Over the past few years, beginning with the urban riots that took place in 2020, there was a rash of anti-Catholic crimes across the nation. Monuments were destroyed, iconic statues were bludgeoned, gravesites were desecrated, Masses were interrupted, graffiti was spray-painted on church walls, windows were smashed, churches were torched, schools were vandalized, chalices were stolen, etc.

We put together a representative list of these incidents. In some cases, messages were left indicating that the offenses were a payback to Catholics for their strong pro-life stand. Many wild-eyed charges were levied against the Church, seeking to justify the violence.

A few other organizations, Catholic, Protestant and non-sectarian, published a list of pro-life offices, usually crisis pregnancy centers, that were trashed. Our list is different. We decided to publish a list of only those incidents that targeted Catholic entities, mostly churches, even though many of the pro-life facilities were manned by Catholics.

In some cases, the guilty were caught and charged with a hate crime. In most cases, they were either not apprehended or were not prosecuted.

The violence was a one-sided phenomenon: Catholics and pro-life Americans did not respond in kind.

In June, Bill Donohue wrote to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for an investigation of these offenses. He never replied.

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May 6, 2020: St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Casper, WY—Pulpit, altar, and statue damaged

May 28, 2020: Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis, MN—Someone broke into the church and poured flammable liquid under the pews, lighting a fire that damaged pews and the floor

May 29, 2020: St. Jude Chapel, Dallas, TX—Exterior damaged, including thrown rocks shattering windows

May 29, 2020: Cathedral of the Assumption, Louisville, KY—Thrown rocks shattered rectory windows

May 30, 2020: Our Lady of Mt. Lebanon-St. Peter Cathedral, Los Angeles, CA—Church exterior graffitied with “prosecute killer cops,” “ACAB” [All Cops Are Bastards], “Kill all cops,” and “Make America pay for its crimes against Black lives”

May 31, 2020: Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Denver, CO—Church exterior damaged over multiple nights, including smashed gates, grafitti with messages such as “God is dead” and “There is no God,” and windows shattered by rocks

June 22, 2020: Providence College, Providence, RI—At a Catholic college’s on-campus cemetery for deceased priests who taught at the school, a man defaced gravestones by painting swastikas and anti-Catholic language, burned some American flags that were next to the graves, and assaulted a college security guard

July 3, 2020: St. Ann Catholic Parish, Gary, IN—Outdoor statue of St. Mary beheaded and hands severed

July 5-6, 2020: St. Bernadette Catholic Church, Rockford, IL—Crucifix at roadside shrine smashed

July 10, 2020: Cathedral Prep School and Seminary, Elmhurst, NY —Outdoor statue of St. Mary spray painted with word “IDOL”

July 11, 2020: Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, San Gabriel, CA—Fire at 249-year-old church destroyed the roof, pews, and more

July 11, 2020: Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Ocala, FL—Man crashed minivan through church door, poured gasoline on the foyer and lit it on fire. People were inside the church, preparing for Mass.

July 12, 2020: St. Peter’s Parish, Dorchester, MA—Outdoor statue of St. Mary burned

July 13, 2020: St. Stephen Catholic Church, Chattanooga, TN—Statue of St. Mary beheaded

July 14, 2020: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Colorado Springs, CO—Statue of St. Mary painted red

July 15, 2020: Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Miami, FL—Outdoor statue of Jesus knocked over and beheaded

July 15, 2020: St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, New Haven, CT—Satanic and anarchist symbols painted on the front door of the church

July 19, 2020: Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, Bloomingburg, NY—Abortion monument toppled

August 3, 2020: Sacred Heart Church, Weymouth, MA—Fires set at church entrance

August 8, 2020: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Wounded Knee, SD—Deconsecrated the church destroyed in suspected arson

August 9, 2020: Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, Denver, CO—Statue of St. Jude beheaded

August 17, 2020: Holy Family Parish, Citrus Heights, CA—Statue of Mary beheaded, swastika spray-painted on Ten Commandments

August 24, 2020: Our Lady Help of Christians Church, Allentown, PA—Attempted beheading of statue of Mary

August 25, 2020: St. James Church, Kenosha, WI—Anti-religious graffiti spray-painted on Catholic Church site during protests over police shooting of Jacob Blake

September 9, 2020: Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Tioga, LA—Statues damaged and beheaded, windows broken

September 11, 2020: Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace, Brooklyn, NY—Statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe toppled

September 14, 2020: St. Therese of the Child Jesus Catholic Church, Midvale, UT—Statue of St. Therese toppled, beheaded; parish office burglarized

September 15, 2020: St. Patrick Cathedral, El Paso, TX—Statue of Jesus topped, beheaded

September 23, 2020: Incarnation Catholic Church, Town ‘n’ Country, FL—Man breaks church windows, sets pews on fire

September 24, 2020: Assumption Seminary, San Antonio, TX—Man with baseball bat damages crucifix, doors at Catholic seminary

September 26, 2020: St. Peter’s Chaldean Catholic Cathedral and Our Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, El Cajon, CA—Churches graffitied with swastikas, “White Power,” upside down crosses, “BLM,” and “Biden 2020”

September 29, 2020: St. Joseph Cupertino Catholic Church, Fall River, MA—Statues of Joseph, Mary, and infant Jesus decapitated, heads carried away

September 29, 2020: Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, Fall River, MA—Rocks, cinderblocks thrown through windows of Catholic church, decapitated heads of holy family statues found on site

October 12, 2020: Mission San Rafael Arcángel, San Rafael, CA—Statue of Junipero Serra defaced and pulled down

October 19, 2020: Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, Magnolia, AR—Pro-life display vandalized. The display consists of 150 small white crosses and a banner, which were knocked down

October 20, 2020: Resurrection Roman Catholic Church, Brooklyn, NY—Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary found vandalized; left hand was cut off, and there was a crack along her head

October 21, 2020: St. Germaine Catholic Church, Prescott Valley, AZ—Statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ found toppled; gardens surrounding the statues were also damaged

October 22, 2020: St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Scranton, PA—Statue of Mary toppled

October 25, 2020: St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, Louisville, KY—Altar vandalized

November 8, 2020: Mother Cabrini Catholic Church, Shamokin, PA—Head of Jesus stolen from crucifix

November 9, 2020: St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Chicago, IL—Statue of Mary graffitied, “God is dead” spray-painted on church exterior

November 10, 2020: St. Gabriel Elementary School, Milford, CT—Portrait of St. Pope John Paul II defaced

November 15, 2020: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Brewster, WA—Apparent arson attack

November 23, 2020: St. Bernard Catholic Church, FL—Statue of Jesus smashed with rock, two other statues decapitated and pushed into sewer drain, garden set on fire with accelerant

