Pope Pius XII Thought His Condemnation of Nazis Was Clear

VATICAN, Dec 20, 02 (CWNews.com) - Pope Pius XII was convinced that he had been unmistakably clear in his public denunciations of Nazi Germany's racial policies, according to a Jesuit scholar.

Writing in the authoritative journal Civilta Cattolica, Father Giovanni Sale argues that in rendering their judgments on the wartime Pope, historians should recognize that «the Petrine ministry is realized in history in singular individuals, with their own values and the own personal human limitations.» In the case of Pius XII, he writes, critics who see the Pope as timid in his criticism of Nazi ideology often overlook «the temperament, sensitivity, and culture of Pope Pacelli.»

Father Sale concedes that in his Christmas 1942 message, Pope Pius XII used «the language of prudence» rather than «words of fire.» But the Pope hope to strike a balance, he explained-- issuing a clear condemnation of Hitler's ideology without provoking violent reprisals against Jews and Catholics living under Nazi rule. The Jesuit author adds that the Pope believed he had made himself clear, and «expressed his denunciation in the best way possible.»