Crusade of Charity: Pius XII and POWs (1939-1945)

by Margherita Marchione and Sister Margherita Marchione

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0809144204
• ISBN13: 9780809144204
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Paulist Press
• Length: 284 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Further evidence in favor of Pius XII

This book is Sister Margherita's latest installment in her ongoing mission to defend the memory of Pope Pius XII against the slander levelled at him for nearly 50 years now. Currently revisionist historians often accuse the late Holy Father of being virtually silent during World War II where the plight of Europe's Jewish population at the hands of Adolf Hitler & the Nazis was concerned. Much of Sister's previous work has been concerned with refuting these claims, which were stirred anew with the release of John Cornwell's book "Hitler's Pope" a few years ago ( I have heard Sr. Marchione refer to Mr. Cornwell as the "spin-master".) Her work in "Crusade of Charity:Pius XII & POWs" concerns the history of a very specific aspect of Pius XII's work to aleviate the suffering of so many people caused by the horrors of WWII: the Vatican Infromation Office. The office had the awesome responsibilty of answering the millions of requests the Holy Father received seeking news about missing POWs.While the book primarily details the work done on behalf of the loved ones of wartime military prisoners, it also gives much information on many non-combatants as well, including missing civilian family members of the letter writers and refugees whose lives were shattered by the tragedy of the war. This work also included aiding many Jews as well. Sr. Marchione presents one hundred of the heartwrenching stories culled from the tens of millions of letters the office received during the war as examples of how tirelessly the Vatican of Pius XII worked to bring relief to many who felt they had nowhere else to turn. Her attention to detail in documenting the work of the Vatican Information Office is impressive ( she had extensive access to the Vatican Archives ) and this book should be a great help in the debunking of the unwarranted calumny hurled at Pope Pius. Because "Crusade of Charity:Pius XII & POWs" is an example of nearly flawless historical scholarship ( on page 15 Sister does mis-identify the "Night of the Long Knives" of June 1934 as Kristallnacht, which actually occured in November of 1938 and is commonly known as the "Night of Broken Glass") the writing style can come across as slightly dry, though in this case scholarship should not have been sacrificed to make the book a more entertaining read. Sr. Margherita is dealing with a subject that has for too long be the victim of untruths and sensational lies perpetuated by revisionist historians out to destroy the good name of the Servant of God Pope Pius XII. Her work is to be commended, and her book deserves a wide audience. "Crusade of Charity:Pius XII & POWs" is what good history should be-the truth.A great deal of credit goes to the highly respected catholic publisher Paulist Press for releasing this important book and for helping to keep Sr. Margherita Marchione's work before the public. I highly recommend any of Sister's work on the subject of Pope Pius XII for truth-seekers and history enthusiast