Pius XII The Hound of Hitler

by Noel, Gerard

• ISBN13: 9781847063557
• ISBN10: 1847063551
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-12-13
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

A thoughtful and provocative biography of the controversial Pope who led the Catholic Church during World War II There is a claim that Hitler's rise to power was left unchallenged by the inaction of Pope Pius XII. In contrast, Gerard Noel's Pius XII: The Hound of Hitler is a highly original study of the exercise of political and religious power, of realpolitik and the extent to which politics is always the art of the possible. This book also offers an intimate portrait of a man at the pinnacle of the Catholic church. Noel contends that Pius XII was mother-fixated and dominated by a German nun, Sister Pasqualina, who became the real power behind the throne and who was ultimately more liberal and anti-Nazi than the Pope himself. Indeed, he says, it was Pasqualina who did most to shelter the Jewish population of Rome. As time advanced, Pius XII became more and more aloof and rigid in his views. By 1950 he promulgated the Doctrine of The Assumption, the ultimate expression of autocratic power, as infallible. Today there is a movement to canonize Pius XII which is predictably resisted by many influential people, and for this reason alone Pius XII continues to command much attention, debate, and controversy. Pius XII: The Hound of Hitler is neither a demolition job nor a piece of hagiography, as Gerard Noel explores the fatal effect of the Vatican's concord with Hitler and Pius XII's failure to condemn Hitler's attempt to exterminate the Jews.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
The Quest Begins	p. 5
The Design Unfolds	p. 15
The First Breakdown: Enter Pasqualina	p. 23
The Attack at the Nunciature	p. 33
The Best-Informed Diplomat in Germany	p. 43
Secretary of State	p. 55
Shaking Hands with the Devil	p. 67
The Flying Cardinal	p. 77
With Deep Anxiety	p. 85
Pastor Angelicus	p. 93
Darkness over the Earth	p. 103
'Ecclesiastical Lust'	p. 113
The Croatian Genocide	p. 119
The Final Solution	p. 125
The War in Rome	p. 133
An Uneasy Peace	p. 145
The Great Design	p. 151
The Church of Silence	p. 165
Casa Pastor Angelicus	p. 179
The Verdicts of History	p. 185
Pope Pius XII: An Apologia	p. 193
Acknowledgements	p. 201
Bibliographical Notes	p. 205
Index	p. 217
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