December 2, 2020: St. Joseph Catholic Church, Derry, PA—Multiple incidents of vandalism including toppling of statues, tearing down stations of the cross

December 6, 2020: St. Louis Catholic Church, Houma, LA—Church buildings and bathroom spray-painted

December 11, 2020: Mission San Juan Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA—Front entrance to site graffitied

December 25, 2020: St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Indianapolis, IN—Nativity scene vandalized on Christmas morning

December 28, 2020: Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, Fall River, MA—Stained glass windows vandalized

January 1, 2021: St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, NY—Cathedral tagged with anti-police graffiti

January 19, 2021: Rosary Cathedral, Toledo, OH—Graffiti and arson at Cathedral

January 29, 2021: Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Houston, TX—Statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe shot six times

February 10, 2021: St. Pius X, El Paso, TX—Three angel statues toppled and broken

February 16, 2021: St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Denver, CO—Statue and flower pots around altar damaged

February 25, 2021: St. Mary of the Knobs Catholic Church, Floyds Knobs, IN—Chapel doors and statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary vandalized

February 27, 2021: Basilica of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Youngstown, OH—Several statues vandalized

March 2, 2021: St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, Ft. Worth, TX—Vandals damaged statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Thomas the Apostle

March 12, 2021: St. Teresa of Calcutta Church, St. John Paul II Academy, and St. Monica-St. Augustine Catholic Church, Boston, MA—Unkown substance inserted into locks, statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary knocked down

March 22, 2021: St. Charles Catholic Church, Spokane, WA—Fire at St. Charles Catholic School is being investigated as possible arson

April 1, 2021: Abbey of Our Lady of Ephesus, Gower, MO—Gunshots fired at abbey of Benedictines of Mary, Queen of the Apostles

April 15, 2021: Holy Rosary Church,Woodland, CA —Statues of three female saints vandalized

April 17, 2021: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Fargo, ND—Face of statue of Jesus vandalized

April 18, 2021: St. John Vianney, Rancho Cordova, CA—Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary spray painted

April 18, 2021: Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Woodland, CA—Statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Mary Magdalene, and St. John, spray painted

April 26, 2021: St. Elisabeth Catholic Church, Van Nuys, CA—Man smashed face of Our Lady of Guadalupe with a sledgehammer

May 3, 2021: St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Waltham, MA—Statue of Jesus Christ decapitated

May 5, 2021: McCarren Park, Brooklyn, NY—Statue of Polish priest vandalized

May 6, 2021: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Riverside, CA—Stained glass windows broken and statue of San Juan Diego vandalized

May 8, 2021: Our Lady of Grace, Everett, MA—Rocks thrown through stained glass windows

May 9, 2021: St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Narragansett, RI—Statue of Jesus Christ vandalized

May 14, 2021: St. Athanasius Catholic Church, Brooklyn, NY—Large crucifix toppled and smashed, American flag burned

May 15, 2021: Our Lady of Mount Carmel-St. Benedicta-St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Staten Island, NY—Statues of Our Lady of Carmel and the Sacred Heart of Jesus vandalized

May 17, 2021: Diocese of Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY—Statue of baby Jesus decapitated

May 27, 2021: Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, Leavenworth, WA—Audio equipment stolen and multiple fire extinguishers deployed inside the church

June 4, 2021: St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Port Charlotte, FL—Man caught on camera vandalizing doors and stained glass

June 8, 2021: Immaculate Conception Church, Queens, NY—Graffiti spray-painted on exterior of church

June 19, 2021: St. Veronica’s Catholic Church, Philadelphia, PA—Fire started at front door of church

June 30, 2021: Holy Ghost Catholic Church, Denver, CO—Graffiti painted on exterior of church

July 1, 2021: Holy Rosary Church, Jersey City, NJ—Statue of Blessed Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus vandalized and stolen

July 2, 2021: St. James Cathedral, Seattle, WA—Front doors of church vandalized with red paint

July 4, 2021: St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Merced, CA—Man seen on camera using red paint to vandalize church buildings and statues

July 7, 2021: Basilica of St. Lawrence, Asheville, NC—Statue of Jesus covered in red paint

July 12, 2021: St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Parish, Portland, OR—Church vandalized by fire and graffiti

July 12, 2021: St. Patrick Catholic Church, Portland, OR—Church vandalized by fire and graffiti

July 12, 2021: St. Andrew Catholic Church, Portland, OR—Church vandalized by fire and graffiti

July 12, 2021: Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, Portland, OR—Church vandalized by fire and graffiti

July 17, 2021: Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, Forest Hills, NY—Woman seen on camera smashing statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Thérèse of Lisieux

August 6, 2021: St. Benedict Catholic Church, Seattle, WA—Doors vandalized with black paint

August 9, 2021: Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Mary, Bronx, NY—Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary vandalized

August 17, 2021: St. Michael’s Church, Flushing, NY—Statue of the St. Bernadette knocked down

August 29, 2021: St. Martha Catholic Church, Miami Shores, FL, —Statues of Jesus vandalized

September 2, 2021: St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Jay, ME—Exterior of church and parish hall vandalized with white paint

September 5, 2021: St. Louis Catholic Church, Louisville, CO—Graffiti found on church’s door, sign, and garden sign

September 23, 2021: St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church, Van Nuys, CA—Stained glass windows smashed

September 29, 2021: Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church, Boulder, CO—Windows broken and exterior spray painted with pro-abortion messages

September 29, 2021: St. Martha Catholic Church, Miami Shores, FL —Statues of Jesus vandalized

October 10, 2021: Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Denver, CO—Hateful messages and other graffiti found spray painted on exterior wall and door

October 10, 2021: St. Edward Church, Seattle, WA—Windows broken and exterior vandalized with spray paint

October 11, 2021: St. Peter Italian Catholic Church, Los Angeles, CA—Paint splattered over the exterior of the church

October 11, 2021: Arrupe Jesuit Residence, Seattle University, Seattle, WA—Graffiti painted on exterior wall of residence

October 21, 2021: American Martyrs Catholic Church, Manhattan Beach, CA—Hateful messages spray-painted on exterior wall of church

October 22, 2021: Annunciation Catholic Church, Washington, DC—Swastika painted on a pillar in church parking lot

October 24, 2021: St. Charles Borromeo, Tacoma, WA—Fire set to parish office

November 1, 2021: St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Fargo, ND—Statue of St. Anthony of Padua decapitated

November 5, 2021: Mission San Jose, Fremont, CA—Graffiti spray-painted on exterior of Catholic mission

