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English Summary 3/08 - Pius XII

Tomáš Petráček Church in the Epoch of Pius XII In this introductory article the church historian Petráček warns before two-dimensional view of Church situation before and after the Vatican II, no matter of evaluation. He emphasizes instead the principle of continuity connecting many reform endeavours of Council with older initiatives. Epoch of Pius XII’s pontificate in this sense could be seen as a certain climax of numerous pre-conciliar reform endeavours. Petráček first shows a pontificate of the last in the row of Pius’ popes in context of coping with challenges brought about by modern world, with long-time policy of catholic ghetto. Then he outlines stories of particular renaissance movements witnessing implicit yearning for reform – liturgical, biblical, missionary, lay, social, ecumenical etc. In this context actions of Vatican II could be considered in much more complex and historically anchored way, including the post-conciliar crisis reflecting long-lasting tendencies both within the society and in the Church.

Jaroslav Šebek Papal Policy and Bohemian Countries in 1938–1945 An important chapter in relationship between Czechoslovakia and Vatican formed also a dramatic period of the end of first-republican democracy and stage of the World War II. The aim of this study was to analyse diplomatic arrangements of both states during the mentioned period in a larger context of transformations on spiritual level, considerable in Bohemian countries in thirtieth’ of 20th century and connected particularly with various changes within the Sudeten-German catholic spectrum. Therefore attention is paid not only to the problems of Munich Agreement in 1938, political development in Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and contacts of Czechoslovak exile government in London with Vatican representatives, but also to the development of Church affairs in separated border territory which was after the Munich Agreement in fall 1938 incorporated into the Nazi’s Germany.

Philippe Chenaux Pius XII and the Second World War Great expert of the period of Pius’s pontificate tries on the basis of historical facts to consider in more convincing way an attitude of the Pope during the World War II. First he outlines possibilities of approach to the topic, from a priori negative – according to manipulated campaign seeing Pius XII as a “Hitler’s Pope”, to uncritically glorifying. Chenaux accents, that necessary for understanding to Pius’s acting, is to perceive it not only in context of his papacy, but also his previous diplomatic career, and indeed also with regard to his spiritual formation and his understanding of the Church. Then he emphasizes Pius’s personal knowledge of real threat of Nazi’s regime and thereof resulting consciousness how insufficient and even dangerous could be ostentatious revolt against it. Pius’s comprehension – in core Tridentine – of the sacred meaning of the Church is also essential. As a pastor Pius XII judged, that the main task of his was to guarantee survival of the Church as a salvificating institution, and this conviction conditioned his formal relationship to the Nazi’s regime. Hereafter an author touches an essential feature of holocaust, the issue of information. Chenaux concludes that Pius was able on the basis of accessible information to recognize the occurring horror and he was of course on Christmas 1942 one of the first publicly warning.

“Pope Has to Speak as a Pope” Interview with Philipp Chenaux The prominent historian of Pius’s pontificate comments in interview number of topics connected with the personality of this Pope: his relationship to Germany, political decisions during the World War II, relations to Jews, to democracy and modern world, to communism and to the European Union. He puts question marks upon the stereotypes arose around the person of the Pope, shows comprehensiveness of the problem a historian of this Pope is to deal with. Last but not least he confesses the personality of Eugenio Pacelli fades besides the personality of pope Pius XII.

Heinz-Gerhard Justenhoven Pope Pius XII – Pioneer of Peace Ethics in 20th Century An article of the director of Institute for theology and peace in Barsbüttel makes a sketch of peace teaching of Pius XII formed above all during the World War II. It is showed, that the Pope’s understanding of an international arrangement leading out of the horrors of the war, is based on natural law which can be authored only by God. Calling to this arrangement belonging to each person steps over the borders of states, nations and whatever else, and has to be understood universally. A legal arrangement and articulation of prospective community of nations sees Pius XII in analogy to arrangement of state oriented to the welfare of the individual. Its supervisory mechanisms perceives positively in democracy, which declares to be the best order. Basic human rights are of course “as basic rights insofar indefeasible, either any affairs of state nor any important demand of common good cannot prevail them”. Pius XII urges therefore for establishing of an efficacious international political authority with the right of coercion. Helplessness of UN face to face with communistic aggression in countries of Eastern bloc is a disappointment to him.

