Pope and Devil: The Vatican's Archives and the Third Reich

Abstract

Between 2003 and 2006, the Vatican opened its archives from the pontificate of Pope Pius XI (1922–1939). This made available millions of pages about Eugenio Pacelli, who served as papal nuncio in Germany from 1917 until 1929 and as Papal Secretary of State from 1930 until he became Pope Pius XII in 1939. In Pope and Devil, Hubert Wolf reports on this newly available material and gives the reader a fresh view of Pacelli and the Vatican’s response to the rise of Nazism. It is important because of the attention it draws to archival evidence that many people have not previously seen. That evidence seriously undercuts arguments that are often offered against Pope Pius XII.

Keywords: Pius XI, Eugenio Pacelli, Pius XII, Vatican Archives