ODDS & ENDS.This past year has been Dickensian--the best of times and the worst of times--for the late Eugenio Pacelli, a.k.a. Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (Latin: Pius PP. XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (March 2, 1876 – October 9, 1958), reigned as the 260th pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City, from March 2, 1939 until his death. . Within the Vatican, plans for his beatification beatification: see canonization. continue hell-bent. Outside the Vatican, debate proceeds about the integrity of his public inactivity over Hitler's Holocaust. News and books about the long dead Pius XII at times eclipsed the still alive John Paul II John Paul II, 1920–2005, pope (1978–2005), a Pole (b. Wadowice) named Karol Józef Wojtyła; successor of John Paul I. He was the first non-Italian pope elected since the Dutch Adrian VI (1522–23) and the first Polish and Slavic pope. these past several months. Surely the events since Pius XII's long pontificate--surpassed in this century only by this current pope's tenure--suggest that no pope rules from the grave. John XXIII's election, which followed on the heels of Pius XII's funeral, and his subsequent calling together of the world's bishops in what has come to be known as Vatican II indicate that. One prominent Catholic theologian claims there's nothing deader than a dead pope. Well, maybe. The resurrection, for well or ill, of Pius XII makes one wonder how dead deceased popes really are. Eugenio Pacelli suddenly seems surreally alive. Yet questions and concerns about his involvement with Hitler and his lack of public protest of the Holocaust is not new news. Rolf Hochhuth's controversial play The Deputy stirred these waters in 1963. Twenty years TWENTY YEARS. The lapse of twenty years raises a presumption of certain facts, and after such a time, the party against whom the presumption has been raised, will be required to prove a negative to establish his rights. 2. later Paul Murphy published a book titled La Popessa (Italian for "female pope"). This book was based on recollections of Mother Pascalina, who for 41 years functioned as housekeeper, confidante con·fi·dante n. 1. A woman to whom secrets or private matters are disclosed. 2. A woman character in a drama or fiction, such as a trusted friend or servant, who serves as a device for revealing the inner thoughts or intentions , soul mate, and alter ego of Pius XII. Although some reviewers found its style faulty, they still praised the book for its accurate insights into Pius XII, the Vatican, and the people of that time. Pius XII's love for Germany and all things German came across loud and clear in this book. Pascalina herself did not agree with Pius' conciliatory con·cil·i·ate v. con·cil·i·at·ed, con·cil·i·at·ing, con·cil·i·ates v.tr. 1. To overcome the distrust or animosity of; appease. 2. reactions to Hitler. She describes the church's silence as "frightfully condescending conversation being carried to pathetic extremes. It was like watching a Shakespearean tragedy. There was the pope and his council of cardinals on their knees to Hitler." Father Andrew Greeley predicted in his 1983 review of La Popessa, "In fact, the book will surely destroy any possibility of Pius' canonization canonization (kăn'ənĭzā`shən), in the Roman Catholic Church, process by which a person is classified as a saint. It is now performed at Rome alone, although in the Middle Ages and earlier bishops elsewhere used to canonize. ." Well, maybe. The controversy continues. Just this past year, two divergent books have been published about Pius XII and the Holocaust. Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Plus XII by John Cornwell (Viking) is critical of Pius' attitude and behavior toward Germany and Hitler. The other book, Plus XII and the Second World War: According to the Archives of the Vatican (Paulist) by Pierre Blet, S.J., praises Pius for his role in saving many Jewish lives. A friend of mine, recalling the papacy of Pius XII, describes his public image as "cold as a stone statue." Yet books like Mother Pascalina's memoir of Pius XII's private life warms this stony image quite a bit. Whether or not the personal and public images of Eugenio Pacelli will ever be reconciled, whether or not the 261st pope of Catholicism will ever be canonized can·on·ize tr.v. can·on·ized, can·on·iz·ing, can·on·iz·es 1. To declare (a deceased person) to be a saint and entitled to be fully honored as such. 2. To include in the biblical canon. 3. , remains to be seen. No one knows, although many have strong opinions, whether Pius XII's life reflects yet another Dickensian phrase: "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known." PETER GILMOUR (Pgilmou@wpo.it.luc.edu) teaches at the Institute of Pastoral Studies of Loyola University Chicago Beginnings and expansions Founded in 1870 as the St Ignatius College on Chicago's West Side. In 1908 the School of Law was established as the first of the professional programs. . |
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