November 9, 2021: St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, Chicago, IL—Graffiti painted on exterior walls

November 28, 2021: Catholic Charities, Knoxville, TN—Fire at Catholic Charities, causing destruction of roof and one fifth of the building

November 29, 2021: St. Peter’s Catholic Church, DeLand, FL—Windows smashed and statues toppled

December 7, 2021: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC—Statue of Our Lady of Fatima vandalized

December 12, 2021: Mary Mother of God Catholic Church, Hillsborough, NJ—Christmas decorations damaged and stolen

December 23, 2021: Mary Mother of God Catholic Church, Hillsborough, NJ—Christmas decorations damaged and stolen

December 29, 2021: Mary Mother of God Catholic Church, Hillsborough, NJ—Christmas decorations damaged and stolen

January 14, 2022: St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Fresno, CA—Tabernacle vandalized, money stolen

January 26, 2022: Church of the Nativity, Burke, VA—Statues of Our Lady of Fatima and children who witnessed apparitions decapitated

January 27, 2022: Greenwood Catholic Church, Greenwood, MS—Interior of church vandalized

February 14, 2022: St. Therese of the Infant Jesus Catholic Church’s Shrine of the Little Flower, Albuquerque, NM—Stained glass windows smashed

February 17, 2022: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Milledgeville, GA—Two statues of angels knocked down

February 23, 2022: St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, San Antonio, TX—Statue of the Holy Family stolen from parking lot

February 28, 2022: St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church, Baltimore, MD—Tombstones at Ukrainian Catholic cemetery defaced

March 1, 2022: Holy Family Catholic Church, Jacksonville, FL—Statue of the Holy Family defaced with blasphemous words and imagery

March 8, 2022: St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Royal Oak, MI—Interior and exterior of church vandalized, statue damaged

April 1, 2022: St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, North Beach, MD—Sanctuary vandalized, crucifix and stained glass window damaged

April 8, 2022: Cristo Rey Catholic Church, Austin, TX—Thirty windows and front door broken by rocks

May 4, 2022: Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church, Boulder, CO—Pro-abortion messages spray-painted on front doors

May 5, 2022: Saint Joseph’s Church and Academy, Armada, MI—Satanic symbols, messages spray-painted on door and sign

May 7, 2022: St. Pope John XXIII Catholic Church, Fort Collins, CO—Pro-abortion messages spray-painted on front doors, glass panels smashed

May 9, 2022: St. Bartholomew the Apostle Catholic Church, Katy, TX—Theft of Tabernacle containing Body and Blood of Jesus Christ

May 9, 2022: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Katy, TX—Building vandalized with pro-abortion messages, attempted desecration of Eucharist

May 9, 2022: Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Houston, TX—Pro-abortion messages painted on front doors

May 9, 2022: St. Louis Catholic Church, Louisville, CO—Vandalized with pro-abortion messages

May 17, 2022: Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, New York, NY—Statues of Lúcia dos Santos and Jacinta Marto, two of the children who witnessed the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, smashed and decapitated

May 19, 2022: Notre Dame de Lourdes, Swarthmore, PA—Pro-abortion messages spray-painted on front doors of church building

May 22, 2022: St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Olympia, WA—Pro-abortion messages spray-painted on church building

May 29, 2022: St. Augustine Catholic Church, Brooklyn, NY—Tabernacle stolen, Holy Eucharist thrown on floor, statues of angels on the altar decapitated and destroyed

June 23, 2022: St. Margaret’s Roman Catholic Church, Buffalo, NY—Religious statues and garden pots smashed

June 25, 2022: Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church, New Orleans, LA—Statue memorializing children who died of abortion defaced

June 25, 2022: St. John Neumann Catholic Community Church, Reston, VA—Pro-abortion messages spray-painted on church building; mulch set on fire

June 25, 2022: St. Colman Catholic Church, Shady Spring, WV—Historic church burned to ground in suspected arson attack

June 25, 2022: All Saints Parish, Portland, OR—Sign vandalized with pro-abortion messages

June 25, 2022: St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Harlingen, TX—Two statues of angels stolen, statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary toppled

June 25, 2022: St. Anthony Parish, Renton, WA—Pro-abortion messages spray-painted on walls, stained glass windows broken

June 25, 2022: St. Patrick Catholic Church, Philadelphia, PA—Church defaced with pro-abortion messages

June 25, 2022: St. Therese of the Little Flower Catholic Church, South Bend, IN—Church’s memorial to the unborn vandalized

June 27, 2022: Ascension Roman Catholic Church, New York, NY—Church defaced with graffiti

June 28, 2022: St. Louise Catholic Church, Bellevue, WA—Man spray-painted anti-religious messages on building, damaged doors with rocks, and threatened people at the church building

June 30, 2022: St. Anthony of Padua School, Lorain, OH—Fire suspected as arson caused estimated 1 million dollars in damages to school

July 1, 2022: St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Tilden, WI—Sidewalk spray-painted outside church building

July 1, 2022: Notre Dame Catholic Church, Chippewa Falls, WI—Sidewalk spray-painted outside church building

July 1, 2022: Holy Ghost Parish, Chippewa Falls, WI—Sidewalk spray-painted outside church building

July 1, 2022: St. Charles Catholic Church, Chippewa Falls, WI—Sidewalk spray-painted outside church building

July 3, 2022: Holy Family Catholic Church, Hillsborough, NC—Pro-abortion, anti-Christian messages spray-painted on building

July 4, 2022: St. Bernard Catholic Church, Madison, WI—Pro-abortion message spray-painted on building

July 5, 2022: St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Oakdale, CA—Windows broken and sprinkler system damaged repeatedly over 2-month period

July 9, 2022: Church of the Ascension, Overland Park, KS—Church building vandalized with pro-abortion messages, statue of Blessed Virgin Mary defaced

July 9, 2022: St. Jane Frances de Chantal Church, Bethesda, MD—Multiple fires set inside church building, statues pulled down, Stations of the Cross torn from walls, books torn

July 14, 2022: Lansing Catholic High School, Lansing, MI—Multiple windows broken with rocks

July 14, 2022: St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School, East Lansing, MI—Windows shattered, statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary toppled

July 23, 2022: Kingsburg Holy Family Catholic Church, Kingsburg, CA—Statue of Blessed Virgin Mary smashed, statues of St. Joseph and baby Jesus decapitated

August 2, 2022: St. Joseph Catholic Church, Bakersfield, CA—Stained glass windows smashed

August 2, 2022: San Clemente Mission Parish, Bakersfield, CA—St. Clement statue decapitated, satanic alter found behind church

August 6, 2022: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, Denver, CO—Drive-by shooting damages front door

August 8, 2022: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, Denver, CO—Drive-by shooting damages windows

August 11, 2022: St. Anthony Catholic School, Washington, DC—Vandal toppled and decapitated statue of St. Anthony and pulled up benches from school playground

August 15, 2022: St. Anthony Catholic School, Washington, DC—Vandal broke into school, smashed statue of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph and stole security cameras

The day after it was reported that new documents were found showing that the Catholic Church saved over 3,000 Jews during the Nazi occupation of Rome, the New York Times ran an article on this story noting that during this time Pope Pius XII “remained publicly silent.”

