Description
Book SynopsisPope Pius XII presided over the Catholic Church during one of the most challenging moments in its history. Elected in early 1939, Pius XII spoke out against war and destruction, but his refusal to condemn Nazi Germany and its allies for mass atrocities and genocide remains controversial almost seventy years after the end of the Second World War.
Scholars have blamed Pius’s inaction on anti-communism, antisemitism, a special emotional bond with Germany, or a preference for fascist authoritarianism. Delving deep into Catholic theology and ecclesiology, Jacques Kornberg argues instead that what drove Pius XII was the belief that his highest priority must be to preserve the authority of the Church and the access to salvation that it provided.
In The Pope’s Dilemma, Kornberg uses the examples of Pius XII’s immediate predecessors Benedict XV and the Armenian genocide and Pius XI and Fascist Italy, as well as case studies of Pius XII’s wartime p
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'In this study, Kornberg offers a refreshingly different perspective on the motivation of Pius XII, which has not been explained satisfactorily by other historians.' -- Peter C. Kent The Catholic Historical Review vol 102:04:2016 'The volume reflects the author's singular mastery of five decades of literature, exploiting the published documentary collections as well as recent scholarship that presents archival material available only for the last fifteen years.' -- Mark Edward Ruff Holocaust and Genocide Studies vol 30:03:2016 'Jacques Kornberg has crafted a masterfully researched, carefully argued, highly readable scholarly monograph that adds greatly to the historical literature concerning Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust.' -- Richard Gribble Canadian Journal of History vol 52:01:2017 "Kornberg, professor emeritus of history at the University of Toronto, has given us an original and balanced analysis of Pius XII's moral leadership that is as compelling as a novel. It will inspire much thought about dilemmas of church-state conflicts that we face in our increasingly war-struck world." -- Nancy L. Roberts Catholic News Service, October 12, 2015 'Upon reading Kornberg's record of Pius XII's response to German genocidal acts, one understands Francis's logic in terms clear and astonishing.' -- Norman Ravvin The Canadian Jewish News, January 4, 2016 'Kornberg's work represents a monumental compilation of materials, both primary and secondary sources, reflecting a lifetime of study on the role that organized religion plays in our world.' -- Beth A. Griech-Polelle Contemporary Church History Quarterly vol 21:04:2015 'This is a well-researched, meticulously argued scholarly treatment of Pius XII's wartime legacy.' -- J.P. Blosser Choice Magazine vol 53:03:2015
Table of Contents
Introduction: An Approach to the Controversy 1. Demolition of Pope Pius XII's Reputation 2. The Vatican and Nazi Germany: The 1933 Concordat 3. Pius XII and World War II: The Catholic Belligerent States 4. Catholic Anti-Jewish Attitudes: Achille Ratti, Eugenio Pacelli, and Others 5. The Debate over Pius XII's Priorities, and a Conclusion 6. Pope Pius XII and His Predecessors: Different Popes, Similar Policies 7. Religious Good Trumps Moral Good
