Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli on Persecuted Catholics Defined as Jewish by the Nazi State

Too often in current historiography, the response of the Holy See to Nazi Germany’s treatment of Jews is viewed separately from the response to Nazi treatment of Catholics. In reality, the Holy See’s decisions and responses to persecution of Catholics influenced and affected its decisions with regard to the Church’s response (or lack thereof) to mistreatment of Jews. Thus, the Holy See’s response to Nazi anti-Catholic and anti-Jewish policy must be studied together for the most nuanced understanding of the Holy See in these years. This presentation will take the case of those Catholics defined as Jews by Nazi racial laws as one case study. How did Secretary of State Pacelli view so-called “Baptized Jews”? Using the recently-released records of the Vatican nunciature in Munich and Berlin during the tenure of Pope Pius XI, this presentation examines reports, letters and other materials sent from the Roman Catholic hierarchy, clergy and laity in Germany to the Holy See in Rome on so-called “non-Aryan Catholics” and the response of the Holy See to such reports.