The late Pope Pius XII made few references to Jews, and not once voiced any condemnation of the Nazi campaign to obliterate the Jews of Europe, it appeared here today following official Vatican publication of a volume entitled “Letters of Pope Pius XII to German Bishops, 1939-1944.”
The 450-page book, reproducing letters from Pius and other documents, contains 124 letters, most of them in German, some in Latin. In one letter, dated April 30, 1944, the pontiff praised Msgr. Bernhard Lichtenberg, provost of St. Hedwig Cathedral in Berlin, who died in a Nazi prison. A footnote explains that Msgr. Lichtenberg had been imprisoned by the Nazis for praying for the Jews in public. Pope Pius wrote of his “fatherly recognition” and sympathy for the monsignor.
In another letter, Pope Pius praised German Catholics who helped Jewish victims of Nazism. In this letter he stated: “It has pleased us that Catholics, and especially the Catholics of Berlin, have come with great love to the aid of the so-called non-Aryans in their difficulties. The Holy See has done all within its power, both economically and morally, to help in charity the non-Aryan Catholics and Jewish believers.”
Aside from these mentions, the letters, appendices and notes in the volume report Pope Pius’ concern with family life during World War II and stressed that he had considered Hitler’s war against the USSR as a welcome crusade against Communism. The new book is one in a continuing effort by the Vatican to disprove charges in the drama, “The Deputy, ” by German author Rolf Hochhuth, which had accused Pius of maintaining silence during Hitler’s campaign against the Jewish people.
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