“Focuses not just on . . . the pope’s response to the Holocaust, but on [his] life and papacy . . . as a whole . . . A refreshingly balanced approach” (Catholic Courier).
Written by one of the foremost historians of Pius XII, this present biographical study—unlike the greater part of the vast and growing historiography of Pope Pius XII—is a balanced and nonreactive account of his life and times. Its focus is not on the pope’s silence during the Holocaust, though it does address the issue in a historical and objective framework. This is a biography of the man before and during his papacy. It probes the roots of his traditionalism and legalism, his approach to modernity and reformism in Church and society, and the influences behind his policies and actions.
“This book adds a great deal to what we currently know about this most written about pope. The author introduces a number of principles which need to be discussed by experts and also by biographers of this pope, most importantly the concepts of papal impartiality and anti-Judaism as related to Pope Pius XII.” —Charles R. Gallagher, S.J., assistant professor of history, Boston College
“It sets up a closer examination and better understanding of Pius XII’s decisions and behaviors dealing with three distinct historically important topics: the Holocaust, the question of Palestine and Israel after World War II, and the Cold War.” —Catholic Books Review
“Tries to move away from the controversy and toward a greater and broader focus on the entire life of Pacelli—his formative influences, personal interests, and papacy after the war.” —New Oxford Review
