Today, October 9, 2008, the 50th anniversary of the death of Pius XII, will see pilgrims from many parts of the world joining His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI as he celebrates Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.People were awakened in Rome soon after dawn as Church bells tolled on Thursday the 9th of October, 1958. Eugenio Pacelli’s career had ended. The Italian Government ordered three days of national mourning in Rome. Not only were Italian flags at half-staff, but all theatres and amusement places were closed. Pius XII died at 3:52 a.m., in a plain white iron bed, overhung with a white canopy, in his room on the second floor of the Papal villa in Castelgandolfo, his summer residence. He was the 262nd Pope, the leader of the world’s almost 500 million Catholics during one of the most burdensome times in the 2,000 year history of the Catholic Church. His was a brilliant and energetic career as Pope for 19 years and 7 months.
During the hours he lay in state in Castelgandolfo, mourners filled the main square in front of the building as well as roads leading from the countryside. A motorcade proceeded along the Appian Way. Carlo Tei, who now resides in Hong Kong, wrote (March 12, 2008): “As a young student in Rome, I joined the procession of the people accompanying the body of the Pontiff, from Castelgandolfo to the Vatican. We all felt we were accompanying a ‘Saint’ to the Holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem.”
Pius XII’s body was taken first to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Pope’s titular church in his capacity as Bishop of Rome. Then it was taken in solemn procession to the Vatican where he lay in state for three days under Michelangelo’s gigantic dome in the Basilica of St. Peter. Pius XII’s body was clothed in pontifical robes and lifted on to a five-foot catafalque. Covered with red damask, the catafalque had a sloping top so that the Pontiff’s head was considerably higher than his feet, affording a full view to the public. From 6 a.m. on October 11th when the bronze doors of St. Peter’s Basilica were opened to 8 p.m. when they were closed, thousands upon thousands of mourners walked around the Pontiff’s bier. This continued until noon of October 13th.
Deep emotion was evident and many shed tears as they passed near Pope Pius XII’s corpse. People of all races knelt in prayer. Nine solemn funeral Masses were sung in St. Peter’s Basilica. On the 13th, the doors were closed at noon to prepare for the funeral ceremonies which began at 4 p.m. Representatives from governments around the world and diplomats accreditated to the Holy See were present, as well as his family and Sister Pascalina, who served him for forty years. During the singing of the “Miserere” the Pope’s body was removed from the catafalque and placed in a strong box of cypress. A white silk mask was placed over his face and hands. At his feet a red velvet purse containing a sample of each coin and medal struck by the Vatican during the Pope’s reign, which would serve as identification centuries later.
One cannot fail to recall that, unofficially, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli was the first Papal Secretary of State to set foot in the USA. In fact, on November 6, 1936, he had lunch with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt at Hyde Park, New York.
One must also acknowledge Pius XII’s interest in the United Nations. Through Catholic international organizations and Catholic members of national delegations, the Holy See’s influence was seen in the non-political branches of the UN. Whenever religious and moral problems were discussed, the Catholic Church was heard. A case in point was the Economic and Social Council of the UN, which constituted a clear recognition of the principles, always stressed by the Papacy, that the problem of peace was not exclusively political. According to its constitution, the Economic and Social Council granted so-called “consultative status” to a large number of non-governmental international organizations. A special commission was assigned the task of drafting the Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations Assembly, December 10, 1948.
The Holy Father’s Christmas message of 1942, included an appeal to respect the rights of each individual. Unfortunately, the UN declaration omitted any mention of the name of God or the divine origin of man in its preamble. After much discussion a compromise was reached and the preamble read: “The respect of the human person and of its dignity imposes itself independently of any contractual engagement. The religions proclaim man’s divine origin and the peoples recognize that principle as one of the foundations of any civilization.” Along with fifty-eight states, the Holy See signed the four conventions on December 12, 1949. Pius XII desired to have peace founded on spiritual and intellectual cooperation.
