Shepherd of Souls: A Pictorial Life of Pope Pius XII

by Margherita Marchione

This publication contains over 250 historic photographs, sketches and documents portraying the life and works of Pope Pius XII. It captures his role as spiritual leader of the Catholic Church,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0809141817
• ISBN13: 9780809141814
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Paulist Press
• Length: 214 Pages
• Weight: 2.30 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Pictures, Documents, and Honest History vs. The Smear Bund

One of the prized possessions this reviewer has is an autographed copy of Sister Marchione's book titled SHEPHERD OF SOULS: A PICTORIAL LIFE OF POPE PIUS XII. This may be classified as a "coffee table" book, but this book should be picked off the coffee table and carefully viewed and read. This book is a combination of pictures, text, and copies of documents of the life of a great man-Pope Pius XII. The combination of photoplates, well written text, and reproductions of documents gives the read some insight of Pope Pius XII and other dignataries with whom he associated. The first sections of the book give a background of Eugenio Pacrlli's family, his early life, and academic career. The interesting sections of this section deal with the future Pope's friends and assciates including close friendships with Jewish students and families. Eugenio Pacelli showed early academic and intellectual promise which helped enhance his career in the Catholic Church. The sections of Pacelli's role as a bishop and later cardinal demonstrate calm reseolve, rare courage, and compassion on part of a busy Catholic official who worked tirelessly with the Vatican bureaucracy as well permorming heroic efforts to help those who suffered during World War I. The section of the book is but a prelude of Pacelli's later career as a Cardinal, Vatican diplomat and eventually Pope. The sections of Pope Pius XII's career as The Servent of the Servent's of God is illuminating. Pope Pius XII was a world traveler prior to his papacy, and he learned so much from the experience. Given the smear campaign against this great Pope and great man, the pictures of Pope Pius XII's career during World War II undermine any attempt of his collusion or indifference toward those who were persecuted during this war. There are pictures of Pope Pius XII and Catholic religious exerting almost super human efforts to save refugees including those of the Jewish faith. The text and copies of letters reproduced in this book testify to Pope Pius XII's courage and greatness as well as his undaunted compassion. World War II ended and overlaped with the early episodes of the Cold War. Pope Pius XII and the Catholic Church authorities were implaccable foes of Big Communism and the Reds attempt to dehumanize men to fit their political and economic schemes which were almost tragic failures. Yet, Pope Pius XII extended a fatherly comment to Stalin when Pope Pius XII made a sensible suggested a conciliatory offer to end bitterness and suffering at the end of World War II. Stalin rhetorically asked how many divisions Pope Pius XII had. Pope Piux XII responded by telling a dignatary to tell "my son Stalin" that he would see the Catholic Church's legions in the afterlife. Pope Piux did not respond to his critics with personal inventive. He responded with compassion, humor, and a carefully religious cause and effect relationship to try to prove his case based on reason and compassion. Sister