The Catholic Church in The Catholic Church in the First half of the 20the First half of the 20thth CenturyCentury

Important Events/DatesImportant Events/DatesWorld War I: 1914-1918Russian Revolution: 1917Catholic Social Movement: 1920sRise of Nazism: 1920s and 1930sWorld War II: 1939-1945

Response to CommunismResponse to Communism1917 Russian Revolution Working class take controlResult: totalitarian regimePope Pius XI responseDifference between

communism and socialismCondemns communismAlso condemns social

conditions that nourished communism

Concerns about Economics Concerns about Economics and Social Orderand Social OrderQuadragesimo AnnoEthical implication of

social and economic order

Unrestrained capitalism and totalitarianism dangerous

Private property must be allowed

Nazi Germany and the Nazi Germany and the VaticanVaticanPope Pius XII:

Hitler’s Pope?ConcordatWas Pius indifferent

to the holocaust?Canonization (Pius

a Saint)

Eugenio PacelliEugenio PacelliEducated in canon

lawPapal Nuncio to

Germany, 1917Elevated to

ArchbishopCardinal Secretary of

State, 1930Concordat with

Germany, 1933

Diplomatic RelationsDiplomatic RelationsPacelli silenced Catholic priests and

bishopsOpposed violations of Concordat, 1937Vindictive response from HitlerElected Pope, 1939Chooses the name Pius

Pius XII in ActionPius XII in ActionCall from Rabbi Herzog

in 1940Pius challenged

Ribbentrop Encyclical Summi

Pontificatus Cautious condemnation Nazi occupied RomePius hid Jews and forged

baptismal documents

Should Pius be made a Should Pius be made a Saint?Saint?December 2009Pope Benedict XVI

put forward Pius XII and John Paul II for sainthood

Focus QuestionFocus QuestionDid Pius do everything a Catholic

Should and could have done?How would you judge Pius’

actions relative to our values and virtues?