The “explosive” (The New York Times) bestseller that “redefined the history of the twentieth century” (The Washington Post ) This shocking book was the first account to tell the whole truth about Pope Pius XII's actions during World War II, and it remains the definitive account of that era. It sparked a firestorm of controversy both inside and outside the Catholic Church. Award-winning journalist John Cornwell has also included in this seminal work of history an introduction that both answers his critics and reaffirms his overall thesis that Pius XII fatally weakened the Catholic Church with his endorsement of Hitler—and sealed the fate of the Jews in Europe.

Filled with discoveries, this is the dramatic story of Pope Pius XII's struggle to response to the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the Nazi domination of Europe.The Pope at War is the third in a trilogy of books about Pope Pius XII's response to the rise of Fascism and Nazism. It tells the dramatic story of Pope Pius XII's struggle to respond to the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the ongoing Nazi attempts to exterminate the Jews of Europe. It is the first book dealing with the war to make extensive use of the newly opened Vatican archives for the war years. It is based, as well, on thousands of documents from the Italian, German,French, British, and American archives. Among the many new discoveries brought to light is the discovery that within weeks of becoming pope in 1939, Pius XII entered into secret negotiations with Hitler through Hitler's emissary, a Nazi Prince who was married to the daughter of the King of Italy and who was veryclose to Hitler. The negotiations were kept so secret that not even the German ambassador to the Holy See was informed of them. The book also offers new insight into the thinking behind Pius XII's decision to maintain good relations with the German government during the war, including keeping the Germans happy while they occupied Rome in 1943-1944. And throughout, David I. Kertzer shows the active role of the Italian Church hierarchy in promoting the Axis war while the pope, who as bishop ofRome was responsible for the Italian hierarchy, offered his silent blessings and cast his public speeches in such a way that both sides could claim support for their cause.

The story of these Vatican "ratlinesadds another facet to the complex picture of Pius XII and the Holocaust.

In this highly accessible work, José M. Sánchez offers a new approach to the controversy.

After tracing (on pp. 13-85) the complex history of Christian-Jewish relations throughout the ages, marked with numerous manifestations of anti-Judaism and antisemitism, focuses on the pontificate of three Popes: Pius XI, Pius XII, and John XXIII. Their papacies coincided with the rise of fascism and Nazism, the Holocaust, and the establishment of the State of Israel. Notes that Pius XI not only condemned racial antisemitism in Germany and elsewhere, but was the first Pope to actively take a stand in defense of the Jews. Pius XII, who did not possess the assertive qualities of his predecessor, but was a good diplomat, deplored Nazi and fascist antisemitism, but kept silent on the Holocaust throughout the war years. Nevertheless, during the Holocaust, he rendered help to thousands of Jews in Italy and elsewhere. Stresses the fact that both Popes acted at a time when many Catholic priests and hierarchs in Germany and other countries supported Nazism and racism. Although Pius XII, and the entire Catholic Church, did not approve of the Zionist program to revive the Jewish state in Palestine, he spoke up for the preservation of Jewish holy places in Israel on a par with Christian holy places. John XXIII, the supporter of reconciliation between Christians and Jews, paved the way for Vatican Council II and the document "Nostra aetate".

This revelatory account of how the Vatican saved thousands of Jews during WWII shows why history must exonerate "Hitler's Pope" Accused of being "silent" during the Holocaust, Pope Pius XII and the Vatican of World War II are now exonerated in Gordon Thomas's newest investigative work, The Pope's Jews. Thomas's careful research into new, first-hand accounts reveal an underground network of priests, nuns and citizens that risked their lives daily to protect Roman Jews. Investigating assassination plots, conspiracies, and secret conversions, Thomas unveils faked documentation, quarantines, and more extraordinary actions taken by Catholics and the Vatican. The Pope's Jews finally answers the great moral question of the War: Why did Pope Pius XII refuse to condemn the genocide of Europe's Jews?

The compelling story of Pope Pius XI's secret relations with Benito Mussolini. A ground-breaking work, based on seven years of research in the Vatican and Fascist archives by US National Book Award-finalist David Kertzer, it will forever change our understanding of the Vatican's role in the rise of Fascism in Europe.