Theology of Pope Pius XII - Writings and Speeches

Writings and Speeches

The pontificate of Pius XII was the first in Vatican history to publish papal speeches and addresses in vernacular language on a systematic basis. Until then, papal documents were issued mainly in Latin in Acta Apostolicae Sedis since 1909. Because of the novelty of it all, and a feared occupation of the Vatican by the German Wehrmacht, not all documents exist today. In 1944, a number of papal documents were burned or “walled in”, to avoid detection by the advancing German army. Insisting that all publications must be reviewed by him on a prior basis to avoid any misunderstanding, several speeches by Pius XII, who did not find sufficient time, were never published or appeared only once issued in the Vatican daily, Osservatore Romano. An array of sources exists today, not all of them available in English. This applies especially to the many speeches and addresses to various groups. Available are:

• • Acta Apostolicae Sedis. (AAS), Vatican City 1939-1958. Official documents of the Pontificate of Pope Pius XII
  • Pio XII, Discorsi e Radio Messaggi di Sua Santita Pio XII, Vatican City 1939-1958,Official speeches of Pius XII, 20 vol.
  • Pio XII, Discorsi Ai Medici collected byFiorenzo Angelini, Roma, 1959, 725 pages, Italian, medical theology and morality.
  • Soziale Summe Pius XII ed.A.F.Utz, J.F.Gröner, 4010 pages. in German, the non-theological teachings 1939-1958, 3 vol.
  • Guide to the Documents of Pope Pius XII by M. Claudia, Westminster, Maryland, 1955, an English Guide until 1955;

A small percentage of the Pope Pius XII publications are available on internet on the Vatican Website.