Piotr Napiwodzki OP Mystici Corporis Christi and Controversy over the Concept of the Church The Polish Dominican shows in his study paths which have led to the Pius XII’s Encyclical Mystici Corporis Christi, and therefore now can help in its better comprehending. He starts by drafting context of catholic ecclesiology on the turn of centuries and especially between the World Wars with perceptible tendency of mystical understanding of Church as the Body of Christ supporting period turn-on to principles of community, fellowship, and collectivity. This influential tendencies as well as the ecclesiology of the Body of Christ are nevertheless in the same time criticised because of their conceptual inaccuracy and danger of serious dogmatical errors (e. g. questionable relation of Church as a Body of Christ and Eucharist). Highlighted among the critics is Mann Dominik Koster OP coming with different theological concept of Church as a People of God. Encyclical Mystici Corporis Christi on the first view confirms the concept of Church as a Body of Christ, yet it comprehends already number of constituents its own critique, and thereby it is prepared a space for conclusions of the Vatican II where the concept of People of God is received as a equivalent to the concept of Mystical Body of Christ.

Tomáš Petráček Pope Pius XII and Biblical Issue Genesis and Message of the Encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu The Church historian Tomáš Petráček depicts in his study history of catholic Scriptural studies in the first half of 20th century, for which period was the Encyclical Divino afflante Spiritu a breaking point and an extraordinary encouraging document. The Encyclical rehabilitated many decades ongoing effort of Scriptural studies to be properly included in branches of knowledge on the level of the period. Petráček pounces itself preserving stream striving for bucking up and mediating of new scientific knowledge to purpose of catholic exegesis in spite of the crisis on field of Biblical studies aroused by a crushing intervention in the time of fight against the modernism. On the background of the work of personalities as Lagrange, Guitton, Vosté, Tisserant, Bea, Cerfaux etc. there is rebuilt a sketch of gradual steps leading Pope Pius XII towards the conviction of necessity to solve problem of catholic Scriptural studies and towards the publication of the Encyclical. Next Petráček analyses text of document and shows the way the document confirms legitimacy of historical-critical method of interpretation of Scripture.

Jan Rückl Pius XII and the Liturgical Reforms Beside the world of professionals possibly only these who remember those times are still aware of the fact, that some liturgical reforms, commonly attributed to Vatican II, took place even before its beginning during the pontificate of Pius XII. The Pope did not prepare them alone; he had drawn on many years’ work of so-called liturgical movement and on the work of liturgical commission appointed by him in 1948. The most important considerable reform is the renewed celebration of Easter Vigil. All the reforms of Pope Pius were motivated by pastoral concern and the liturgy itself was coming nearer to its proper significance through these reforms. Konrad Glombik Main Theses of the Moral Teaching of Pius XII In his study advances the Polish moral theologian a thorough overview of Pius XII’s moral teaching on fields of human dignity, the right to the life and importance of marriage and family. He shows Pope’s reactions to the results of modern sciences to be highly up-to-date, especially on the field of medical science, and points his statements to problems as particularly well-founded. Pius XII had laid on the foundation of Church moral teaching so far applicable and attestable on the field of transplantation of organs, handling with cadaver, artificial maintaining of life, euthanasia etc. In his teaching about the sense of marriage and family Pope holds an opinion rather traditional, nevertheless the principles of personalistic perceiving of problem are more and more diffusing into his speeches. Santiago Cantera Montenegro OSB Pius XII and the Dogma of the Assumption The author, Spanish Benedictine from abbey Valle de los Caídos, pays attention in the first part of his article to the personal relationship of Pius XII to Virgin Mary – especially to her Assumption – as his reaction to the dramatic situation of his period. In the second, main part of the article he holds forth on the teaching of the Pope about Assumption of Our Lady in the way it is in the first place embraced in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus defining on 1st November 1950 the dogma of this Marian privilege. The author refers in this way not only to the dogmatical definition itself, but also to the death of Our Lady, to the fact, how the truth of Assumption is anchored in Scripture, in sensus fidelium and in Church magisterium. He points theological reasons of the dogma and its connection to other articles of faith. There is in the third part of the article explained queenly dignity of Virgin Mary as a consequence of her Assumption.