When Pope Pius XII died in 1958 his archives were sealed. Now they have been opened and the picture they paint of Pius’ actions during WWII is not a pretty one. Although Jews were being killed and harassed by Hitler’s forces in Germany and Mussolini's in Italy, Pius XII apparently believed that his primary role was to protect his flock of Catholics and turn a blind eye to the atrocities.
Kertzer, one of the leading scholars on the Vatican, has spent years going through the thousands of pages documenting Pius XIIths time as pope. I believe Kertzer tries to be fair throughout the book, but it is not a pretty story. Pius comes across as a man weak both morally and in physical courage. He somehow seemed to believe that if he saved the power of Catholicism he would have a role in rebuilding the world after the war.
The book is extremely well done and very readable. It’s a long book, but I didn’t notice that. The story is intriguing and well-told. If anything, the book seemed almost too short. The story has a huge cast of characters, but because most of us are familiar with the actors in WWII, it wasn’t hard to follow.
If you’re a WWII buff, or just fascinated by one of the facets of the history of the Catholic church, this is an excellent book. I highly recommend it.
I received this book from Random House for this review.
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