Book Reviews2 The Truth Will Set You Free: commemorating the 50th anniversary of the death of Pope Pius XII

Oct 24, 2008

Book written by: Margherita Marchione

 

October 9, 2008 was the 50th anniversary of the death of the Servant of God, Pope Pius XII who was pope from 1939 to 1958.  This book has been written to commemorate this event and to help promote the continuance of Pope Pius’ cause for canonization which has been temporarily halted due to protests from objectors who accuse him of remaining “silent” during the Jewish Holocaust of World War II.  Sr. Margherita Marchione has made it her life’s work to combat these lies against Pope Pius and to reveal that he did more than any other world during the Holocaust.

 

Since 1963 with the publishing of Rolf Hochluth’s book, “The Deputy” some people have created lies against Pope Pius XII and the Catholic Church.  This fictional book accuses the Pope of being anti-Semitic and of being a collaborator with Hitler in the killing of millions of Jews during World War II.  Others have picked up on this fiction and expanded on it to meet their own anti-Catholic causes.  Unfortunately some of those behind these fictions are Catholics, who according to Marchione, are opposed to the Church’s leadership and teachings.  She also shows that those producing these false ideas were encouraged by Communism and liberalism. 

 

Marchione shows that many Jewish organizations and individuals had praised Pope Pius XII for his help in protecting and saving Jews and others.  These included Golda Meir, prime minister of Israel, Albert Einstein and many others who led various Jewish organizations.  While many thanked the Pope while he was alive and many more showed their appreciation upon his death,  some these organizations and their present-day leaders now believe the lies and are opposed to Pius XII’s canonization.  As Marchione probably would agree, those who were leaders of the Jews during the time of Pius XII would most likely be horribly surprised by their successors.

 

Marchione, as she has done in previous books in defense of Pope Pius, presents the evidence of the truth of Pius’ heroic deeds to save as many Jews and others as possible.  Several have testified to what was done to save lives.  Others, who have been declared “Righteous Gentile” have remarked that they acted on orders with the Pope.  Many survivors have said they were saved through the help that the Pope through the clergy, religious and laity of the Catholic Church provided.  Even though the process for the canonization of Pope Pius has been halted in order to provide more time to review additional documents from the Vatican’s Archives and other sources, Marchione and others are convinced that these materials will only re-enforce what is already known and perhaps make a stronger case for his canonization and his cause to be declared a Righteous Gentile.

 

Marchione tends to repeat facts throughout the book.  While to some it may seem redundant, it is an educational method to help the reader remember this information.  In this case it works.  The author shows some of what the Pope did and said.  He spoke out through the Vatican’s newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, Vatican Radio, through the Vatican’s ambassadors, through ordinary bishops and clergy in individual countries. He encouraged his diplomatic corps to physically help Jews and others to escape by providing false papers like baptismal certificates and such. He also provided money to help Nazi victims to escape.  Many of the things the Pope ordered were done in secret and some of these things he did or ordered have been known, but some are still coming to light.  As the New York Times said, Pope Pius XII was the one world leader who was doing the most for Jews and others by word and deed.  He spoke out against the Nazis in a way that the Nazis understood which Marchione shows were documented in Nazi records.  

 

Pope Pius XII should be canonized.  The evidence as it now stands shows his holiness and heroism and Sr. Marchione has been involved in proving this truth