In other words, we are to believe that all those Jews who were saved by priests, nuns and lay people—which even the Times admits were in the “tens of thousands”—did so without ever heeding instructions from the Vatican. This is a remarkable conclusion: The “hyper-centralized” and “highly hierarchal” Vatican sat by idly without ever giving marching orders to the faithful. Perhaps they were just nice Catholic boys and girls.

But that is contradicted by the world’s foremost Holocaust scholar, Sir Martin Gilbert. His assessment led him to conclude that Catholics who sheltered Jews did so “on his [the pope’s] direct authority.”

If the pope was silent, then how could the New York Times have concluded at that time that he was not silent!

Here is what a New York Times editorial said on Christmas Day, 1941: “The voice of Pius XII is a lonely voice in the silence and darkness enveloping Europe this Christmas.”

Here is what a New York Times editorial said on Christmas Day, 1942: “This Christmas more than ever he [the pope] is a lonely voice crying out of the silence of a continent.”

Now how can it be that those closest to the events at that time, such as the editorial board of the New York Times in the early 1940s, were wrong, and today’s reporters for the newspaper are right?

To be sure, the pope was not screaming from the rooftops in public about Hitler. He was indeed concerned about antagonizing him. So were Jews at that time.

In 1942, Gerhard Riegner of the World Jewish Congress notified his colleagues in London and New York of an “alarming report” about plans to exterminate Jews. And what did they do? They failed to lobby on behalf of a bill by Rep. Emanuel Celler that would have eased restrictions on Jews emigrating from France to the United States.

This came after Kristallnacht, November 9-10, 1938, the “Night of Broken Glass,” when the American Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee, B’nai B’rith, and the Jewish Labor Committee concluded that the best course of action was to do nothing. They said, “at least for the time being, nothing should be done.” In addition, all of these Jewish organizations went on record saying that “there should be no parades, demonstrations, or protests by Jews.”

When it was reported in 1942 that two million Jews had been killed in the Nazi extermination campaign, the New York Times placed the story on page ten surrounded by ads for Thanksgiving Day turkeys.

In 1943, Hitler’s biographer, John Toland, said, “The Church, under the Pope’s guidance, had already saved the lives of more Jews than all other churches, religious institutions, and rescue organizations combined, and was presently hiding thousands of Jews in monasteries, convents, and Vatican City itself.”

[Note: All of the above information, and much more, can be found in Bill Donohue’s book, Why Catholicism Matters, published by Image (Random House) in 2012; citations are provided for everything he said.]

Attempts to belittle the role of the Catholic Church during the Holocaust has long been a cottage industry. But with the release of more and more documents from the Vatican archives, it looks like the Church’s worst critics are on the losing side of this argument.

Bill Donohue

On April 16, on “Fox & Friends,” Brian Kilmeade was critical of Pope Leo XIV, and in the course of his remarks he said the following: “Historically, Pope Pius XII did nothing knowing, documents show that 6 million Jews were being slaughtered. The Vatican knew about it, did nothing, signed a deal with the Nazis not to invade.”

Shaking his head in agreement was Rich Lowry, editor-in-chief of National Review.

Besides the incredibly dumb remark about the Vatican deciding not to invade—invade with what?—Kilmeade knows nothing about this subject. He is dead wrong. Apparently, Lowry is just as clueless.

The Vatican archives show concretely that the debate is over. Pope Pius XII did more to save Jews than any other world figure. Here is a quick summary of his heroics taken from my book, Why Catholicism Matters.

1940

• In the December 23, 1940 issue of Time magazine, Albert Einstein was quoted as saying, “Being a lover of freedom, when the Nazi revolution came to Germany, I looked to the universities to defend it, but the universities were immediately silenced. Then I looked to the great editors of the newspapers, but they, like the universities, were silenced in a few short weeks….Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler’s campaign for suppressing the truth.”

1941

• In its Christmas Day editorial, the New York Times said, “The voice of Pius XII is a lonely voice in the silence and darkness enveloping Europe this Christmas.”

1942

• In its Christmas Day editorial, the New York Times wrote, “No Christmas sermon reaches a larger congregation than the message Pope Pius XII addresses to a war-torn world this season.”

1943

• Hitler’s biographer, John Toland, said, “The Church, under the Pope’s guidance, had already saved the lives of more Jews than all other churches, religious institutions, and rescue organizations combined, and was presently hiding thousands of Jews in monasteries, convents, and Vatican City itself.”
• Speaking about events in 1943, Sir Martin Gilbert, perhaps the foremost historian of the Holocaust, noted that “the test for Pacelli was when the Gestapo came to Rome in 1943 to round up Jews. And the Catholic Church, on his direct authority, immediately dispersed as many Jews as they could.”
• In 1943, the World Jewish Congress thanked the pope for persuading Italian authorities to remove 20,000 Jewish refugees from internment camps in Northern Italy.
• On July 25, 1943, Hitler began his plan to kidnap the “Jew-loving” pope.

1944

• Jewish scholar Jeno Levai describes what happened in the spring of 1944 in Hungary. “Over 20,000 passports had been issued by the papal Nuncio—on the average of 500 a day.”

1945

• Anton Zolli, the Chief Rabbi in Rome, converted to Catholicism. He explained why in his book, Why I Became a Catholic. “No hero in history has commanded such an army; none is more militant, more fought against, none more heroic than that conducted by Pius XII in the name of Christian Charity.” He chose the name Eugenio (after Eugenio Pacelli, Pius XII) as his baptismal name.

1958

• When the pope died, Golda Meir, Israel’s foreign minister (she would later become prime minister), telegraphed the Vatican saying, “When fearful martyrdom came to our people in the decade of Nazi terror, the voice of the Pope was raised for the victims. The life of our times was enriched by a voice speaking out on the great moral truths above the tumult of daily conflict. We mourn a great servant of peace.”

• Among the Jewish organizations that praised the pope were the following: Anti-Defamation League, the Synagogue Council of America, the Rabbinical Council of America, the New York Board of Rabbis, the American Jewish Committee, the World Jewish Congress, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and the National Council of Jewish Women.

