By the Grace of G‑d
13 Nissan, 5720 [April 10, 1960]
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Greeting and Blessing:
With reference to your cousin about whom you write in your letter, it is clear that her being in a place where there are few Jews, while on the other hand there are gentiles who are busy exercising their influence, to gain converts, is a most undesirable situation. For, every one of us, and even Tzaddikim, says every morning in prayer, "Bring us not to temptation."
As for her request for literature, you should send her everything that our office in Paris has published in the French language. (The address: Rabbi B. Gorodetzky, 80 Rum St. Antoine, Paris). If she also understands English, you ought to send her also some English publications which you can select from our catalogue, which you think may be of interest to her, since you know her personally.
I must say that I was greatly surprised that she writes to you about the benevolence of the gentiles in her environment. Does she not know of the terrible tragedy of the millions of Jews who were savagely put to death by the Germans and their cohorts, while the rest of the world the gentiles looked on with complete indifference? Even the last Pope who could have saved many Jews by mere oral intervention, refused to do so. It is a well-known fact that when the Germans occupied Rome, and the Jews were interned in concentration camps, the German commander hesitated to harm them, having been told that it would arouse the displeasure of the Vatican. However, checking personally with the Vatican whether this was so, the Pope refused to confirm it, knowing full well what the denial would mean for those thousands of unfortunate Jews, and although he had been pleaded with to say just one good word in their behalf. As a direct result, thousands of Italian Jews were deported to the extermination camps. This is all the more noteworthy since the Pope knew well that his attitude would not remain a secret, and yet he could not find it in his heart to say a good word about the Jews. Despite efforts to misrepresent the facts, the evidence is irrefutable, as it was given by the very persons who attempted to obtain the Pope's intervention in behalf of the Jews.
That a Jewish girl should be oblivious of this and fall under the influence of her gentile environment, is beyond comprehension.
Incidentally, it is well-known that Paul completely misrepresented the preaching’s of Jesus and other Apostles, as is clear from the contradiction among the Apostles themselves. Be it as it may, it is enough to remember the attitude of the Christian world to the Jews in those crucial times, to form an opinion of what Christianity represents in fact.
(Excerpt from a letter)
Pope Paul XII was actively involved in 3 different attempts to assassinate Hitler. Also, many Jews were hidden in the underground tunnels of the Vatican and others were given forged Baptismal records. The Pope had to make prudent decisions, lest he incur more suffering for not only the Jews, but for Catholics everywhere. That his significant contribution to saving Jewish lives be ignored and his reputation maligned is egregious. I often wonder if it has to do with the Chief Rabbi of Rome converting to Catholicism after the war, and taking for his Baptismal name, Eugenio, the Christian name of Pope Pius XII.
Leading historian's agree that the pope gave his silent acquiescence to the deportation of Jews from the Italian Ghetto. In fact Ernst von Weizsäcker, the German ambassador to the Vatican, reported to Berlin that the razzia (raid and deportation of the Jews) had taken place "under the Pope's windows." namely with his knowledge and agreement. The pope had enough power to stop the deportation without consequence, he need only have followed the example of the Queen of Denmark.