"The Pope depended on the local clergy to thwart Hitlers extermination policy. The book dramatizes one point above all others, Feron states, that the Popes efforts were dependent on the strength and heroism of his churches in each country. Lapide traces the efforts of Roman Catholics to save the Jews and quotes a variety of sources to indicate that Papal Nuncios had received messages from the Vatican to contest the deportation of Jews. Lapide tells how Pope Pius XII sent his Papal Nuncio in Berlin to visit Hitler in Berchtesgaden to plead for the Jews. That interview ended when Hitler smashed a glass at the Nuncios feet. From Hitlers reaction the Pope was convinced that public pronouncements would have sealed the fate of many more Jews. After this incident, in retaliation, Hitler connived to kidnap Pope Pius XII."
- Margherita Marchione, "Did Pope Pius XII Help the Jews?"
If you don't like Lapide, and consider him prejudiced because he was an Israeli diplomat and angling for recognition of Israel by the Vatican (that's the attack I've heard), there's still Rabbi David Dalin to deal with. He took apart Cornwell's book in The Myth of Hitler's Pope. Cornwell, of course, has recanted much of what he said in that book.
Did he recant how Syrbian Orthodox Christians were treated by Croatian Catholics particulaly Catholic priests during WWII? I don’t think so! He also presented photos. Not nice to look at. And I recall the name Tiso - he was a Slovakian priest who helped run a concentration camp. Very nice.
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