Pope Pius XII and Poland - German Occupation

German Occupation

After the German and Soviet invasions of Poland, France and other countries beseech the Holy See to protest the unprovoked aggression, and, possibly, condemn national socialism and communism anew. But Vatican under-secretary Giovanni Battista Montini refused, on the basis, that any word against Germany or Russia would be dearly paid for by the Catholics in the occupied territories. Earlier, Pope Pius XII, in order to remain impartial during the war, had ordered Vatican officials and L’Osservatore Romano, to use terms like “socialism”, “communism” and “national socialism” factually not degradingly. thus reserved for the Papacy, which often issued its own news items there, the sole right, to issue possible condemnations and warnings.

German and Polish bishops urged condemnations, arguing, that the enemies of the Church insinuated that the Vatican had given up on Poland. At the same time, Adam Stefan Sapieha, the outspoken Cardinal Archbishop of Kraków, Poland, and, after the premature flight of Cardinal August Hlond into exile, leading representative of the Church in Poland, and others were equally afraid, that Papal condemnations could aggravate the already very difficult situation for Polish clergy and faithful. Poles in exile asked for strong condemnations while those in the countries were more cautious. While Church diplomacy worked in quit ways, the official papal radio station, Vatican Radio was rather frank in its reporting, especially in its transmissions in Polish, Lithuanian and other local languages in the occupied areas. But this backfired, as one Lithuanian bishop protested:

• These reports should be stopped at once. They only incite local occupation authorities and hurt the persecuted Church in great measure. We know what our situation is like, what we need is news from the Catholic world and Catholic teachings”.