In his 1950 Holy Year prayer, Pius XII included a special appeal to God to grant “peace in our days, peace to souls, peace to families, peace to our country, peace among nations.” On August 21, 1950, in his encyclical Humani Generis, he refuted modern philosophical doctrines which are irreconcilable with the Catholic faith. In many of his writings, Pius XII includes cooperation with non-Catholics in the defense of principles and ideals which all believers in God, in the dignity of the human person and in the supremacy of spiritual values have in common.
On December 6, 1950, Pius XII made an urgent appeal for a crusade of prayer to avert the horrors of war: “…East and West do not represent opposite ideals but share a common heritage, to which both have generously contributed and to which both are called to contribute in the future also. By virtue of her divine mission she is a mother to all peoples, and a faithful ally and wise guide to all who seek peace.” The Pope concluded his Holy Year message by stating that “the Vicar of Christ knows no duty more sacred, no mission more gratifying than that of being the unwearied advocate of peace.” Eight years later, Pius XII’s life ended.
For the 50th anniversary of Pius XII’s death, my new book, The Truth Will Set You Free (Paulist Press, 2008), challenges everyone to learn the truth and speak out courageously. The Foreword by Cardinal Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone, casts a great deal of light on the present pontificate’s thinking about the campaign against Pius XII:
How profoundly unjust it is to draw a veil of prejudice over the work of Pius XII during the war….directives given on the radio, in the press, and through diplomatic channels were clear. In that tragic year of 1942 he told everyone: ‘Action, not lamentation, is the precept of the hour.’
Disgust with the German Government
Ivone Kirkpatrick, British Chargé d’Affaires at the Holy See, in a letter to Sir Robert Vansittart, records an encounter he had with His Eminence Eugenio Pacelli, Vatican Secretary of State and future Pius XII, who “was extremely frank and made no effort to conceal his disgust at the proceedings of Hitler’s government.” On August 19, 1933, Ambassador Kirkpatrick reported: Pacelli deplored “the action of the German Government at home, their persecution of the Jews, their proceedings against political opponents, the reign of terror to which the whole nation was subjected.”
For almost two decades, Pius XII condemned Nazi racialism as antireligious and stemmed the Communist tide. He condemned Nazism prior to and during hostilities; alleviated the suffering and saved the lives of Jewish and Christian war victims; and worked with great devotion for peace. Inspired by his fatherly concern, his smiling face, and his affirming words, millions of visitors to the Vatican experienced intense faith, hope and love of God and of neighbor.
Pietro De Marco tells us that Pius XII gave sanctuary to those who sought refuge:
Having the responsibility for the universal Church, the Pope did what his conscience told him and worked in practical ways for the spiritual and physical good of so many. Under his direction the Catholic Church saved the lives of Jews, Fascists, anti-Fascists and Germans.
In the magazine Christianity in History, Kenneth L. Woodward noted that The New York Times praised the pope in an editorial for his intense spirituality and for standing up to the Nazis. He also reiterated the unanimously positive opinions about Pius XII that appeared in the press after his death in 1958.
Pope Pius XII may not appeal to modern sensibilities largely because he was always teaching the Gospel and Catholic doctrine to a world deafened by nationalism and the drums of war. It is very significant that he had the nearly unanimous praise of all his contemporaries, a fact mostly ignored by his detractors. Most importantly, not one of the charges against him holds up under careful analysis. There is absolutely no evidence that he did anything wrong or stupid; there is overwhelming evidence that he did virtually everything right, and that he acted only after the most careful and penetrating analysis of every possibility and after fervent prayer.
Testimonials of survivors of the Holocaust also make it perfectly clear that the Pope was not anti-Semitic or indifferent to the fate of the Jews. In a letter to me, dated June 18, 1997, historian and Holocaust survivor, Michael Tagliacozzo, clearly expressed his sentiments:
In my study of the conditions of the Jews (The Roman Community during the Nightmare of the Swastika, November 1963), I pointed out the generous and vast activity of the Church in favor of the victims. I learned how great was Pope Pacelli’s paternal solicitude. No honest person can discount his merits …. Pacelli was the only one who intervened to impede the deportation of Jews on October 16, 1943, and he did very much to hide and save thousands of us. It was no small matter that he ordered the opening of cloistered convents. Without him, many of our own would not be alive.
