11 thoughts on “Hitler’s (Christian) Pope”

1. I’m sure it’s full of information which Herr Ratzinger conveniently doesn’t remember when he gives his bullshit speeches about how atheists are the scourge of the earth and how atheists turn into clones of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Pol-Pot.

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2. @MadScientist

   He should remember; he was there!

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3. I am shocked! I say shocked! to discover that the pope is Christian.

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4. From Wikipedia:

   The quality of Cornwell’s scholarship has been criticized by a number of commentators. For example, Ken Woodward, writing in Newsweek, stated that Hitler’s Pope has “errors of fact and ignorance of context [that] appear on almost every page.”[16]

   Ronald Rychlak
   The major response to Hitler’s Pope came from University of Mississippi law professor Ronald J. Rychlak, who is a Roman Catholic himself and an outspoken Roman Catholic advocate, in his 2000 book on the subject, Hitler, the War, and the Pope.[17] In it, Rychlak’s original research exposed many facts, corrects Cornwell, and adds contextual perspectives that counter those presented in Hitler’s Pope. Rychlak was acknowledged by the Vatican to have been given special access to their closed archives for his research; however, the “exclusive access” that Cornwell claims to have had to Vatican and Jesuit archives is not corroborated. The Vatican denies Cornwell’s assertion that he received any special access.

   Rychlak contradicted Cornwell’s claim of having found a “time bomb letter” by pointing out that the letter in question had actually been written not by Pacelli but by his assistant, and moreover had been fully published and discussed in a 1992 book by Emma Fattorini (a highly respected docent at the University of Rome).[18]

   With respect to Cornwell’s allegations of anti-semitism, Rychlak pointed out that “When Pius XII died in 1958, there were tributes from virtually every Jewish group around the world”.[19][20]

   Rychlak also questioned the veracity of Cornwell’s statements about his faith.[14]

   Furthermore, Rychlak exposed Cornwell’s manipulation of the photograph on the front cover of the American edition of the book. He further alleged that the caption had incorrectly dated the photo as having been taken in March 1939, the month that Pacelli was made Pope. Rychlak charged that the manipulation of the photograph and error in the date had been performed deliberately in order to give the impression that Pius had just visited Hitler when, in fact, the photo had been taken in 1927 as Pius was leaving a reception held for German President Paul von Hindenburg.[21] In fact, Pacelli never met with Hitler, neither before or after he was made Pope.

   Cornwell:

   I would now argue, in the light of the debates and evidence following ‘Hitler’s Pope’, that Pius XII had so little scope of action that it is impossible to judge the motives for his silence during the war, while Rome was under the heel of Mussolini and later occupied by the Germans.” The Pontiff in Winter

   Also See: The Myth of Hitler’s Pope

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5. I haven’t read the book myself. But I certainly won’t take your cut and paste arguments to mean that the current Pope is correct in that Atheists carried out the Holocaust. And, I’m still waiting for the apology.

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6. I haven’t read the book myself.

   Me either.

   But I certainly won’t take your cut and paste arguments…

   Backatcha. Fwiw, I wasn’t making an argument; I was just passing along the wiki link that I’d found when looking up the book you mentioned/blogged. Criticism(s) aside, the author himself no longer stands behind it – I thought that was relevant.

   …to mean that the current Pope is correct in that Atheists carried out the Holocaust.

   ? Where in my link (or yours) was that mentioned?

   And, I’m still waiting for the apology.

   I am sorry for ya, and good luck with that.

   regards.

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7. Um, Rob, it was in his touchdown speech in the UK, suggesting that atheists are responsible for Nazism. I’d suspect that was why Greg posted three posts in a row showing that Hitler’s association with Catholicism was more than passing.

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8. Um, I am aware, Jason. Like I said, I wasn’t making any argument or trying to pick a fight; just passing along some (I thought) relevant info with regards to this specific blog/book.

   I most humbly apologize and hope you guys get your papal apology forthwith.

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9. Rob, to be clear, I do appreciate the information, and the readers do to, I’m sure. I’ve not read the book (note I said nothing about it in the post). I’ve heard it was controversial. It is good to have some of that controversy discussed.

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10. After reading Cornwell’s Hitler’s Pope several years ago, my thumbnail was that it was a well-researched hatchet job.

    Only the first descriptor above can be said of Michael Phayer’s The Catholic Church and the Holocaust, 1930 to 1965. Though not focused on Eugenio Pacelli in particular, Phayer’s scholarship has more depth, and the portrait of P12 and his church is even more damning.

    Susan Zuccoti’s Under His Very Windows: The Vatican and the Holocaust in Italy also fills in a number of important details (including how low-level Catholics risked their lives trying to stop what their Holy Father unhesitatingly condoned).

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11. I have been extremely disappointed that the self-professed leaders of Christ’s Church have been turning such a blind eye to the obvious evil lies surrounding September 11, 2001. I had been publicly loosing my faith via an “Open Letter to Dr. James Dobson” because the Christian Leaders seemed to be ignoring the call of Psalm 94:16-20. God works in mysterious ways because look what he sent to my FaceBook Wall the other day! Thank you Marisela, and most importantly, Thank God for speaking through Strong Christians like Marisela who are so well spoken and entrenched in the Word of God!!!

    Maybe God will convict you to forward this link to everyone of your contacts?

    http://blandyland.com/?p=635

    Daniel Edd Bland III

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