Jean-Michel Meurice's Investigation into Vatican Diplomacy
Jacques Henric reviews Jean-Michel Meurice's book and documentary 'Le Vrai Pouvoir du Vatican', which examines the political and diplomatic history of the Holy See from the 1930s to the present. Meurice, an atheist painter and documentary filmmaker known for his independent investigations, gained unprecedented access to Vatican archives. The work focuses on the papacy's role during World War II, particularly Pope Pius XII's response to the Holocaust, and includes analysis of the Church's relationship with Franco's Spain. Meurice interviews nearly twenty figures, including cardinals, historians, and ambassadors, to explore the Vatican's internal workings and controversial decisions. The book covers the 1937 encyclical against Nazi ideology, Pius XI's 1938 statement 'We are all spiritually Semites', and the 1942 Dutch bishops' protest. It also addresses the upcoming publication of Pius XII's personal diaries.
Key facts
- Jean-Michel Meurice's book and documentary 'Le Vrai Pouvoir du Vatican' investigates Vatican diplomacy from the 1930s to today.
- Meurice is an atheist painter and documentary filmmaker known for independent investigations.
- He gained unprecedented access to Vatican archives for this project.
- The work examines Pope Pius XII's response to the Holocaust and the Church's role during World War II.
- It includes analysis of the Church's support for Franco during the Spanish Civil War, termed a 'grave historical error'.
- The book covers the 1937 encyclical condemning Nazi idolatry of race and state.
- Pius XI declared in 1938: 'We are all spiritually Semites.'
- The 1942 Dutch bishops' protest against Nazi deportation of Jews led to accelerated deportations.
- Meurice interviewed nearly twenty figures including cardinals, historians, and ambassadors.
- The upcoming publication of Pius XII's personal diaries may provide new insights.
Entities
Artists
- Jean-Michel Meurice
- Jacques Henric
Institutions
- Vatican
- Holy See
- Arte
- Albin Michel
- Roman Curia
- Catholic Church
- Protestant Church
Locations
- Vatican City
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Spain
- Munich
- Utrecht
- Austria
- Hungary
- Rome
- France
- Vichy
Sources
- artpress —