Former Israeli diplomat and author Pinchas Lapide estimated that approximately 860,000 Jewish lives were saved by Pope Pius XII. One thing is certain: no leader, religious or secular, did more to save Jews than Pope Pius XII. He is more than a “Righteous Gentile”—he deserves to be made a saint.

If Kilmeade knew anything about the critics of Pius XII, he would know that many have had to walk back their accusations.

In 2017, the BBC announced the results of an internal probe of the war record of Pope Pius XII. It said it was wrong to characterize him as being “silent” during the Holocaust. In 1999, the author of Hitler’s Pope, John Cornwell, admitted that he was wrong in making this assessment, and retracted his charge that the pope supported Hitler.

Catholic League board of advisors, University of Mississippi law professor Ronald Rychlak, has also written voluminously about the yeoman efforts of Pius XII during the Holocaust. Gary Krupp, a Jewish student of this subject, who was once critical of the pope, has a drove of documents on his website, Pave the Way Foundation, that detail the great work of this wartime pope.

Kilmeade is a talking head—he is not an historian. He is way out of his league on this subject.

Contact Lee Lewittes, senior editorial producer, Fox & Friends: [email protected]

On April 16, on “Fox & Friends,” Brian Kilmeade was critical of Pope Leo XIV, and in the course of his remarks he said the following: “Historically, Pope Pius XII did nothing knowing, documents show that 6 million Jews were being slaughtered. The Vatican knew about it, did nothing, signed a deal with the Nazis not to invade.”

Shaking his head in agreement was Rich Lowry, editor-in-chief of National Review.

Besides the incredibly dumb remark about the Vatican deciding not to invade—invade with what?—Kilmeade knows nothing about this subject.  He is dead wrong. Apparently, Lowry is just as clueless.

The Vatican archives show concretely that the debate is over. Pope Pius XII did more to save Jews than any other world figure. Here is a quick summary of his heroics taken from Bill Donohue’s book, Why Catholicism Matters.

1940

• In the December 23, 1940 issue of Time magazine, Albert Einstein was quoted as saying, “Being a lover of freedom, when the Nazi revolution came to Germany, I looked to the universities to defend it, but the universities were immediately silenced. Then I looked to the great editors of the newspapers, but they, like the universities, were silenced in a few short weeks….Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler’s campaign for suppressing the truth.”

1941

• In its Christmas Day editorial, the New York Times said, “The voice of Pius XII is a lonely voice in the silence and darkness enveloping Europe this Christmas.”

1942

• In its Christmas Day editorial, the New York Times wrote, “No Christmas sermon reaches a larger congregation than the message Pope Pius XII addresses to a war-torn world this season.”

1943

• Hitler’s biographer, John Toland, said, “The Church, under the Pope’s guidance, had already saved the lives of more Jews than all other churches, religious institutions, and rescue organizations combined, and was presently hiding thousands of Jews in monasteries, convents, and Vatican City itself.”
• Speaking about events in 1943, Sir Martin Gilbert, perhaps the foremost historian of the Holocaust, noted that “the test for Pacelli was when the Gestapo came to Rome in 1943 to round up Jews. And the Catholic Church, on his direct authority, immediately dispersed as many Jews as they could.”
• In 1943, the World Jewish Congress thanked the pope for persuading Italian authorities to remove 20,000 Jewish refugees from internment camps in Northern Italy.
• On July 25, 1943, Hitler began his plan to kidnap the “Jew-loving” pope.

1944

• Jewish scholar Jeno Levai describes what happened in the spring of 1944 in Hungary. “Over 20,000 passports had been issued by the papal Nuncio—on the average of 500 a day.”

1945

• Anton Zolli, the Chief Rabbi in Rome, converted to Catholicism. He explained why in his book, Why I Became a Catholic. “No hero in history has commanded such an army; none is more militant, more fought against, none more heroic than that conducted by Pius XII in the name of Christian Charity.” He chose the name Eugenio (after Eugenio Pacelli, Pius XII) as his baptismal name.

1958

• When the pope died, Golda Meir, Israel’s foreign minister (she would later become prime minister), telegraphed the Vatican saying, “When fearful martyrdom came to our people in the decade of Nazi terror, the voice of the Pope was raised for the victims. The life of our times was enriched by a voice speaking out on the great moral truths above the tumult of daily conflict. We mourn a great servant of peace.”
• Among the Jewish organizations that praised the pope were the following: Anti-Defamation League, the Synagogue Council of America, the Rabbinical Council of America, the New York Board of Rabbis, the American Jewish Committee, the World Jewish Congress, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and the National Council of Jewish Women.

Former Israeli diplomat and author Pinchas Lapide estimated that approximately 860,000 Jewish lives were saved by Pope Pius XII. One thing is certain: no leader, religious or secular, did more to save Jews than Pope Pius XII. He is more than a “Righteous Gentile”—he deserves to be made a saint.

If Kilmeade knew anything about the critics of Pius XII, he would know that many have had to walk back their accusations.

In 2017, the BBC announced the results of an internal probe of the war record of Pope Pius XII. It said it was wrong to characterize him as being “silent” during the Holocaust. In 1999, the author of Hitler’s Pope, John Cornwell, admitted that he was wrong in making this assessment, and retracted his charge that the pope supported Hitler.

Catholic League board of advisors, University of Mississippi law professor Ronald Rychlak, has also written voluminously about the yeoman efforts of Pius XII during the Holocaust. Gary Krupp, a Jewish student of this subject, who was once critical of the pope, has a drove of documents on his website, Pave the Way Foundation, that detail the great work of this wartime pope.

Kilmeade is a talking head—he is not an historian. He is way out of his league on this subject.

On December 7, menorahs were removed from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Palm Beach.  On December 10, they were restored.  The initial complaints were made by those who contended that the menorah is a religious symbol and should therefore not be displayed on government property.  The second round of complaints came from the Jewish War Veterans.  Even though they won, some are still upset because they say the display of menorahs should not have to be conditioned upon their placement next to a Christmas tree.

Bruce Rogow, a Nova Southeastern University law professor, is quoted today as saying that the problem could be resolved by banning all holiday displays.  He also said the courts have determined that the Christmas tree and menorah have been transformed into secular symbols.  In reference to the 1989 Allegheny decision, he added that the U.S. Supreme Court held that a nativity scene had to be removed because it was placed on the steps of the Allegheny County Courthouse and therefore had the appearance of government endorsement; he added that the high court ruled that placing a menorah next to a Christmas tree resolved the issue by representing both holidays with secular displays.

