Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust [Hardcover]

This collaborative effort by a number of the world's leading experts on the Holocaust examines the question: how should Vatican policies during World War II be understood? Specifically, could Pope Pius XII have curbed the Holocaust by vigorously condemning the Nazi killing of Jews? Was Pius XII really 'Hitler's Pope', as John Cornwell suggested? Or has he unfairly become a scapegoat when he is really deserving of canonization as a saint?

InPope Pius XII and the Holocaust, scholars including Michael Marrus, Michael Phayer, Richard L. Rubenstein and Susan Zuccotti wrestle with these questions. The book has four main themes: (1) Pope Pius XII must be understood in his particular historical context. (2) Pope Pius XII put the well-being of the Roman Catholic Church, as he understood it, first and foremost. (3) In retrospect, Pope Pius XII's priorities, understandable though they are, not only make him a problematic Christian leader but also raise important questions about post-Holocaust Christian identity. (4) Jewish and Christian memories of the Holocaust will remain different, but reconciliation can continue to grow. On all sides, relations between Christians and Jews can be improved by an honest engagement with history and by continuing reflection on what post-Holocaust Christian and Jewish identities ought and ought not to mean.

Carol Rittneris Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies and Raticoff Grossman Emeritus Professor of Holocaust Studies at the Richard Stockton University of New Jersey, USA.
John K. Rothis Edward J. Sexton Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Claremont McKenna College, USA.

Introduction: Calls for HelpCarol Rittner and John K. Roth
A Chronology about Pope Pius XII and the HolocaustCarol Rittner and John K. Roth
Part One: Exploring the Controversies Surrounding Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust
1. Pius XII and the Holocaust: Ten Essential ThemesMichael£µ