany and Hitler’s policy attempted extermination of the Jewish Race. This is evidenced by the fact that a leading Church historian such as Eamon Duffy have provided both critical comment and endorsement (of the book rather than the argument). The book asks to what extent Pacelli (Pope Piux XII) was aware of Hitler’s mass-murder of Jews is one which is never fully and conclusively answered in the book (although that Pacelli was aware of the gas chambers although maybe not the true extent of their use does seem likely). Cornwell never claims that Pacelli supported the extermination of the Jewish community (although in common with much Christianity both Catholic and Protestant Pacelli does seem to have held quite strong anti-semitic or more accurately anti-judaic views). Pacelli’s sin was in Cornwell’s view his policy of acquiescence. Pacelli drawing on his background in temporal diplomacy to the full made every effort to maintain a position of neutrality within the world conflict so as he could act as a peace mediator in the future to aid a peace resolution. Further as the Holy Father to over one billion followers any militant stand could result in reprisals against thousands of those in his care. Whether this was justified is, of course, a point of argument.

Hitler’s Pope is not however just a historical telling of the Vatican’s role within the international politics of the time; it is also a book with a theological/ecclesiastical governmental point. Pivotal to the argument (just how pivotal does not become apparent until the book’s conclusion) is the work of Pacelli while still Papal nuncio in Berlin and later Secretariat of State for the Vatican pursued the policy of Piux XI searching for a Reich Concordant. The reason being not so much for the benefit of German Catholicism but in order to cement the autocracy implemented in 1870 at Vatican I of the papacy. In order to ensure this the Pope was willing to concede the right of Catholics to engage in political endeavours and the Centre Party under the leadership of Ludwig Kaas was disbanded. The Centre Party was both decidedly anti-Nazi and held significant public support. Thus in the pursuit of papal power a significant alternative and obstacle to the success of the National Socialist ideal was decimated and as such a chance to avert the death of millions of innocent people was sidestepped. Thus Cornwell concludes (p 370-371): “papal autocracy, carried to the extreme, can only de-moralize and weaken Christian communities ... It has been the urgent thesis of this book that where the papacy waxes strong at the expense of the people of God, the Catholic Church declines in moral and spiritual influence to the detriment of us all”

And thus the emphasis that this book is not a mere historical study; Cornwell concludes stating that even in this post-Vatican II era John Paul II continues to `wax strong’ to this day.

An interesting read. - Rated
John Cornwell’s Hitler’s Pope: the secret history of Pius XII is an engaging and thought-provoking read. Contrary to the somewhat sensationalist National Enquirer-esque tone of the title this book is a serious albeit non-academic study of Piux XII’s culpability in both the rise of National Socialist Germany and Hitler’s policy attempted extermination of the Jewish Race. This is evidenced by the fact that a leading Church historian such as Eamon Duffy have provided both critical comment and endorsement (of the book rather than the argument). The book asks to what extent Pacelli (Pope Piux XII) was aware of Hitler’s mass-murder of Jews is one which is never fully and conclusively answered in the book (although that Pacelli was aware of the gas chambers although maybe not the true extent of their use does seem likely). Cornwell never claims that Pacelli supported the extermination of the Jewish community (although in common with much Christianity both Catholic and Protestant Pacelli does seem to have held quite strong anti-semitic or more accurately anti-judaic views). Pacelli’s sin was in Cornwell’s view his policy of acquiescence. Pacelli drawing on his background in temporal diplomacy to the full made every effort to maintain a position of neutrality within the world conflict so as he could act as a peace mediator in the future to aid a peace resolution. Further as the Holy Father to over one billion followers any militant stand could result in reprisals against thousands of those in his care. Whether this was justified is, of course, a point of argument.

Hitler’s Pope is not however just a historical telling of the Vatican’s role within the international politics of the time; it is also a book with a theological/ecclesiastical governmental point. Pivotal to the argument (just how pivotal does not become apparent until the book’s conclusion) is the work of Pacelli while still Papal nuncio in Berlin and later Secretariat of State for the Vatican pursued the policy of Piux XI searching for a Reich Concordant. The reason being not so much for the benefit of German Catholicism but in order to cement the autocracy implemented in 1870 at Vatican I of the papacy. In order to ensure this the Pope was willing to concede the right of Catholics to engage in political endeavours and the Centre Party under the leadership of Ludwig Kaas was disbanded. The Centre Party was both decidedly anti-Nazi and held significant public support. Thus in the pursuit of papal power a significant alternative and obstacle to the success of the National Socialist ideal was decimated and as such a chance to avert the death of millions of innocent people was sidestepped. Thus Cornwell concludes (p 370-371): “papal autocracy, carried to the extreme, can only de-moralize and weaken Christian communities ... It has been the urgent thesis of this book that where the papacy waxes strong at the expense of the people of God, the Catholic Church declines in moral and spiritual influence to the detriment of us all”

And thus the emphasis that this book is not a mere historical study; Cornwell concludes stating that even in this post-Vatican II era John Paul II continues to `wax strong’ to this day.

Brilliant expose of reaction - Rated
This remarkable and deeply researched book studies the career of Eugenio Pacelli who, as Pius XII, was Pope from 1939 to 1958. Cornwell shows how Pius always took a dogmatic approach to matters spiritual, an autocratic approach to matters ecclesiastical and a reactionary approach to matters temporal. In 1924, Pius XI (1922-39) forbade the Catholic Popular Party to work with the Socialist Party against Mussolini, saying it would be cooperating with evil. Later Pius dissolved the Catholic Popular Party and encouraged priests to support the Fascists. In 1930 he pressed Germany's Catholic Centre Party to shun the Social Democratic Party and to court Hitler. Pacelli was Cardinal Secretary of State in the Vatican from 1930 to 1934, second only to the Pope. He signed a concordat with Hitler in 1933, protecting the Catholic Church's power in exchange for its 'non-intervention' in politics. Hitler said, "The concordat gave Germany an opportunity and created a sense of trust that was particularly significant in the developing struggle against international Jewry." It "imposed a moral duty on Catholics to obey the Nazi rulers." Cornwell writes, "the perception of Papal endorsement of Nazism, in Germany and abroad, helped seal the fate of Europe." (Compare the Church's "antagonistic confrontation with Communism both in Italy and beyond the Iron Curtain.") The concordat led the Catholic Centre Party, the last remaining democratic party in Germany, to back the 1933 Enabling Act giving Hitler dictatorial powers, and to disband itself voluntarily in 1938. During the war, the Pope muttered only the most vague and ambiguous remarks about the Nazis' atrocities, the killing of millions of Soviet prisoners of war, the killing of six million Jews. He also kept discreetly silent about the Croat atrocities under Ante Pavelic...