Again, August 8, 2004, the survivor reiterated his convictions:
Any apology on the actions of Pius XII must be considered superfluous. This is clear to all men of good will and is entrusted above all to the memory of those Jews, now living, who have not forgotten the efforts and solicitude of Pope Pacelli…. One must add the countless expressions of gratitude of those whose lives were saved in the religious houses in Rome, Assisi and elsewhere. Even if gratitude was expressed directly to the Institutions who protected them, the merit goes to Pope Pacelli who, on October 16, 1943, gave orders to open the doors of the parishes, convents and monasteries to save the Jews from deportation.
Edvige Carboni lived in Rome during the entire pontificate of Pius XII. In her correspondence she repeatedly stated:
Our Pope is truly a saint! During the war we suffered so much! If it had not been for the help of the Holy Father, we would have all died of hunger….but the Pope came to us and to all Rome with help, giving us bread. And also clothing. Our Pope is a saint! Love him.
The Catholic Church recognized Pius XII’s sanctity soon after his death. In a discourse given in Jerusalem, Pope Paul VI stated (January 5, 1964):
We nurture only benevolent thoughts toward all peoples as did Our predecessor Pius XII, sentiments that he manifested at various times during the world conflict, something that all have been able to witness and above all those who have been helped by him.
Again he recalled the great Pontiff on March 12, 1964, during the unveiling of Pope Pius XII’s monument in the Vatican Basilica:
We can still vividly recall the incomparable vigor of his intelligence, the exceptional power of his memory, the admirable versatility of his spirit, his phenomenal capacity for work — in spite of his slender body and delicate health. We witnessed his rare capacity to pay attention and take care of little things in the course of perfectly carrying out the substantial formal tasks of his work, while simultaneously and ever-vigilantly attending to great concerns which were ceaselessly engaging him. … To follow his teachings and his example will be a comfort, and to think of him being close to us, still a friend, still teacher, still father, in the communion of Saints, will give us all unfailing hope….
On November 18, 1965, Pope Paul VI announced in the Basilica of St. Peter that the Causes of Beatification and Canonization of his predecessors, Pope Pius XII and Pope John XXIII would be initiated. Today, many ask, “Why the delay for Pius XII?” One can only respond that the pontificate for Pius XII was much longer than that of John XXIII and therefore the research has taken many more years. When questioned about the status of Pius XII’s beatification during an interview for Inside the Vatican, Reverend Peter Gumpel, S.J., stated:
The more documents we find, the more the cause of Pius XII is strengthened, and the greater grows our conviction that he was an extraordinary man who faced terrible situations with courage and great wisdom, and who was in his personal life an exemplary Christian, Priest, Bishop, Cardinal and Pope.
Judging an Extraordinary Pontificate
Not only was Pope Pius XII a teacher. He was a friend and concerned father of all. His wisdom and strength came from a correct view of human events He was also a sharer in all the pain, suffering and human tragedy during World War I and II. To judge him one must consider the theological vision of the Church, of history and of the world that guided the policies of his early life and his pontificate. Indeed, all the Pope’s actions were rooted in charity. He shared all the pain, suffering and human tragedy of the period. Any judgment of the pontificate of Pius XII that excludes this perspective, offers a distorted interpretation of the facts.
In an excellent article entitled “Pius XII: The Martyrdom of Silence,” Dr Emilia Paola Pacelli summarizes the important elements that must be considered in judging his faith and wisdom. One must be attuned not only to Pius XII’s mind, but primarily to his soul and heart. For his spirit was close to suffering humanity and constantly and intimately united with God. This is where one finds the reason and explanation for Pius XII’s so-called “silence”. His was the silence of wisdom and strength. He knew that the destiny of thousands of men and women was at stake and that “silence” was the only way not to lesson the already harsh destiny of so many people. A sense of responsibility required restraint to avoid recrimination:
The Italians are certainly well aware of the terrible things taking place in Poland. We might have an obligation to utter fiery words against such things; yet all that is holding Us back from doing so is the knowledge that if We should speak, We would simply worsen the predicament of these unfortunate people — Audience with Italian Ambassador Dino Alfieri, 13 May 1940, in Actes et Documents du Saint Siège relatifs à la Seconde Guerre mondiale, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City, vol. 1, 1970, pp. 454-455.
