Sandro Magister: The Two Sides of Pacelli. Courageous as Pope, Too Cautious as Secretary of State
Receiving the representatives of the Jewish foundation Pave the Way – in Rome for a symposium on Pius XII – last Thursday Benedict XVI expressed a very positive view of the figure and work of Pope Eugenio Pacelli, and especially about what he did "to save the Jews persecuted by the Nazi and Fascist regimes."
This is the first time that Joseph Ratzinger, as pope, has spoken out so directly about his great and controversial predecessor. He will speak about him again next October 9, at the Mass that will be celebrated on the 50th anniversary of his death.
The address by Benedict XVI made an even greater impact in that his judgment of the actions of Pius XII coincides with the relatively positive views expressed by the Jews of the Pave the Way Foundation.
Also during these same days, a book has been released in Italy by Andrea Riccardi, a professor of Church history and the founder of the Community of St. Egidio. His book is also very positive, and documents the actions of Pope Pacelli to help the persecuted Jews. The 424-page volume, published by Laterza, is entitled "L'inverno più lungo. 1943-44: Pio XII, gli ebrei e i nazisti a Roma [The longest winter. 1943-44: Pius XII, the Jews, and the Nazis in Rome]."
* * *
But on the same Thursday, September 18, on which Benedict XVI expressed himself in such favorable terms about Pius XII, an article was published in "La Civiltà Cattolica" that draws Pacelli – secretary of state under Pope Pius XI at the time – in more muted tones.
"La Civiltà Cattolica" isn't just any journal. By statute, all of its articles are reviewed line by line by the Vatican secretariat of state before they are printed. And this supervision has been even more stringent since Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone became secretary of state.
It was therefore somewhat startling that the author of the article, the Jesuit historian Giovanni Sale, attributed to Pacelli in 1938 – the year of the promulgation of the anti-Jewish racial laws in Italy – a diplomatic prudence that "today it is embarrassing to defend."
More precisely, this is what Sale says in one passage of his reconstruction:
"It now seems embarrassing for the Catholic historian, especially after the openness of Vatican Council II in this matter, to defend this kind of viewpoint and manner of proceeding in moral or religious categories."
The article in "La Civiltà Cattolica" does not directly criticize secretary of state Pacelli. But it demonstrates how the caution of Vatican diplomats at the time, in reacting to the racial laws, not only exposed itself to legitimate criticisms, but didn't even produce the hoped-for results.
On the other hand, the article highlights Pius XI's desire to defend the Jews more energetically and condemn the racial laws more drastically. Pius XI, nonetheless, found himself muzzled twice over. His most incisive words and writings never saw the light of day, both because of the censorship of the Fascist regime, which banned the Italian Catholic press from publishing the pope's speeches against racism, and because of the caution of the secretariat of state, which prevented "L'Osservatore Romano" itself – the newspaper of the Holy See – from printing any papal texts that were believed to be too imprudent.
Read entire article at http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it
This is the first time that Joseph Ratzinger, as pope, has spoken out so directly about his great and controversial predecessor. He will speak about him again next October 9, at the Mass that will be celebrated on the 50th anniversary of his death.
The address by Benedict XVI made an even greater impact in that his judgment of the actions of Pius XII coincides with the relatively positive views expressed by the Jews of the Pave the Way Foundation.
Also during these same days, a book has been released in Italy by Andrea Riccardi, a professor of Church history and the founder of the Community of St. Egidio. His book is also very positive, and documents the actions of Pope Pacelli to help the persecuted Jews. The 424-page volume, published by Laterza, is entitled "L'inverno più lungo. 1943-44: Pio XII, gli ebrei e i nazisti a Roma [The longest winter. 1943-44: Pius XII, the Jews, and the Nazis in Rome]."
* * *
But on the same Thursday, September 18, on which Benedict XVI expressed himself in such favorable terms about Pius XII, an article was published in "La Civiltà Cattolica" that draws Pacelli – secretary of state under Pope Pius XI at the time – in more muted tones.
"La Civiltà Cattolica" isn't just any journal. By statute, all of its articles are reviewed line by line by the Vatican secretariat of state before they are printed. And this supervision has been even more stringent since Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone became secretary of state.
It was therefore somewhat startling that the author of the article, the Jesuit historian Giovanni Sale, attributed to Pacelli in 1938 – the year of the promulgation of the anti-Jewish racial laws in Italy – a diplomatic prudence that "today it is embarrassing to defend."
More precisely, this is what Sale says in one passage of his reconstruction:
"It now seems embarrassing for the Catholic historian, especially after the openness of Vatican Council II in this matter, to defend this kind of viewpoint and manner of proceeding in moral or religious categories."
The article in "La Civiltà Cattolica" does not directly criticize secretary of state Pacelli. But it demonstrates how the caution of Vatican diplomats at the time, in reacting to the racial laws, not only exposed itself to legitimate criticisms, but didn't even produce the hoped-for results.
On the other hand, the article highlights Pius XI's desire to defend the Jews more energetically and condemn the racial laws more drastically. Pius XI, nonetheless, found himself muzzled twice over. His most incisive words and writings never saw the light of day, both because of the censorship of the Fascist regime, which banned the Italian Catholic press from publishing the pope's speeches against racism, and because of the caution of the secretariat of state, which prevented "L'Osservatore Romano" itself – the newspaper of the Holy See – from printing any papal texts that were believed to be too imprudent.