Friday, October 17, 2008

Pius XII: wartime hero...


His August Person was just glorious: "A Pope who knew how to pope."
Already Pius XI had tried to stop the tragedy with his Miserentissimus Redemptor of May 8, 1928, seeking to draw men together in the bonds of love. But nobody listened and nobody was going to listen. It was the same with WWI and it was going to be the same with WWII. So if the repudiation of the papal voice was going to happen anyways, then what was the best strategy? Diplomacy, which is careful prudence. Idiots and bigots call this "silence."

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This picture is printed back to front! The cincture tassels are on the wrong side and the Pope's ring is on his left hand inside of the right! Powers of observation 10/10?

PeterHWright said...

At the outbreak of war in 1939, the Vatican City State adopted the heavy burden of neutrality. How could it do otherwise ?

Pius XII could not, therefore, intervene, except clandestinely, without compromising the neutrality of the Vatican City State, and the papacy itself, with untold consequences fo the Catholic Church. The Holy See was not an armed neutrality. He could not defend its sovereignty by military force. Who knew what might happen when the Nazis invaded Rome ? The situation was perilous indeed. But he did what he could.

Anonymous said...

I think that this picture has been reproduced back to front. The cincture tassels are on the wrong side, and His Holiness' papal ring is on his left hand.

Anonymous said...

With the Lateran Treaty in 1929 they adopted neutrality. The Holy See, according to international law, is neutral. Their voice is simply the voice of peace.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you have the courage to call these people who are against Pius XII, (anti-Catholic Protestants and most Jews) exactly what they are....Idiots and bigots !!