Pius XII and the Holocaust: A Reader

by Robert Graham

Book Overview

This anthology was the first book this reviewer read regarding Pope Pius VII the Vatican's relations with National Socialist Germany during the rise and fall of the Hitler Regime. While PIUS XII AND... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0945775016
• ISBN13: 9780945775010
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Catholic League for Religious & Civil Rights
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Sources That Undermine Lies, Smears, and Distortions

This anthology was the first book this reviewer read regarding Pope Pius VII the Vatican's relations with National Socialist Germany during the rise and fall of the Hitler Regime. While PIUS XII AND THE HOLOCAUST is a small book, it is a good introduction vindicating Pope Pius XII as a courageous man and tireless Pontiff during dark times in European History. The one asset of this book is that it will help readers to further investigate Pope Pius XII' character and couragte. The first essay in this book, written by Father A. Graham, S.J., presents the reader with the seeds of distortions and attempts to smear Pope Pius XII. Father Graham gives precise details that Vatican officials assisted refugees both in Italy and other parts of Europe. Such help was extended to Jewish refugees as a matter of policy and not as an afterthought. In other words, papal assitance to Jews was a deliberate policy which the "Smear Bund" has tried to conceal from public knowledge. The second essay, written by Dr. Lichten who is Jewish and Father Graham, destroys the nonsense of the play tiled THE DEPUTY written by Rolf Hochhuth. This play was first staged in 1963 and was hailed by the establishement types who were too lazy to do any research or thinking. One should be aware that during the 1930s and 1940s, Rolf Hochhuth was a member of the National Socialist Party. This inconvenient fact was conveniently ignored by second rate Catholic writers and those who have unjustly smeared Pope Pius XII. A good example of Jewish acknowledgement of Pope Pius XII's charity and help to Jewish people cited on pages 33-34 whereby Rabbi Safran, a Hungarian rabbi, expressed his gratitude to Pope Pius XII. Again, such acknowledgement is omitted by those who should know better. Further acknowledgement is cited on page 39. What may surprise readers is that Pope Pius VII's efforts extended well into Eastern Europe. Father Graham gives a good account of Pope Pius' exhortations to his bishops and priests in Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. While the Pope Pius could not personally visit these areas, he ordered his clergy to do all they could to alleviate the suffering of refugees and to rescue those in harm's way. This included those who were Jewish. Those who blindly repeat the NEW YORK TIMES nonsense about Pope Pius XII's alleged anti-Semitism would do well to read Pinchas Lapide's and Jospeh L. Lichten's remarks which can be found between pages 90 and 132. Lichten's essay titled "A Question of Judgement" is a very good explanation of the dilemmas faced by Pope Pius XII. Pope Pius had to work covertly to be effective. Pope Pius XII knew of HItler's plans to invade the Vatican, massacre the Pope and the Curia, and relocate the Papacy in Lichenstein. Yet, such threats did not deter the Pope. The NEW YORK TIMES gurus would do well to read their newpaper. Pope Pius XII's Christmas mesages of 1941 and 1942 were quoted in THE NEW YORK times. These editorials undermine the fal