Catholic League president William Donohue commented as follows:

“The situation in West Palm Beach couldn’t be outdone by Saturday Night Live.  First of all, the high court ruled in the Allegheny decision that the menorah is a religious symbol.  The reason they allowed it to stay on government property is because it was placed next to a secular symbol, the Christmas tree.  The nativity scene had to go because it was not placed next to secular symbols.  Therefore, if the VA Hospital is going to allow menorahs, it should also allow nativity scenes.  We are calling on the Catholic War Veterans to press this case.  Finally, there are two ways the government can be neutral: by being intolerant and banning all religious symbols or by being tolerant and allowing all of them.  Unlike professor Rogow, we opt for the latter.”

Last Christmas, Columbia Records, which is owned by Sony, released a CD entitled O Come All Ye Faithful: Rock for Choice. Proceeds from this “Christmas” album were earmarked to promote legal abortion and were distributed to Rock for Choice, a group of pro-abortion musicians; Rock for Choice was founded by the pro-abortion organization, the Feminist Majority. In the promotional material accompanying this CD, legal abortion was dubbed “the most spiritual of gifts.”

After the CD was released, many influential Catholic leaders and organizations (including the Catholic League) registered their outrage at Sony President, Thomas Mottola. The response that was provided by the Senior Vice President for Communications, Patricia Kiel, was uniformly obnoxious: we were told that Sony “regrets” that the album has caused us “such concern and discomfort.”

The next person that leading Catholics, and Protestants, contacted was Norio Ohga, Chairman and CEO of Sony in Japan. He didn’t even have the courtesy to reply. So in June, the Catholic League contacted Mr. Mottola outlining its new strategy. William Donohue explains what followed:

“Last month I informed Sony President Mottola that unless he retired the offending CD, I would publish an Op-Ed page ad in the New York Timescalling for a boycott of all Sony products; the ad would appear just as the Christmas shopping spree begins, the week before Thanksgiving. In addition, I pledged to garner the support of dozens of Christian, Jewish and Muslim organizations, as well as many pro-life groups, denouncing Sony in a press conference for its irresponsibility.

“I am happy to report that today I received a letter from Mr. Mottola stating that ‘We have no plans of re-releasing this album or another similar album this Christmas.’ He wants us to believe that ‘the sales cycle of this album has run its course.’ Let him say what he wants—we are only too glad he got the message.”

January 8
Des Moines, IA—The local ACLU complained that only one version of the Ten Commandments (the King James version) was posted in the Iowa Statehouse. What made the ACLU’s complaint so bogus was the fact that this was a privately-funded display commemorating the moral and legal underpinnings of the U.S.

January 23
New York, NY—ADL head Abraham Foxman gave the Los Angeles Times his thoughts on the marketing practices for “The Passion of the Christ”: “[Mel Gibson is] hawking it on a commercial crusade to the churches of this country. That’s what makes it dangerous.” William Donohue wrote to Foxman: “The subtext of this remark is that church-going Christians are latent anti-Semitic bigots ready to lash out at Jews at any given moment.” Donohue asked for a public apology, which was never given.

March 15
Duluth, MN—The City Council voted to settle a lawsuit brought by the ACLU of Minnesota to remove a 47-year-old Ten Commandments monument outside City Hall. The structure was removed three months later.

April 6
Boston, MA—People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) unveiled “The Cow Pope,” a 10-foot tall statue of a cow dressed as a pope wearing a sash that read, “Blessed are the Merciful. GoVeg.com.” Created by Greg Metz, the statue showed the cow holding a crucifix that had another cow on it. This, according to PETA, was to “remind Catholics that few activities contribute more to suffering—both for animals and humans—than eating meat.” The cow was eventually displayed in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC and Providence, RI.

April 11
San Francisco, CA—The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of gay men who dress as nuns in outrageous costumes, held its 25th Annual Easter Sunday celebration in Dolores Park. This included their annual “Hunky Jesus” contest in which gay men dress as Jesus and are judged on physical appearance.

April 24
Washington, DC—At a protest during a meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, onlookers spotted a T-shirt that read, “Pro-Choice and Anti-Catholic.”

April 25
Washington, DC—At the pro-abortion “March for Women’s Lives,” demonstrators held signs that read, “Keep your rosaries out of our ovaries.”

May 4
Everett, WA—Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed suit against Everett, Washington, seeking to declare a monument of the Ten Commandments unconstitutional.

May 25
Chicago, IL—The Rainbow Sash Movement announced it would wear its rainbow sashes in Chicago-area churches on Pentecost Sunday to protest Catholic teaching on homosexuality. Cardinal George asked his pastors not to give Holy Communion to the protesters.

May 27
Washington, DC—Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State wrote the IRS asking it to investigate what he termed “electioneering” by the Diocese of Colorado Springs. Lynn said Bishop Michael Sheridan’s pastoral letter about politicians receiving Communion was “code language that says ‘Re-elect Bush and vote Republican.'” Lynn called it “part of a larger trend among some members of the Catholic hierarchy to influence Catholic voters in this election year.” He cited the bishops of New Jersey and Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis.

June 1
Los Angeles, CA—The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to remove a small cross from the Los Angeles County Seal. The seal, in use since 1957, included the cross to represent the Catholic mission that was the foundation of the city. The board voted after being threatened with a May 19 letter from the ACLU of Southern California. The letter threatened a lawsuit against the city for violating the separation of church and state if the cross was not removed.

July 14
Johnson County, KS—The Mainstream Coalition authorized its members to spy on area churches to see if clergymen were violating IRS guidelines that govern political campaigns. The Catholic League protested the covert operation as being inimical to the spirit of freedom of religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment.

July 14
Cleveland, OH—An appeals court affirmed a lower court ruling that a poster of the Ten Commandments in the Richland County Courthouse was unconstitutional. The ACLU of Ohio filed the lawsuit in 2000 after a judge hung the poster in his courtroom.

August 13
Convoy, OH—The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed a lower court decision that said the Crestview school district violated the First Amendment by allowing fliers advertising religious events to be distributed in students’ mailboxes. The ACLU of Ohio, which brought the original lawsuit, said it would appeal.

August 21
Columbus, OH—A U.S. District judge denied a request by the ACLU of Ohio to stop a gospel concert for the benefit of the Franklin County Children Services. The judge ruled that the concert could proceed because the event’s main purpose of helping foster children was not religious and did not violate the principle of separation of church and state.

August 24
Millsboro, DE—The ACLU of Delaware threatened to sue the Sussex County school board for opening its meetings with a prayer and for allowing invocations at graduations and other school events. The ACLU took action after a local Jewish woman complained.

