Pope Pius XII Named in Attempt to Assassinate Hitler
New York, NY (PRWEB) September 17, 2014 -- The surge of the Islamic State and another war between Palestine and Israel are visceral reminders of the grief and frustration caused by friction among and between religions, which should act as sources of love and peace in an already troubled world.
Gary Krupp is president of the Pave the Way Foundation, an interreligious and nonsectarian organization that works with religions in order to bring peace, understanding and cooperation to places like the Middle East and Europe.
While Krupp’s foundation wants to effect a positive change among all religions with tension between them, he has a personal mission to defend and clarify the reputation of Pope Pius XII regarding his actions during World War II and the Holocaust. Krupp has compiled and published a book containing primary source documentation from international sources, including the secret Vatican archives. Eyewitness interviews and newspaper articles from the time also serve to provide a historical context for readers who will review the evidence. It is titled “Pope Pius XII and World War II: The Documented Truth.”
“Pope Pius XII, in my opinion, is one of the bravest figures from World War II,” Krupp said. “The moral courage to save what Jewish people he could from the Holocaust is really incalculable. At a time when others were doing absolutely nothing about the Holocaust, the Catholic Church was actively hiding and smuggling as many Jews as they could out of occupied Europe.”
Krupp’s praise of bravery is made even more poignant due to the fact that his father, Leonard, served under General George S. Patton and liberated the Buchenwald and Ohrdruf concentration camps.
“Growing up as a Jewish kid in Queens, I shared the same negative opinion of Pius. I thought I was supposed to hate the guy,” Krupp said. “However, I started doing research after a request made to me by the Vatican ambassador to Israel and I began to recognize what a radically decent man Pius was.”
The controversy surrounding the Vatican’s support of Fascist governments leading up to World War II is still a topic of debates and late-night discussions of theology and politics. However, Krupp’s efforts have helped shed light on the fact that Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, raised to the Papal office in March of 1939, had spoken out against German National Socialism throughout his entire career and may have saved an estimated 850,000 Jews from the Shoah. Astonishingly, internal Nazi documentation also shows that they harbored the belief that Pope Pius XII was involved in the failed Valkyrie plot to assassinate Hitler.
The collection of evidence shows the incredible challenge of running a religion that doubles as a sovereign state during a time of war. The Vatican, possessing no standing army and having to keep up the appearance of neutrality, used extremely creative methods to hide and egress Jews from danger. The moral and spiritual leader of Roman Catholicism was also a political leader who showed incredible resolve, shrewdness and foresight.
Learn more by visiting: http://www.ptwf.org
“Pope Pius XII and World War II: The Documented Truth”
By Gary L. Krupp
ISBN: 978-1-4771-5704-6
Available in softcover, hardcover, e-book
Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Xlibris
Softcover $62.49
Hardcover $66.99
E-book $3.99
About the author
In addition to his defense of Pope Pius XII, Krupp has won many awards for his efforts across the globe in promoting religious tolerance and cooperation. In 2000, Pope John Paul II personally named him as a Knights Commander of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Gregory the Great. He was subsequently recognized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 when he was raised in rank, awarded Commander with the Silver Star—the highest Vatican honor bestowed upon a civilian and non-cleric—making him the only Jewish man in history to be invested with the awards. He was also made an Officer Brother in the Order of St. John by consent of Queen Elizabeth II in 2005. He lives with his wife Meredith Krupp in New York. Married since 1970, they have two sons.
For review copies or interview requests, contact:
Matt VanScoik
317.602.7137
mvanscoik(at)bohlsengroup(dot)com
Matt Van Scoik, Bohlsen Group, +1 317-602-7137, [email protected]
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