Was Pope Pius XII a Nazi Sympathizer?For almost 50 years; a controversy has raged about Pope Pius XII. Was the Pope who had shepherded the Church through World War II a Nazi sympathizer? Was he; as some have dared call him; Hitler's pope? Did he do nothing to help the Jewish people in the grips of the Holocaust?In a thoroughly researched and meticulously documented analysis of the historical record; Ronald Rychlak has gotten past the anger and emotion and uncovered the truth about Pius XII. Not only does he refute the accusations against the Pope; but for the first time documents how the slanders against him had their roots in a Soviet Communist campaign to discredit him and by extension; the Church. Let those who doubt but read Rychlak; follow his exquisitely organized courtroom-like arguments. What Professor Rychlak brings to the forum are facts; not rhetoric; dates; not conjecture; evidence; not slander.... The world owes Ronald Rychlak a debt for bringing the truth to light. ---Rabbi Eric A. Silver "In his well-crafted pages ... the portrait that emerges is one of an extraordinary pastor facing extremely vexing circumstances; of a holy man vying against an evil man; of a human being trying to save the lives of other human beings; of a light shining in the darkness." --John Cardinal O Connor (1920-2000) Archbishop of New York (from the Foreword to the first edition)"I have read many books on Pius XII; and this is by far the most dispassionate in laying out the context; relevant facts; accusations; and evidence pro and con. The book is highly engaging because it is filled with so many little-known facts. The research has been prodigious. Yet the presentation is as down-to-earth as it would have to be in a courtroom.... This is a wonderfully realistic book." ---Michael NovakGeorge Frederick Jewett Scholar in Religion; Philosophy; and Public Policy;American Enterprise Institute"Despite his many brilliant accomplishments; perhaps no modern-day leader of the Catholic Church has triggered more controversies than Pope Pius XII. Some historians have argued that; in light of the Church s concerns about Communism; he was pro-Nazi during the 1930s. He has been accused of signing the Reichskonkordat as a signal to Adolf Hitler of Rome's favor; of dissuading Pope Pius XI from condemning Kristallnacht; and of remaining silent in face of proof that the Holocaust was taking place.In this valuable book; Professor Ronald Rychlak sets the record straight. He paints a vivid picture of the social; political; and religious background against which the papacy of Pius XII took place. In so doing; Rychlak shows him to have been a man of singular wisdom and courage.Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli was a brilliant student as a young man; fluent in several languages; with doctorates in theology and canon and civil law. He was elected to the papacy just six months before Germany's invasion of Poland sparked the Second World War in Europe."Rychlak has buried the myth under an avalanche of facts and demonstrated that Pacelli's reputation deserves to be what it was during the war when the New York Times more than once praised him as a lonely voice crying out of the silence of a continent. Rychlak has done more than anyone else to set the record straight." --Professor Robert George McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence Princeton University
#728758 in Books Bear n Company 2004-09-13 2004-09-13Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .70 x 6.00l; .95 #File Name: 1591430399256 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. It's no Indiana Jones adventure...but kind of close!By S. O'TooleI discovered Phillips work with his latest book; THE LOST TOMB OF KING ARTHUR and have been on a kick; reading his older books one after another. To begin with; I love his style. He has a knack for making history very readable and I enjoy his ability to take us step-by-step through his process. This is true of all the work I've read to date.This book is a quest for the Ark of the Covenant. Phillips has done a lot of work to uncover new leads that lead his investigations down a new path than Ark researchers that have come before him. As with any book of this nature; it's up to the reader to decide whether the author is correct in his theories or not. I'm not 100% sure about the claims he makes but it's evident he is and he does make his argument very well.Whether you ultimately agree with his findings; Graham Phillips has written an outstanding piece of historical mystery. I recommend this book to those who love that kind of thing. I'll leave it at that and hope; should you choose to buy this book; you'll enjoy it as much as I did.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. This is a wonderful and compelling storyBy Bryan GrantThis is a wonderful and compelling story; based upon deep levels of research; and then goes way beyond any sort of normal; conventional treatment of the topic; turning a dry topic into a page turning adventure; albeit unlikely. It is odd though how so many of the worlds legends have deep ties to central England.Hmm. Still; even if it's all just a lark; it's a well-written one; and worth the time devoted to it's reading.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating Read!By A. SiegelA true-life mystery adventure where the truth is stranger and more exciting than fiction. I loved the book and could hardly put it down. Though the answers are inconclusive; the possibilities are mind-boggling. It covers a vast time span; from ancient Egypt; Moses and the burning bush and the Ark of the Convenant; to the Templars; the nineteenth century and then current times. The author tries to solve first; what; exactly; the Convenant was; or is; does it still exist and if so; where is it hidden? His quest takes him to the Middle East; then back to England where he traces lost Templar relics through clues hidden in medieval murals and a later stained glass window. Through all this are the eerie "earth lights" he sees at various locations which seem to be a rare natural phenomenon and could be responsible for the "burning bush" of Moses; as well as "angel" sightings; etc. A thought provoking; fascinating read!
