When Pope Pius XII died in 1958, his papers were sealed in the Vatican Secret Archives, leaving unanswered questions about what he knew and did during World War II. Those questions have only grown and festered, making Pius XII one of the most controversial popes in Church history, especially now as the Vatican prepares to canonize him.
In 2020, Pius XII’s archives were finally opened, and David I. Kertzer—widely recognized as one of the world’s leading Vatican scholars—has been mining this new material ever since, revealing how the pope came to set aside moral leadership in order to preserve his church’s power.
Based on thousands of never-before-seen documents not only from the Vatican, but from archives in Italy, Germany, France, Britain, and the United States, The Pope at War: The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini, and Hitler (Random House, 2022) paints a new, dramatic portrait of what the pope did and did not do as war enveloped the continent and as the Nazis began their systematic mass murder of Europe’s Jews. The book clears away the myths and sheer falsehoods surrounding the pope’s actions from 1939 to 1945, showing why the pope repeatedly bent to the wills of Hitler and Mussolini.
Just as Kertzer’s Pulitzer Prize–winning The Pope and Mussolini became the definitive book on Pope Pius XI and the Fascist regime, The Pope at War is destined to become the most influential account of his successor, Pius XII, and his relations with Mussolini and Hitler. Kertzer shows why no full understanding of the course of World War II is complete without knowledge of the dramatic, behind-the-scenes role played by the pope.
Renee Garfinkel, Ph.D. is a psychologist, writer, Middle East television commentator and host of The New Books Network’s Van Leer Jerusalem Series on Ideas. Write her at reneeg@vanleer.org.il. She's on Twitter @embracingwisdom. She blogs here.
We'll tell you about the latest destruction from this early spring storm season and an issue that keeps coming up in state legislature involving kids.
Also, there was a rare meeting for members of Congress, and another new contender stepped into the 2024 presidential race.
Plus, a hub for hackers came crashing down, there's a new multi-million-dollar plan to fight Alzheimer's, and a pop star topping the charts is making history.
Those stories and more news to know in around 10 minutes!
Judge Janet Protasiewicz won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, giving liberals control of the state’s highest court for the first time in 15 years. Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, joins us to discuss the impact it will have on the battleground state.
And in headlines: former Vice President Mike Pence won't appeal a ruling ordering him to testify in the DOJ's January 6th probe, a judge said Rupert Murdoch can be forced to take the stand in the Fox News defamation trial, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer officially repealed the state’s 92-year-old abortion ban.
Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffee
The indictment of former President Donald Trump is unprecedented in American history. However, other former vice presidents and presidential candidates have faced legal problems.
Fred Lucas and Jarrett Stepman join The Daily Signal podcast to discuss the bizarre presidential election of 1920, when socialist candidate Eugene V. Debs ran for office from prison. They also touch on the treason trial of vice president Aaron Burr and other presidents and vice presidents getting in legal hot water.
Paris Marx is joined by Moira Weigel to discuss the third-party sellers who supply many of the goods sold through Amazon, how the company’s policy decisions reshape small businesses to act like mini-Amazons, and what that means for regulatory responses.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
How we gather matters. A lot. And what is a nation but a big ol’ gathering of gatherings? Baratunde talks with Priya Parker, facilitator and author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters, about how we can use gatherings as a tool for strengthening our relationships by doing things together that invoke joy and have meaning. Listen till the end to hear Priya answer a listener’s pressing question during the live taping.
SHOW ACTIONS
Internally Reflect - Gatherings & their impact
Think about gatherings in your life. What was a great one where you felt connected, fulfilled, and a sense of purpose? What was a bad one? Was there one that surprised you? See if you can remember how you felt attending each one. Did it bring you closer to other people?
Become More Informed - Meetings can be where you practice democracy
Check out Priya’s conversation with Brené Brown on her Dare to Lead podcast. They go through an example of Priya’s Gathering Makeover. It’s focused on improving a weekly leadership meeting which may sound like it has nothing to do with practicing democracy, but it’s actually quite the opposite. Also check out Priya’s website and The Gathering Toolkit.
Publicly Participate - Practice gathering
Download her free guide on The New Rules of Gathering. Then, plan a gathering based on this workbook. It can be anything: poker night, tenant association meeting, or congressional hearing. See if you and your folks feel differently about this gathering than others.
SHOW NOTES
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How To Citizen is hosted by Baratunde Thurston. He’s also host and executive producer of the PBS series, America Outdoors as well as a founding partner and writer at Puck. You can find him all over the internet.
CREDITS
How To Citizen with Baratunde is a production of iHeartRadio Podcasts and Rowhome Productions. Our Executive Producers are Baratunde Thurston and Elizabeth Stewart. Allie Graham is our Lead Producer and Danya AbdelHameid is our Associate Producer. Alex Lewis is our Managing Producer. John Myers is our Executive Editor and Mix Engineer. Original Music by Andrew Eapen and Blue Dot Sessions. Our Audience Engagement Fellows are Jasmine Lewis and Gabby Rodriguez. Special thanks to Joelle Smith from iHeartRadio and Layla Bina.
Additional thanks to our live audience voices Cassandra S. and Katie R.
Is the Manhattan DA’s case against Donald Trump something he can wriggle out of, or is the former president in real legal trouble this time? Some are already dismissing Alvin Bragg’s investigation as weak and small potatoes. But others are more optimistic. What’s the case for indicting - on these charges?
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Comedy writer Kashana Cauley grew up watching the film Conspiracy Theory, starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts, with her parents. She says that's likely her earliest entryway into a world she explores in her debut novel, The Survivalists – it follows a millennial lawyer falling in with a community of doomsday preppers. In this episode, Cauley tells NPR's Juana Summers about the control people might feel preparing for an impending apocalypse, and how that experience is ultimately shaped by our understanding of race in the U.S.
