" Hitler's Pope " ? Unfair Judgment

          Fritz Wenisch 's column  " HITLER'S POPE is a biased screed "

    ( May 27 , page D5 )  rightly questions author John Cornwall's

    sincerity of purpose.  Today unmasking " saints " or  just

    adding flawed human beings to the scoundrel list is nothing

    less than a highly lucrative " entertainment " industry.

              It is  only fair to discuss the FAILURES of the

    CHURCH and Pius XII in this horrible matter of the holocaust.

    But writing about " Hitler's Pope " is just sensationalizing

    history and distorting the truth.

         Collier's Encyclopedia says this about Pius XII : " He

    did give substantial help to persecuted Jews ... he

    probably thought a forceful condemnation of Hitler would

    endanger thousands of Catholic clergy in Germany and

    German occupied lands ...

            BUT ... " The fact remains that  Pius XII never

    publicly denounced the extermination of the Jews. "

               I can imagine the Italian novelist thinking this

    thought at this very cynical time in history : How can

    the Pope save Jews from the Holocaust when he can hardly

    save so many " devout Catholics " from the eternal

    flames of Hell  ?

            Perhaps there is  tenth circle of Hell - for

    hypocritical, dishonest writers . And perhaps there

    should be an Ignoble Prize for Literature .