Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII

Why didn't Catholic Germans do more to resist Nazi Germany? There was some resistance on a small scale. There were individual acts of defiance, but nothing much of an organized resistance in large enough numbers to make a difference. This lack of mobilization by Germany's twenty-three million Catholics to resist, made it ridiculously easy for the Nazis to drag away to Concentration Camps the individual and small groups of Christians, Jews, Democrats, and large numbers of Socialists and Communists who did resist the Nazi program of terror. So what happened? It's not like Catholics have a reputation for shirking their responsibility to fight for what they perceive to be morally right. Anyone who is familiar with German history during the Bismarck era, and knows of the Kulturkampf, knows the power of Catholic resistance, particularly in Germany during that period.The Vatican's quest to consolidate its power over Germany's Catholics, is what happened. The Vatican undercut German Catholic social and political institutions such as the political Center Party, in order to consolidate Vatican control. Catholics were sold out by Pope Pius XII, working on behalf of the Vatican, to realize the long term objective of curtailing Catholic German independence and ensuring Vatican Supremacy. To achieve that objective, Pope Pius XII signed a deal with the Devil. This deal was in the form of the Reich Concordat, an international treaty between Nazi Germany and the Vatican, negotiated and signed by Cardinal secretary of State, Eugenio Pacelli, soon to become Pope Pius XII.In Cornwell's book, you will learn of the Vatican's efforts to renegotiate the relationship between the Vatican and the local Catholic Church in Germany and elsewhere. Crucial to renegotiate this relationship and consolidating power in the Vatican, was the 1917 Code of Canon Law. This new Code of Law was begun with utmost secrecy in 1904, under the leadership of Pope Pius X. Pacelli, future Pope Pius XII, was one of the chief authors of the new Canon.Pius X made it a priority of the Vatican to stamp out the ideas of Modernism. One of the key concepts of Modernism was that, "....there was an unbridgeable gap between natural and supernatural knowledge(p 35)." The Vatican saw this as a threat to Catholic orthodoxy. Another intellectual movement considered a threat by the Vatican known as Americanism, was an attempt to bridge a gap between Catholicism and democracy. The reader will learn of the departments used to attack these threatening ideas, such as the Department of Extraordinary Affairs (p36) and the Vatican's secret service, the Sodalitium Pianum (p 37). Speaking favorably of Christian democracy or reading a liberal newspaper would get Catholics of any significance the scrutiny of the Sodalitium Pianum.So threatened by these ideas was the Vatican that beginning in 1910, an oath was required of priests and ordinands holding teaching and administrative positions, denouncing Modernism. This oath is known as the Anti-Modernist Oath which requires acceptance without question to all Papal teaching and interpretation of such teachings by the Pope. On page 39, Father Paul Collins is quoted as saying of the Oath, "Not only was this contrary to the traditional Catholic understanding of the role of conscience, but it was a form of thought control that was unrivaled even under fascist and communist regimes."Together, the new Canon Law and the Anti-Modernists Oath were the tools that would be used by the Vatican to renegotiate the relationship between the Church and Pope. The Vatican's objectives were, "....to create conformity, centralization, discipline (p 42)," and to establish an, "....unprecedented notion of supreme Papal authority (p 42)." One of the key precepts of the new Canon Law was to give to the Pope the sole power to nominate Bishops. This new power was in contradiction to the tradition and history of the Church (p 44). Many Concordats had been negotiated over time between the Vatican and various governments establishing the rules by which Bishops would be appointed. Pacelli would be the one to eliminate any obstacles to the new power claimed by the Vatican in Germany, home to the largest population of Catholics in the world (p 45).But before Germany, came Serbia. As undersecretary in the Department of Extraordinary Affairs, Pacelli instigated negotiations with Serbia in 1913 to renegotiate the Serbian Concordat (p 48). Pacelli negotiated and wrote the new Concordat over a period of eighteen months that would be signed into effect by the Vatican and Serbia on June 24, 1914, just four days before Archduke Ferdinand of Austria was shot in Sarajevo. The new Concordat gave the Vatican the authority to appoint Bishops in Serbia, a role up until then held by the Austrian Emperor. The new Serbian Concordat also eliminated the ancient protectorate rights of Austria over the Catholic minority in Serbia and the influence that went with them. Serbia's influence was expanded at the cost of a humiliated Austria-Hungarian empire in the eyes of its people and leadership (p 50). This Concordat, instigated, negotiated, and written by Pacelli, created a diplomatic crisis, increased tension and hostility in Austria towards Serbia just days before Archduke Ferdinand's assassination, leading to the start of World War One.Cornwell explores the question of whether widespread Catholic resistance to the Nazis could have been successful in chapter eleven. The fact that Catholicism survived years of persecution by Bismarck to become one of the largest Catholic populations in the world by the 1930s, even with their own political party in the Reichstag, hints at the political power and potential of the Catholic laity in Germany at that time. Hitler understood and feared Catholic resistance and therefore negotiated for the removal of Catholic involvement in internal political matters, including the disbandment of the Catholic Center Party, as part of his agreeing to sign a new Concordat with the Vatican.On page 84, Cornwell writes that, " The acquiescence of the German people in the face of Nazism cannot be understood in its entirety without taking into account the long path, beginning as early as 1920, to the Reich Concordat of 1933, Pacelli's crucial role in it, and Hitler's reasons for signing it." And hence the best reason to read this well written, well documented, shocking book, that must be on the Vatican's do not read list.

