By Robert P. Lockwood Over the last two years, there have been a series of books that have dealt both directly and indirectly with the accusation that Pope Pius XII bore responsibility for the Holocaust in World War II. Beginning with John Cornwell’s "Hitler’s Pope," through Garry Wills’ "Papal Sin" and concluding with James Carroll’s "Constantine’s [...]
Most of the myths surrounding the Inquisition have come to us wrapped in the cloak of the Spanish Inquisition. It is the world of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum, with vivid descriptions of burning heretics, ghastly engines of torture with innocent Bible-believers martyred for their faith. In many ways, the reality of the Spanish [...]
by Ronald J. Rychlak The role of Pope Pius XII during the 1930s and World War II has become a matter of international intrigue. Like most governments, the Vatican, keeps its records closed until after the death of all involved. The files are now open up through 1922. However, due to interest in this era, Pope [...]
By Robert P. Lockwood Pope Pius IX served as pope from 1846 to 1878, the longest and one of the most difficult pontificates in history. The modern caricature of his papacy surrounds his resistance to modern thinking as seen in the Syllabus of Errors that appeared to set the Church squarely against democratic ideals; and the [...]
For nearly 20 years after World War II, Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) was honored by the world for his actions in saving countless Jewish lives in the face of the Nazi Holocaust. His death on October 9, 1958 brought a moment of silence from Leonard Bernstein while he conducted at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Golda Meir, [...]
By Ronald Rychlak The March 19 broadcast of CBS Television’s "60 Minutes" profiled Hitler’s Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII, by John Cornwell (Viking Press, 1999). As the title suggests, that book presents a very cynical portrait of Pope Pius XII. Like many print reviews, "60 Minutes" started by discussing Cornwell’s claim that he was convinced [...]
On Sunday, March 12, 2000 Pope John Paul II made a unique and historic "request for pardon" for the sins and errors of Christians both throughout the centuries and in the present. This papal act of atonement for past sin is meant to Christians to enter the new millenium better prepared to evangelize the Truth of [...]
by Robert P. George The following is an edited version of a statement made by Robert P. George before he left his post on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights last year. It is an important commentary on the state of religious liberty in our public schools and it is one that deserves a wide audience. [...]
by William Donohue Over the summer, Hollywood treated us to some pretty slimy stuff, much of it aimed at kids. Austin Powers was back, this time drinking diarrhea daiquiris in "The Spy Who Shagged Me" (in England, the term "shagged" is an obscene word for sex). Newspaper advertisements for "Big Daddy" showed a father and son [...]
William A. Donohue (Note: The following is a short excerpt of Donohue’s Commencement Day address at Christendom College, given on May 15.) When I was growing up, there was a very popular game show on TV called "Truth or Consequences." In the real world, of course, telling the truth has as many consequences as lying, the [...]
