John L. Allen, Jr., the ubiquitous fair-minded former Rome correspondent for the lefty National Catholic Reporter in his weekly flash as a very good piece on, get this… why Pope Pius XII ought to be beatified immediately.
A significant block in the Catholic church, including much of its senior leadership, has a strong conviction that Pius XII is a saint and should be formally recognized as such; In other sectors of opinion, including much of the Jewish world, there is an equally strong conviction that Pius XII failed in his moral responsibilities during the Holocaust; No new evidence, or new historical perspective, is likely to alter those convictions; The primary force keeping this debate alive in the media, and making it a source of turbulence in Catholic-Jewish relations, is the question of possible sainthood. Assuming those four premises are accurate, it seems to follow that there are only two ways out: Either Catholicism renounces sainthood for Pius XII, or we get it over with. Since the former is unlikely, the latter may be the best available option — and the sooner, the better. The alternative is allowing an endless cycle of point/counter-point exchanges to coarsen conversation and harden feelings.
He also has a very good summary of recent events, books, addresses about Pius XII on both sides of the issue.
Remember that in May the Congregation for Causes of Saints presented their decree super virtutibus for Servant of God Eugenio Pacelli. The Holy Father has yet to approve it.
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Pope St. Pius XII pray for us.
Hopefully Pope Benedict will consider moving forward with this.
Pius XII was certainly a man worthy of glorification by the Church as a Saint of God!!
Ora pro nobis!
Gordo
Assuming that Pope Pius was in fact a saint — and by many accounts he was — I would like to see him canonized not only because he deserves it but also because it is the most effective way to respond to the libel machine that routinely defames him and, by extension, the Church.
I think Servant of God Pius XII should be canonised, and I also think that if Oscar Schindler can be recognised by the Jewish People as a Righteous Gentile, then so should Pius XII, whose actions saved many, many more Jews from the Holocaust than Oscar Schindler’s.
Ultimately God will have the final word. His sainthood will be decided on the basis of miracles.
Good overview by Mr. Allen.
The cause for Pius XII canonization long ago moved from facts to politics.
This is not the first time Jews have expressed issues with a particular
beatification or canonization. For example: Bl Anne Catherine Emmerich,
St. Teresa Benedicta.
However, the last time I checked, Rome, not Jerusalem, was the headquarters
of the Faith.
The article does have a point (the tellers of the black legend are never going to be convinced), I don’t like the article itself very much. It’s that same old boring “there is no black or white, there is only grey” stuff – dictatorship of relativism anyone?
oh, and danphunter1: It is strictly illicit to anticipate the judgment of the Church in that way. While I’m personally convinced that Pius XII was a great and saintly Pontiff, I dutifully await the judgment of our holy Mother.
The article does have a point (the tellers of the black legend are never going to be convinced), I don’t like the article itself very much. It’s that same old boring “there is no black or white, there is only grey” stuff – dictatorship of relativism anyone?
oh, and danphunter1: It is strictly illicit to anticipate the judgment of the Church in that way. While I’m personally convinced that Pius XII was a great and saintly Pontiff, I dutifully await the judgment of our holy Mother.
Pius XII is already a saint for me and my family. He was the best pope of the 20st century
Quoting Fides News: Fr. Peter Gumpel, Relator for the beatification of Pius XII said, “The presence of Pius XII in the work of the Council is undeniable. If we look at the minutes of the Council Fathers’ discussions we find his name mentioned in no less than 1,500 interventions. In notes to Council documents Pius XII is cited more than 200 times. He is the most recurrent citation except for Sacred Scriptureâ€.
How about that! And I love the Holy Father’s “Mediator Dei”, explaining the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in words I can understand!
May he be Canonized soon!
Dcn John
I grew up with Pope Pius (he died when I was 16, but in those days before live television, he was a very remote figure to me, and probably most American Catholics).
I have a question about the canonization process which is taking place at a time when many of the Vatican’s records from the World War II period are just being released and it will be many years before the records up until the year of his death in 1958 will be released.
Have the officials responsible for the ultimate recommendation had access to all of those records still kept under lock and key?
Pius’ role in World Affairs after the Soviet Union took over Eastern Europe and Mao took over China might be something need to be examined.
I doubt that anything but laudable actions would be discovered.
But I guess my real question is “Is it too soon for his canonization?”
It is true that most Catholics believe Pius XII is a saint….except the radical liberals. To them, Pius XII was the kind of Pope they love to hate. But fourtunatly they are all very aged, and their day is done with having influence on the matter. There is a growing movement to have Pius XII declared a Saint very soon.
I hope Benedict XVI does not vacillate, delay, agonize, worry, stress, debate, or even worse, cancel the momentum to have Pius XII declared a saint.
I hope He does not worry about the Jewish opinion. It sould be given the consideration it deserves.
Let’s face facts: Pope Pius XII was a roaring lion of two-fisted cool, and he should be canonized forthwith (alongside Bl. Margaret of Castello, who’s only been waiting for, oh, 700 years).
Pius’ role in World Affairs after the Soviet Union took over Eastern Europe and Mao took over China might be something need to be examined.
Ray, one big indicator of Pope Pius’ role in world affairs during the Cold War is the fact that the whole “Pius as Hitler’s lapdog” business was hatched by Soviet intelligence.
Why hasn’t the Pope approved the Decree on heroic virtues together with the long
list of CCS decrees he approved last week.
But I guess my real question is “Is it too soon for his canonization?â€
The same could have been asked about Edith Stein.
A rabbi writing at http://www.catholicleague.org/pius/dalinframe.htm seems to indicate that Pius XII has already been declared a “righteous gentile”, although I don’t know how authoritatively, by some Jewish leaders.
This is the first I’ve heard of this cause. Thanks for the update and the book reference!
it is documented by mother pascalina—la popessa—-eugenio pascelli did give money and blessing to adolph hitler.
don’t hide the truth
bob: Kindly post the proof.
it is documented by mother pascalina—-la popessa——eugenio pascelli did give money and blessing to adolph hitler.
don’t hide the truth
Comment by bob
Hitler also received money from Austria, Britain, Czechoslovakia, Finland, France, Italy, Holland, Hungary, Switzerland, Sweden, and the United States.
You might be aware that some of those countries later were involved in war against Hitler’s Third Reich.