Consequently, His Holiness stated:
“Every word from Us … to the competent authorities, every public allusion, should be seriously considered and weighed in the very interest of those who suffer so as not to make their position even more difficult and more intolerable, even though unwillingly”. — Address to the Sacred College in response to the greetings for his feast day, in L’Osservatore Romano, June 3, 1943, p. 2.
It is impossible to judge Pius XII’s “silence” correctly without taking into account the fact that Pius XII was not a politician, but rather the head of the Catholic Church. His theological vision of the Church, of history and of the world guided the policies of his pontificate. His vision of faith was enlightened by the presence of God in his life. (See Conference for the 40th anniversary of the election of Eugenio Pacelli, held in Rome at the Synod Hall in 1979, in R. Spiazzi, Pio XII mezzo secolo dopo, Bologna 1991, pp. 163, 176.)
Pope Pius XII lived in God’s presence and suffered with humanity. After an examination of his words and actions, one must conclude that his was the silence of the strong, of the champions of the faith, of the martyrs. When the destiny of thousands of men and women was at stake, faith was needed to choose silence and impose it on himself. His wisdom and strength came from a correct view of human events. It was his sense of responsibility that helped him restrain the surge of recrimination and indignation toward the Nazis. Silence was the only way to lessen the harsh destiny of so many unfortunate people.
Pope Pius XII’s silence was misunderstood, misinterpreted and branded with slanderous accusations. Heroic patience and prudence were needed and his office required “almost superhuman effort” to remain silent (see Letter to the Archbishop of Cologne, 3 March 1944, op. cit., p. 365).
“\Where the Pope wants to cry out loud and strong, it is expectation and silence that are unhappily often imposed on him; where he would act and give assistance, it is patience and waiting [that are imposed] — Letter to the Bishop of Würzburg, 20 February 1941, op. cit., p. 201.
And patience and prudence were also needed to deal with the dilemma:
“It is extremely difficult to decide what must be done: reserve and prudent silence, or resolutely speaking out and vigorous action…” (Letter to the Archbishop of Cologne, 3 March 1944, op. cit., p. 365).
He was aware of the incalculable consequences that one word too many could unleash. His spirit was formed in the most rigorous asceticism which was needed to neutralize the temptation of a “sensational and theatrical gesture,” certainly satisfying, but which would have catastrophic effects in terms of human costs. He had to reject, “the way of applause” and choose “very wisely … the way of duty” (L’Osservatore della Domenica, “Il Papa ieri e oggi,” 28 June 1964, p. 46).
A recently-found document helps to understand the work of His Holiness:
Jews of great importance have turned to the Holy Father to ask his intervention because of the excessive antisemitic actions taking place in Germany. Since it is the tradition of the Holy See to extend its universal mission of peace and charity toward all men, no matter what their social condition or religion may be, intervening also whenever necessary through its charitable offices, the Holy Father entrusts Your Excellency with the task of finding out if and how it may be possible to take an interest in this matter in a most desirable way. Willing to take advantage of the opportunity to meet with you to express my distinct and sincere esteem, I am Your Excellency’s Most Reverend Servant.
In fact, as Secretary of State, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli wrote the following:
Most Reverend Sir: With the venerable letter dated last April 6th, Your Eminence graciously indicated the news item of a newspaper, according to which the government of Poland has introduced a law that would tend to prohibit the slaughtering and strangulation, imposed on the Jews by their religious laws and would constitute a true persecution of the Jews. You insinuated, therefore, the advantage of a passage of the Apostolic Nunzio to stop such a law. I have not failed to interest in this regard His Excellency, Monsignor Cortesi, and I am happy now to send Your Eminence a copy of Report Number 89 of May 7th that contains precise information on the problem in question. I willingly take advantage of this encounter to express to Your Eminence my profound veneration and humbly kiss your hand. I am Your Eminence’s humble Servant E. Card. Pacelli.”