August 27
Louisville, KY—After a complaint by the ACLU, post offices in Kentucky banned the sale of teddy bears with religious messages sold by HolyBears, Inc. The God Bless America Bear, God Bless Our Postal Workers Bear and God Bless Our Troops Bear were all nixed.

September 5
Oceanside, CA—The city council voted unanimously to hang a new plaque in the council chamber saying “In God We Trust” with “Liberty” underneath. The ACLU threatened to take legal action to remove the plaque, but eventually backed off.

September 15
Plattsmouth, NE—An atheist and ACLU member successfully sued the town to remove a five-foot granite slab of the Ten Commandments erected in 1965 in the corner of a public park.

September 18
Moorhead, MN—The Freedom from Religion Foundation sought to pressure municipal officials to remove a Celtic cross from the city-owned Heritage Hjemkomst Center.

September 28
New York, NY—In a full page ad in the New York Times, MoveOn.org sought to impugn the integrity of the Gallup organization by alleging that a Christian bias colored its work. Unhappy that Kerry was trailing Bush in a recently published Gallup poll, MoveOn.org implied that George W. Gallup Jr.’s evangelical Christian status tainted the results.

September 29
Los Angeles, CA—A group of residents sued the three county supervisors who had voted for a new county seal earlier in the month that removed a small cross and substituted an Indian woman for the pagan goddess Pomona. The lawsuit said the supervisors’ action was hostile toward religion and a waste of taxpayers’ money. The supervisors action was in response to a threatened lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union.

October 1
Riverside, CA—The ADL’s Pacific Southwest regional office wrote to officials of the Riverside County Courthouse asking them to censor a quote by Theodore Roosevelt that reads, “The true Christian is the true citizen.” The words, which were engraved in gold letters on a mahogany wall, were to be covered while the court was in session; they were to be uncovered during historical tours.

The ADL said the quote should be covered because it could be seen as “a specific endorsement of the Christian faith.” The regional office said it did not object to the entire statement by Roosevelt (some 80 words); its problem was that the remark in the courthouse was taken out of context.

In response, the Catholic League wrote to the courthouse officials, the judge, and the ADL offering to pay to have the entire Roosevelt quote engraved on the wall; we heard from everyone but the ACLU. Because a lawyer filed suit claiming censorship on the part of the ADL, no decision regarding the Catholic League’s offer will be made until the case is adjudicated.

October 26
Clay, WV—The ACLU of West Virginia threatened to sue the Clay County commissioners if they did not remove a plaque of the Ten Commandments behind the commissioners’ seats. The complainant was a non-Christian “who feels unwelcome in a governmental environment that endorses a particular religion.”

November 16
Cranston, RI—U.S. District Judge William Smith ruled that the City Hall’s holiday display featuring a crèche and a menorah was not unconstitutional, contrary to the contention of the ACLU.

November 17
Washington, DC—Americans United for the Separation of Church and State threatened to sue after Congress submitted a bill to President Bush authorizing $10 million to refurbish 21 historic Spanish missions in California, 19 of which are owned by the Catholic Church and two by the state. The Catholic League noted there were no objections raised by civil libertarian groups when funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state of California were used to complete a renovation of the Breed Street Shul in Los Angeles earlier in the year (including restoration of the synagogue’s stained glass windows).

November 17
Washington, DC—Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), a group of activist lawyers assisting whistle-blowers who identify violations of environmental law within government, launched a bigoted anti-Catholic attack on Bush administration special counsel Scott Bloch. In filing suit under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain Special Counsel records regarding personnel practices, a PEER press release called Bloch “a religious conservative” who hired “recent graduates of the ultra-conservative Ave Maria law school.” PEER executive director Jeff Ruch said, “Scott Bloch’s personnel practices are taken straight from The DaVinci Code rather than the civil service manual.”

December
New York, NY—The Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding called for a “Seasonal” or “Winter” party instead of a Christmas Party, in the name of being “fair” and so as to “not offend anyone.” The firm also advised a “Seasonal” or “Holiday” gift exchange.

In the same set of “tips for handling this tricky season,” however, Tanenbaum called for an array or accommodations for Muslims celebrating Ramadan. These include staggered work hours in which Muslim employees leave work early each day, plus the rescheduling of “important meetings or high-stress assignments.”

December
San Francisco, CA—The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, described affectionately by the Los Angeles Times as “queer nuns,” mocked Christmas all month long. For example, it joined with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus in showing “grown-ups sitting on Santa’s lap,” along with transvestite elves.

December 15
Reynoldsburg, OH—Atheists lost in their attempt to stop the display of a nativity scene at City Hall. Faith Chapel, which had been displaying its crèche on the city property for five years, agreed to donate it to the city.

December 15
Bellevue, WA—An atheist couple asked the city council to remove its “Giving Tree” (which is what city officials call the Christmas Tree in Bellevue City Hall in hopes of not offending atheists).

December 19
Milford, CT—American Atheists staged a demonstration at a privately funded crèche on the public park of Milford Green, but only four protesters showed up. The four were greeted by 200 pro-crèche supporters waving homemade signs and singing Christmas carols.

Bill Donohue

It has come to my attention that the University of Minnesota Duluth is hosting a series of events on the Holocaust; they are scheduled to run between April 12 and April 19. Because many of the events address the religious response to the Holocaust, it is of great interest to the Catholic League. For example, we have a wealth of information on our website about the Catholic response to Hitler. Moreover, we have raised funds for books and articles on the subject, and we even have a reader on Pope Pius XII that covers the Jewish reaction to his noble efforts.

It is our hope that these events will foster an intellectual dialogue that is both educational and productive of good interreligious relations. But I am less than confident that this will happen. Unfortunately, some of what I have learned is very disturbing. There appears to be an effort to cast the Catholic Church in the role of an enabler, if not worse, of Nazi efforts. This is not only historically inaccurate, it is scurrilous.

The first sign that the Catholic Church will be treated in a villainous role is the postcard that was mailed to the public flagging the events: on the front there is an invidious drawing featuring a Nazi soldier and a Catholic prelate standing on a Jewish man. The drawing is nothing new: it was created to demonstrate the Catholic Church’s alleged support for Hitler that the 1933 Concordat supposedly represented.

The second disturbing sign is the April 15 performance of “The Deputy,” a play based on the work of Rolf Hochhuth. It is described in the promotional material as a play “which indicts Pope Pius XII for his failure to take action or speak out against the Holocaust.”

The third disturbing sign is the April 19 event, “Religious Institutions Responses to the Holocaust.” One of the panelists will address what is called “the role of the Confessing Church and the Holocaust.”

