The Catholic Church and Nazi Germany

Research papers on how the Catholic Church responded to Nazi Germany can be looked at from the moral, political or religious standpoint. Have our world history or religion writers custom write a project that explains the stance of the Catholic Church in a nation that was largely Catholic.

One of the most salient intersections of church and state in twentieth century history was the Catholic Church's response to the genocide perpetrated within Nazi Germany in the World War II era. The lingering controversy over the moral, ethical, and political appropriateness of the Church's actions during this period continues even today, the ardor of both sides in the debate barely diminished over the course of sixty intervening years.

Using the papacy of Pius XII as an analytical framework, this discussion will consider the following:

1. The role of church-state relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the international community during the period now referred to as the Holocaust.
2. Include a brief summary of Pius XII's tenure as Pope to be recounted.
3. The arguments both supporting and condemning Pius XII's positions and actions during this era will be explicated and analyzed.
4. In conclusion, an overarching assessment of the implications of the Church's actions during this period for the overall direction of church-state relations will be presented.

Marked neutrality on the part of the Church and, specifically, of Pius XII, has been widely criticized in regards to the Holocaust. The position espoused by Pius at the time held that refraining from strongly denouncing the actions of the Nazi regime allowed the Church and its representatives a greater degree of access and influence within Germany at the time. Pius held that a forceful, unambiguous denunciation of Nazi principles and practices on the part of the Church would likely have alienated the leadership of the country and blocked all access to those Germans in need.