This telling account of Vatican activities and attitudes leading up to WW2 is a must read; not just for every history buff, but for every Catholic and non-Catholic alike. Written by a devout Catholic, the book reveals Eugenio Pacelli's tacit, and sometimes overt complicity in Hitler's rise to power. The book is superbly documented with much of the documentation coming from Vatican archives. What I find disturbing is the response this book has gotten from many Catholic loyalists and apologists. Lets be mindful, was book was NOT written to demonize the Church. On the contrary, Cromwell wrote this book as a concerned Catholic with the intent to SAVE the Church.Catholics like Cromwell who are not afraid to criticize the hierarchy of arguably the most powerful organization in the history of the world are a breath of fresh air and bring hope that Church will one day be vetted of most of its bad influences. Those Catholics like Bill Donohue who scream "bigotry" every time someone mentions the Church's child molestation scandals only serve to show intelligent critical thinkers that the Church will still stop at nothing to cover up it's vices and evil.One common form of "evidence" apologists use to "prove" that Cromwell's book has been "debunked" is a reactionary book written by some rabbi who disagrees with Cromwell that Pope Pius XII aided Hitler in killing millions of Jews. I would wager that most of these apologists haven't even fully read either of the two books. I can't say I know exactly why this rabbi would be so short sighted. But I can think of several good reasons why this rebuttal was written BY a Jewish rabbi. But I don't want to speculate too much here. All I know is that in the past 70 years, Jews and Christians, particularly Catholics, have made much ground in mending old wounds and my guess is that the rabbi was pressed by the Church to further that reconciliation. It's not like the Church hasn't but pressure on the Jews before.Anyway, I could write a book myself as to why Cromwell hits the nail on the head on this topic, but instead I'll just ask a few questions for food for thought. First, during the war, Pacelli condemned AND excommunicated every communist on the planet. Why didn't he do the same to Nazi supporters? He could have hopped on a 2 hour flight to London, or came to America, or Australia, etc, and made it clear to Hitler's active military, whom 80% were Catholic, that if they lifted a finger for German Wehrmacht they too would be excommunicated. They too, with the communists, would have "no chance at going to heaven".Why in the late 30's, as noted in Hitler's Pope, did Pacelli busy himself with making speeches to millions of faithful Catholics telling his followers that the Jews were not to be helped or aided in the coming years? These speeches were videotaped and archived by thousands of people so there is NO DENYING that the Pope related that sentiment! All of the lies that apologists use only serve to prove the case for Hitler's Pope, demonstrating that even to this day, there is a huge problem of denial, bigotry, and hatred among today's Catholics.As an atheist and a humanist, I often find that educating people as to the true nature of religion is sometimes like shoveling sand against the tides. If you can't admit the truth then stay in denial. I just hope your son or daughter do not fall victim to the Church's corruption. I'll bet that while most of you apologists vehemently deny the veracity of this amazingly researched book, you'll still be extra careful not to leave you son alone with a priest or perhaps you'll give him a little talk beforehand about how adults are not allowed to touch them on their private parts. Because that is what hypocrisy is all about and that's what you do best.

The author selects his vocabulary with the intention of setting Pius XII In an unfavourable light. What he has succeeded in doing, in my opinion, is in showing a man who, in his anxiety to resist the efforts of Communism in Russia, Mexico and Spain to destroy his Church, made an alliance with a power which, although hostile to Communism, was equally hostile to the Church of Rome and indeed to all forms of religion, and thereby rendered himself powerless to make an effective stand against it.

lengthy reviews aplenty - good read, disturbing, challenging but worth every page. Confess to having to read some bits over and over again to fully take in what's being claimed. If we don't learn from history we are destined to repeat.......

Excellent book. Well researched and thoughtfully written. Devastating PR for the Catholic Church.

I liked the speed in sending the book and started to read it immediately. Fascinating reading. A book to keep.

An excellent book by an acclaimed author, who had access to Vatican archives.