My response to these issues is taken from my own book, Why Catholicism Matters, which will be published on May 29 by Image, an imprint of Random House; one part of my new book deals with the role of the Catholic Church and the Holocaust, citing the primary research on this subject that has been done by other scholars.

First Complaint

Pope Pius XI signed the concordat to protect German Catholics from prosecution. Rabbi David Dalin, who has written a ground-breaking book, The Myth of Hitler’s Pope, demonstrates that this agreement was a protective measure; it was not an endorsement of Nazism. Essentially, the agreement allowed the Church to continue to exist in Germany as long as it did not interfere with Hitler’s regime. Not only was it violated by Hitler almost immediately, according to Zsolt Aradi, a Jewish writer who covered Pius XI, “the little freedom that the Concordat left for the clergy and hierarchy was widely used to save as many persecuted Jews as could be saved.” In any event, the pope didn’t have a whole lot of options to choose from at the time. It is important to note that the pope never gave even tacit support to Hitler’s agenda.

This same pope issued an encyclical in 1937, Mit Brennender Sorge, that condemned the Nazi’s violation of the concordat, and took aim at the Nazis’ racial ideology (it was written by the man who would become his successor, Eugenio Pacelli—Pope Pius XII). An internal German memorandum dated March 23, 1937, called the encyclical “almost a call to do battle against the Reich government.” Indeed, the encyclical was roundly attacked in the German newspapers, which wrote that it was the product of the “Jew God and His deputy in Rome.” In fact, some media outlets said the encyclical “calls on Catholics to rebel against the authority of the Reich,” a conclusion that was entirely warranted.

In short, to mail postcards smearing the Catholic Church, as if the concordat was a vote of support for Hitler, is inexcusable. It is also inexcusable to learn that the Duluth News Tribune featured the agit-prop drawing as an advertisement for the event.

Second Complaint

“The Deputy” previewed in Berlin and London in 1963 before coming to New York City in 1964. Prior to that time, the overwhelming consensus in the Jewish community was that Pope Pius XII was a hero. To wit: the pope is credited by former Israeli diplomat Pinchas Lapide of saving approximately 860,000 Jewish lives, far more than any other leader in the world, secular or religious. Indeed, it was proposed in the 1940s that 800,000 trees be planted as a testimony of the pope’s contribution; they were planted in Negev, in southeast Jerusalem. And when Pope Pius XII died in 1958, Leonard Bernstein of the New York Philharmonic stopped his orchestra for a moment of silence. Among the Jewish organizations that praised the pope were the following: the Anti-Defamation League, the Synagogue Council of America, the Rabbinical Council of America, the New York Board of Rabbis, the America Jewish Committee, the World Jewish Congress, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and the National Council of Jewish Women.

So what new evidence turned up between 1958 and 1963 to indict the pope as an enabler of Hitler? None. Hochhuth, well known in radical circles at the time, made this charge in his play absent any historical evidence. Recent scholarship, particularly the work of Professor Ronald Rychlak, shows that while Hochhuth operated alone, he was an “unknowing dupe” of the KGB. How do we know? Because of the 2007 testimony of Ion Mihai Pacepa. He maintains that Nikita Khrushchev approved a plan to discredit Pope Pius XII. Pacepa was in a position to know; he was a former Romanian intelligence chief and the highest-ranking official ever to defect from the Soviet Bloc.

No serious historian today views “The Deputy” as being anything other than propaganda. In fact, not a single historian has ever remarked on the factual accuracy of this play. But we do know that it nonetheless sparked a rash of anti-Pius books, most of which were written by ex-priests and ex-seminarians whose antipathy of the Church—on matters wholly unrelated to the Holocaust—is palpable. I would be remiss if I did not note that the Catholic League offered to pay for Professor Rychlak to go to Germany a few years ago to interview Hochhuth. Hochhuth declined.

Third Complaint

It is difficult to understand how the “Confessing Church” position can be maintained. What exactly is it that the Church is allegedly confessing? *(The term “Confessing Church” in German history refers to a Protestant breakaway movement that opposed the Nazis.) We know this much: throughout the Holocaust, the New York Times ran a grand total of nine editorials critical of Hitler. Two of them were written to praise Pope Pius XII! To be specific, on Christmas Day 1941, the Times said, “The voice of Pius XII is a lonely voice in the silence and darkness enveloping Europe this Christmas.” On Christmas Day 1942, the Times said of the pope, “This Christmas more than ever he is a lonely voice crying out of the silence of a continent.” So much for the canard that the pope was “silent.”

It must be said, too, that many of those who elected to remain silent did so with the best of motives. For example, when plans were made for an anti-Hitler parade in New York City on May 10, 1933, the American Jewish Committee and B’nai B’rith put out a joint statement condemning “public agitation in the form of mass demonstrations.” They feared such actions would only “inflame” matters. In 1935, after the Nuremberg race laws were enacted, American Jews, led by Rabbi Stephen Wise of the American Jewish Congress, worked against legislation that would have made it easier for Jews to emigrate to the United States. Following Kristallnacht, the “Night of the Broken Glass” (Hitler’s storm troopers went on a rampage killing Jews), several Jewish organizations came together saying “there should be no parades, no demonstrations, or protests by Jews.” Again, they feared an even more vengeful Nazi response.

The author who made the accusation that Pius XII was “Hitler’s pope,” John Cornwell, has since retracted his charge. Do the panelists at these events know about this? Will it be mentioned? Will it also be mentioned that Hitler planned to kidnap the pope? Will the students learn that more Jews were saved in Italy—where the pope was actually in a position to affect outcomes—than in other any European nation? (Throughout Europe 65 percent of Jews were exterminated, but in Italy 85 percent of Jews were saved.) Will they learn that far more Jews were saved in Catholic countries than in Protestant ones?

“Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler’s campaign for suppressing the truth.” Those were the words of Albert Einstein. Golda Meir offered similar praise. At the end of the war, the World Jewish Congress was so appreciative of the pope’s efforts to save Jews that it gave 20 million lire to the Vatican. And after the war, the Chief Rabbi of Rome, Israele Anton Zolli, formally expressed the gratitude of Roman Jews “for all the moral and material aid the Vatican gave them during the Nazi occupation.” In 1945, Zolli was received into the Catholic Church and asked Pius XII to be his godfather; he chose the pope’s first name, Eugenio, to be his baptismal name.

It is for these reasons, and many more like them, that I am disturbed to read how patently unfair the campus events on the Holocaust appear to be. In the interest of intellectual honesty, and goodwill between Catholics and Jews, I implore those in the Duluth community to weigh what I have said and give it a fair hearing. No matter what side anyone comes down on, the truth should never become hostage to political propaganda.