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by Peter Eisner (Author)
Drawing on untapped resources, exclusive interviews, and new archival research, The Pope's Last Crusade by Peter Eisner is a thrilling narrative that sheds new light on Pope Pius XI's valiant effort to condemn Nazism and the policies of the Third Reich--a crusade that might have changed the course of World War II.
A shocking tale of intrigue and suspense, illustrated with sixteen pages of archival photos, The Pope's Last Crusade: How an American Jesuit Helped Pope Pius XI's Campaign to Stop Hitler illuminates this religious leader's daring yet little-known campaign, a spiritual and political battle that would be derailed by Pius's XIs death just a few months later. Peter Eisner reveals how Pius XI intended to unequivocally reject Nazism in one of the most unprecedented and progressive pronouncements ever issued by the Vatican, and how a group of conservative churchmen plotted to prevent it.
For years, only parts of this story have been known. Eisner offers a new interpretation of this historic event and the powerful figures at its center in an essential work that provides thoughtful insight and raises controversial questions impacting our own time.
Front Jacket
A conspiracy within the Vatican--to stop an outspoken pope
In 1938, Pope Pius XI was the world's most prominent critic of the Nazi party. To make his voice heard, Pius called upon an American Jesuit, John LaFarge, to write a papal encyclical--the Vatican's strongest decree--publicly condemning Hitler's murderous campaign.
But conservative members in the Vatican like Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli toiled in secret to suppress the document from appearing. Pacelli, who would become Pope Pius XII, colluded with others to keep the finished encyclical from reaching the increasingly ill Pope.
Peter Eisner, award-winning reporter and author of the critically acclaimed The Freedom Line, reports shocking new evidence (released only recently from Vatican archives) of this deceit. An astonishing tale of intrigue and sedition, The Pope's Last Crusade is a compelling journey into the heart of the Vatican. A truly essential work, it brings new light to one of the most critical junctures in modern history.
--Voice of ReasonBack Jacket
A conspiracy within the Vatican--to stop an outspoken pope
In 1938, Pope Pius XI was the world's most prominent critic of the Nazi party. To make his voice heard, Pius called upon an American Jesuit, John LaFarge, to write a papal encyclical--the Vatican's strongest decree--publicly condemning Hitler's murderous campaign.
But conservative members in the Vatican like Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli toiled in secret to suppress the document from appearing. Pacelli, who would become Pope Pius XII, colluded with others to keep the finished encyclical from reaching the increasingly ill Pope.
Peter Eisner, award-winning reporter and author of the critically acclaimed The Freedom Line, reports shocking new evidence (released only recently from Vatican archives) of this deceit. An astonishing tale of intrigue and sedition, The Pope's Last Crusade is a compelling journey into the heart of the Vatican. A truly essential work, it brings new light to one of the most critical junctures in modern history.
