Category: The Church

HITLER ORDERED PIUS XII TO BE KIDNAPPED.

Fortunately, the general ordered to do it didn’t carry out the order.

Pius XII was aware that he was likely to get kidnapped by Hitler, and (so I’ve read in books about him) left instructions that he was to be considered to have resigning the papacy as soon as he was abducted, so that he couldn’t be used (as well) as a political tool by Hitler and so that a new pope could be elected.

Fortunately, those contingency plans never had to be activated.

This isn’t exactly news, but I’m glad it’s getting attention in the press, as it puts the kibosh on the idea that Pius XII was sympathetic to or in league with Hitler. In fact, the two men despised each other.

I wonder if this story has anything to do with John Cornwell’s recent retraction of his charge that Pius XII was "Hitler’s Pope."

A: Seven thousand.

From the Vatican Information Service:

NEW ROMAN MARTYROLOGY LISTS 7,000 SAINTS AND BLESSEDS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 4, 2005(VIS)
– In Rome at the beginning of last
month, the second edition of the Roman Martyrology was presented. The new
Martyrology is an updated list not, as the name might suggest, of martyrs, but
of all the saints and blesseds venerated by the Church.

The latest edition of the Martyrology was presented during
an event promoted by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of
the Sacraments to commemorate the conciliar constitution on liturgical reform "Sacrosanctum
Concilium", promulgated on December
4, 1963.

The new edition contains certain differences with respect to
the earlier edition, which was published in 2001 and was the first since
Vatican Council II. A number of typographical errors have been corrected and
the 117 people canonized or beatified between 2001 and 2004 have been added. Moreover,
many saints, mostly Italian-Greek monks, whose names have not thus far been
listed in the Martyrology but who are effectively much venerated, especially in
southern of
Italy,
have also been included.

The updated Martyrology contains 7,000 saints and blesseds
currently venerated by the Church, and whose cult is officially recognized and
proposed to the faithful as models worthy of imitation.

A: Seven thousand.

From the Vatican Information Service:

NEW ROMAN MARTYROLOGY LISTS 7,000 SAINTS AND BLESSEDS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 4, 2005(VIS)

– In Rome at the beginning of last

month, the second edition of the Roman Martyrology was presented. The new

Martyrology is an updated list not, as the name might suggest, of martyrs, but

of all the saints and blesseds venerated by the Church.

The latest edition of the Martyrology was presented during

an event promoted by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of

the Sacraments to commemorate the conciliar constitution on liturgical reform "Sacrosanctum

Concilium", promulgated on December

4, 1963.

The new edition contains certain differences with respect to

the earlier edition, which was published in 2001 and was the first since

Vatican Council II. A number of typographical errors have been corrected and

the 117 people canonized or beatified between 2001 and 2004 have been added. Moreover,

many saints, mostly Italian-Greek monks, whose names have not thus far been

listed in the Martyrology but who are effectively much venerated, especially in

southern of
Italy,

have also been included.

The updated Martyrology contains 7,000 saints and blesseds

currently venerated by the Church, and whose cult is officially recognized and

proposed to the faithful as models worthy of imitation.