There is a most interesting article in National Review Online by Ion Mihai Pacepa, (Wikipedia article) the "highest ranking intelligence officer ever to have defected from the Soviet bloc." Entitled Moscow’s Assault on the Vatican, he tells the story of how the KGB set out to discredit Pope Pius XII and were behind the play The Deputy.Amy Wellborn's post Is this for real? has a discussion in the combox. One point is worth mentioning - have you seen anything about this in the news? No, I didn't think so.
4 comments:
Who needs the KGB when you've got the BBC?
Fr. Tim, I was thinking about Pope Pius XII during all the hoo-ha which followed Pope Benedict's Regensburg address. The next time someone accuses Pius XII of "failing to speak out," we can point to the post-Regensburg events to remind people of how dangerous it can be for a Pope to "speak out" in a perilous situation, even in the mildest way.
Incidentally, I recommend the book "Pius XII and the Second World War" by Fr. Pierre Blet (published by Gracewing) as the best antidote to the standard anti-Catholic rants about Pius XII either standly idly by during World War II or being a closet friend of the Axis governments. I understand that Pope John Paul II actually recommended this book to a journalist who once pressed him about why Pius XII "failed to speak out."
Francis, thank you for your recommendation of Fr Blet's book. Fr Charles Briggs is a friend of his and speaks very highly of him.
There is a spirited defence of Pius in Michael Burleigh's recent book 'Sacred Causes'.
Post a Comment