As the Vicar of Christ, Pius XII was fully aware of the tremendous responsibility that rested on his shoulders. He aimed at saving human lives! He knew that the slightest provocation could have devastating repercussions for thousands of innocent people.
Revelations from the Archives
As indicated above, in the past couple of years much correspondence relating to this pontificate has come to light and strengthens the cause of this very holy and admirable pope. The Vatican secret archives on the papacy of Pius XI between 1922 and 1939 were just recently opened and, according to the Catholic News Agency (September 21, 2006), some documents already demonstrate a future Pius XII with no love for Nazis and Fascists. Indeed, already on March 25, 1928, the Church “condemned the hatred regarding the chosen people of God that is called ‘antisemitismo’.”
On September 19, 2006, Marco Tosatti of La Stampa quotes from a draft in the Secretariat of State that the religious in a school in Orte must be reprimanded for having accompanied 120 school children to greet Hitler’s train as it passed on his visit to Italy in May of 1938: “These religious must learn to obey!” The Vatican disagreed with the Fascist government and ordered that no Nazi flags appear with the swastica on any Vatican buildings and along Via della Conciliazione. The Pope and the Secretary of State departed for Castelgandolfo to avoid meeting Hitler in the Vatican. Even the Vatican Museum was closed during his visit.
German historian Hubert Wolf told Associated Press that the recorded minutes of Vatican meetings held in the late 1930s show that the ailing Pope Pius XI greatly relied on Cardinal Pacelli, then Secretary of State, to enforce his Pontificate’s stance against Nazism and Fascism. Wolf revealed what he recorded in the first few documents he had seen among the millions opened up by the Vatican. The documents showed a flurry of discussion between the Pope, Cardinal Pacelli and 10 other cardinals as to how the Vatican should respond to the protests of Hitler’s administration. He also saw documents relating to the strong anti-Nazi statements Chicago’s Cardinal George Mundelein made in 1937. These Vatican communications centered on whether the Vatican should blame the U.S. cardinal or exonerate him. It was Cardinal Pacelli, who to the dismay of the Nazis was successful in pushing for a reply to German authorities that defended Cardinal Mundelein, saying he had simply exercised freedom of speech within his diocese.
The Vatican archives may offer some answers into the controversy surrounding Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli who later became Pope, and who has been accused by some historians of failing to do enough to protect Jews during the Holocaust. The truth of the matter is that Pius XII used discreet diplomacy that saved hundreds of thousands of Jews and other victims of the Nazis. Pacelli not only defended anti-Nazi clergy, but also censored priests who expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler.
The Vatican archive also includes extensive documents regarding Cardinal Theodor Innitzer of Vienna’s 1938 endorsement of the German annexation of Austria. Cardinal Pacelli reportedly responded to this situation with harsh communications, ordering Cardinal Innitzer to report to Rome. The meeting in Rome resulted in a retraction of the pro-Nazi statement.
Among these documents, scholars will find Secretary of State Eugenio Pacelli’s private views on the 1933 Concordat with Nazi Germany, his relations with Fascist Italy, as well as information about the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the Nazi annexation of Austria, the attempts to appease Hitler by France and Great Britain with the 1938 Munich Agreement. The documents will show that to avoid reprisals against Catholics and Jews, Cardinal Pacelli had to be very cautious. Scholars may now examine the 30,000 files totaling millions of pages. Unjust judgments expressed in recent books, for example, John Cornwell’s Hitler’s Pope, 1999, and Susan Zuccotti’s Under His Very Windows, 2001, will undoubtedly be overturned.
Slanderous statements against Pope Pius XII contradict the words of Holocaust survivors, the founders of Israel, and the contemporary record of the New York Times. The historical record shows that Pius XII, through his network of apostolic delegates throughout the world, was able to save the lives of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust. Clearly it is time to stop the misrepresentations with regard to the role played by the Catholic Church during World War II. Not only should this wartime Pontiff be honored by Yad Vashem, but there is more than enough evidence to prove that he was a genuine saint. His influence is described in my book, Crusade of Charity: Pius XII and POWs (Paulist Press, 2006).
Today, we Catholics justly celebrate the life of Pope Pius XII, the noble, saintly and prudent pope of World War II.
