A strong leader, a holy man

National Catholic Reporter, March 31, 2000 by Raymond A. Lucker

Pius XII spoke on many topics of great concern to the church in dealing with issues in the public order. He gave these messages especially in conjunction with international gatherings held in Rome. He spoke to students, to business people, to scientists, to people in the medical professions. He defined the doctrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a dogma of faith, but only after worldwide consultation with bishops, theologians and the people of the church.

Yes, Pius XII was a great figure and because of his greatness he also made some mistakes. He opened up many issues for discussion in the church. Some of his teachings were later changed, added to or built upon by the Second Vatican Council.

Pius taught clearly and forcefully in his 1950 encyclical, "On False Opinions Threatening to Undermine the Foundations of Catholic Doctrine," that once a clarification on a debatable issue was made by papal teaching in an encyclical the matter is closed. Nevertheless, only 15 years later Vatican II was open to the development of doctrine on some papal teachings and took positions different from Pius himself -- on ecumenism, on the church, on religious liberty, the relationship of church and state, and on original sin.

To go back to the present controversy, I believe that Pius XII did in fact speak out against the Nazi and Fascist regimes as he also warned against the evils of communism and the Russian takeover of Eastern Europe. He did speak and act in defense of the Jews and in support of human rights, against racism and the anti-Semitic policies of the Nazi government. Through him hundreds of thousands of Jews were protected in the Vatican and in the convents and monasteries of Rome and elsewhere, saving them from deportation and death. For this he was acknowledged and thanked by Jewish leaders throughout the world immediately after World War II.

Some of the slanders against Pope Pius XII and the Catholic church for its alleged silence about the Holocaust originated by the Russian communists who saw in Pius XII a strong voice against the dangers of communism and its push for world domination.

Could he have done more? Could he have been more explicit in his defense of the Jewish people and in his condemnation of the Holocaust? Perhaps. He had to make the best decisions he could in very troubling circumstances.

Pope Pius XII is a good example of the human side of the church. He was a great teacher, a strong leader, a holy man. He was a prophet who helped lead the church to reform and renewal. He made mistakes, yet the Spirit of God continues to build on his greatness.

Raymond A. Lucker is bishop of the New Ulm, Minn., diocese.