Catholic:Under The Hood #167 – The Silence of Pius XII
Pope Pius XII actions during the Holocaust have been the focus of much discussions – particularly over his apparent silence in the face of Jewish persecutions. Was Pius XII really “Hitler’s Pope”?
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Thanks for another great episode, Fr. Seraphim. I never get tired of learning about World War II. When the subject converges with Catholic history, it’s even more fascinating. I hope to see more WWII-related episodes, as long as it’s possible.
Regarding the main issue of the episode, I would like to mention that we now know that Pope Pius XII was aware of a Nazi plan to kidnap him; and also that the play The Deputy, which started the calumnies against the pope was commissioned by the KGB.
I also think that there are two great movies about different aspects of the subject worth mentioning; one is the made-for-TV The Scarlet and the Black; and the other is the recent German movie The Ninth Day.
All Catholics need to make the time to listen to Episode 167 of Catholic Under The Hood. It’s an important recent historical event in the Catholic Church.
Too often, atheists condemn Catholics for their actions (and lack of action) with the Nazis.
This episode provides some answers to those charges from Non-Catholics.
Some atheists do not realize how many Catholics ended up in concentration camps.
Some atheists also do not know about the “Nazi Plan For Christianity” that surfaced during the Nuremberg trials. Google “Nazi Plan Christianity” to learn more.
In Catholic solidarity, I posted the Martin Niemoller poem on my web site “Golden Rule News” because of bad information that many non-Catholics have heard. You can click on the following link … or click on my name and go to the page “Speak Up”.
http://goldenrulenews.com/speak-up/
________
In Germany they first came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me -
and by that time no one was left to speak up.
It’s not surpising, Father, to see you reach such flimsy conclusions after you identify as “historians” your sources, i.e. Rychlack, who is a law professor, and “Jewish Rabbi” Dalin who is nothing but a “history and political science professor” in the third-rate unaccredited Ave Maria “University” with less than 500 students.
Read the books by the true historians, Cornwell and Goldhaggen, which Dalin has the gall to criticize, and then read Dalin’s critique and try telling anyone (with a straight face) that Dalin’s work isn’t a comic book by comparison.
I expose many of the errors you repeat here at my http://Jesuswouldbefurious.org/RCscandal site.
Dear Rev. Ray
Just because you are an anti-Catholic who disagrees with the Church theologically, you feel the need to slander it using preposterous theories invented by the KGB?
Shame on you!
Can a person using the title “reverend” slander a law professor, Rabbi, and a priest in two sentences or less?
Ray Dubuque can.
Rev. Debuque;
Thank you for your response. I do not use either Rychlack or Dalin’s book as the sources for my presentation but mention them as two texts which advocate a particular point of view regarding Pius XII. If you find fault with the particular evidence and sources I do use for my argument you are more than free to present your own counter evidence or counter argumentation. Though I would suggest an e-mail to me as there isn’t much space in these comment blocs. For the record, Rabbi Dalin has a doctorate degree in history from Brandeis University. John Cornwell does not have a professional history degree.
I did not mention the accusation that The Deputy was a KGB plot because 1]I would like to see more on this before I am convinced about it, 2]Because my reference to The Deputy was only to provide a context for the issue of Pius XII’s response to the Holocaust. If the podcast was on The Deputy, of course, I would have addressed the accusation but while the play directed attention on Pius XII and WWII it was not relevant to the core issue of the podcast.
As for a Nazi plan to kidnap the Pope and other Catholic activity during WWII, thank you for the links.
Fr. S., Did I miss your comments on Mit brennender Sorge that was drafted by future Pope Pius XII that was smuggled into Nazi Germany and read in all parish churches of Germany in March 1937?
Or could you comment in a future episode?
Thank you for this episode of CutH. I am from Germany and it was very informatory to hear about Pius XII from a Catholic historian’s perspective.
Well done!
And well answered over here in the comment section.
Boy, there are some weird people on this world…
Jim, I didn’t mention Mit brennender Sorge because it was issued by Pius XI and wanted to focus on the papacy of Pius XII but I can certainly talk about the document in a later episode.
Thank-You Fr. S., I would like to hear your comments on the Mit Brennender Sorge.
I came across another “detail rich” web page that reprints a document written by Karol Jozeff Gajewski that was published on the Catholic Education Resource Center.
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/history/world/wh0033.html
Mr. Gajewski teaches history at Sandbach, Cheshire, England. Although the school may not be prestigious enough for Ray Dubuque, the text is well written and contains many details worthy of discussion in a follow-up and/or with Ray Dubuque (for his consideration).
Thanks for doing your best to present details on difficult times in western history. The way these events unfolded in Nazi Germany reinforces that we must be ever watchful.
(As a side note … it may be moving for your students to read the text of Mit brennender Sorge on an actual site where it was read 60 years ago. If you happen to be on a field trip to one of those parrishes.)
Respectfully,
Jim
Ray Debuque, There are 628 pounds (285 kilograms) of paper that comprise the 148 volumes of personal papers and records kept by General William J. Donovan during his efforts in the Nuremberg trials.
They are now avaialbe for viewing in Cornell University and through Rutgers. (Are these schools prestigious enough for you?)
Many people have been studying them since they became available to the public in 2002.
One recurring theme that has been released by these people is the Nazi plan to eliminate Catholocism and Christianity.
Here’s one of many links that will come up if you Google “Donovan Nazi Christianity”.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/10/world/main323950.shtml
Hello Fr. Seraphim,
Since Stubenville is also in Ohio…I thought you would enjoy this Homer Simpson voting comment about Ohio.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aBaX9GPSaQ
Dear Jim
Since you asked about Mit brennender Sorge, I would like to suggest you to listen to this episode of Catholic Answers LIVE, in which Dalin’s book is discussed. It features much of the information told by Fr. Seraphim in this episode, and also some comments regarding that Pius XI encyclical.
Thanks Matheus!