Letters

Pope Pius XII vindicated

Tony Evans

Contents - Aug 2009 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Feast of Our Lady's Assumption, 15 August - Michael Gilchrist Caritas in Veritate: Benedict XVI's social encyclical: public life needs Christian principles - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Human rights: Small victories for pro-lifers at the UN - Babette Francis Priesthood: Benedict XVI's Letter to priests: follow example of the Curé of Ars Is this where 'progressive' religious life is heading? - AD2000 REPORT Magisterium: Authentic Catholicism: neither progressive nor conservative - Fr Martin Durham G.K. Chesterton on modernism and orthodoxy Foundations of Faith: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone): a recipe for doctrinal chaos - Dr Frank Mobbs God's Messengers: Angels: what Scripture and Tradition reveal - Susan McKinley Poetry: Nkosi J - Will Elsin Letters: Pope Pius XII vindicated - Tony Evans Letters: Religious freedom - Fr Brian Harrison OS Letters: Ecumenism? - Moya and Leo Morrissey Letters: Content of faith - Chris Hilder Letters: Moral decline - Frank Bellet Letters: Poems appreciated - Margaret Healy Letters: Appeal - World Congress of Families - Jenny Davies Books: THE WINE OF CERTITUDE: a Literary Biography of Ronald Knox, by David Rooney - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: JESUS, THE APOSTLES AND THE EARLY CHURCH, by Pope Benedict XVI - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: FLOWERS OF HEAVEN: One Thousand Years of Christian Verse, ed. By Joseph Pearce - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: BECAUSE GOD IS REAL: Sixteen Questions, One Answer, by Peter Kreeft - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: ... AND YOU ARE CHRIST'S':The Charism of Virginity and the Celibate Life, Dubay - Br Barry Coldrey Books: This month's selection from AD Books Reflection: Mary in God's plan of salvation - Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli

Readers overwhelmed and perhaps confused by the ferocity of the attacks on Pope Pius XII concerning his attitude to the Jews and his so-called 'silence' during the Holocaust, must be grateful to Fr Michael Butler for his article on this subject in AD2000 (July 2009). Both Fr Butler and Michael Daniel, who reviewed the reprint of Rabbi Zolli's book Before the Dawn (p.17), cite convincing evidence to show that the accusations against the Pope are false.

As valuable as Eugenio Zolli's book is, and as spiritually moving, I was disappointed that Fr Butler did not mention in his article a much later book The Myth of Hitler's Pope, by Rabbi David Dalin, published in 2005. (Zolli's was first published nearly fifty years ago.)

Dalin's revelations, based on the latest research, is to my mind the most important and authoritative exposé of the lies and misinformation that have been levelled at Pius XII. The unfair charge made against Zolli, that he was writing as a convert Catholic and therefore his defence of Pius was prejudiced, cannot be levelled at Dalin who remains a practising Rabbi and Professor of Modern History at a university in Florida.

The Myth of Hitler's Pope is surely the definitive account of the Pope's role during the war. Dalin quotes documents that show that far from being anti-Semitic, Pius XII was 'a friend to the Jews' and using his secret network of bishops and priests in occupied countries, and issuing hitherto unpublicised instructions, saved many thousands of Jews from deportation - an estimated 4,000 in Rome alone.

The author concludes by proposing that the Pope be declared a Righteous Gentile, and even supports the Vatican in its call for the Pope's beatification. The book is fascinating and an altogether moving tribute from a scholarly historian.

At the conclusion Dalin claims that the real agenda of the myth- makers is to attack the very idea of the papacy, Christianity, and traditional religion as a whole. It is highly recommended as finally laying to rest this tiresome subject, if not for the bigoted anti-Catholic who will never be convinced, but at least for all fair-minded people.

TONY EVANS
East Fremantle, WA

(Editor: The Myth of Hitler's Pope, hard cover, $54.95, is available from Freedom Publishing, p. 19)

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 22 No 7 (August 2009), p. 14