José M. Sanchez. Pius XII and the Holocaust: Understanding the Controversy. Washington D. C.: Catholic University of America Press. 198 pages. $19.95 (Paper).

Abstract

"Jose Sanchez begins his book posing the question "Why another work on Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust?" A reader might be forgiven for thinking that the world does not need another book on this topic. However, Sanchez's book is less about Pius XII and the Holocaust and more about the historical investigation of Pius' actions and inactions during World War II. This focus makes the book a much more valuable contribution. Sanchez has written a short, accessible book, which touches on both the practical and normative difficulties of reaching a judgment regarding Pius. This book provides a solid introduction to this growing field of scholarship and popular history about the Roman Catholic Church and the defining events of the twentieth century. [2] The book breaks down into three sections. The first section is a brief background of Pius himself, the history of his times, and the political issues facing the Roman Catholic Church. The second section takes up the major arguments regarding Pius' actions and inactions by devoting a chapter to each argument. In each of these second section chapters, Sanchez sets out the major proponents of the viewpoint, their critics, and the sources of evidence for and against the argument. In the final section, Sanchez sets out his own analysis to bring some clarity to the subject, not offering a definitive conclusion for reasons set out below. [3] Properly investigating Pius' activities during the Holocaust is a daunting task. For example, the primary source documents are in Italian, German, French, Latin, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, Russian and English. In addition, whether the Vatican has released the totality of its primary documents is part of the controversy. Finally, the sheer evil of the Holocaust makes it an emotional and controversial subject. [4] In spite of these obstacles, Sanchez does three things well. First, he points out a major flaw of many of the defenders of Pius, as well as his detractors. Both sides suffer from a fair degree of prejudgment about whether Pius is innocent or guilty before starting their investigation. The defenders of Pius include authors who "have adopted a pietistic tone, exacerbated by a sickly adulation and combined with outrage that their pope should be so attacked" (178). On the other side, the detractors have their share of anti-Catholic prejudice. Sanchez's critique of both sides is not a simplistic criticism that seeks an artificial balance of pro and con; instead, it is logically consistent and allows the reader to draw more nuanced conclusions."(pg 1)