Morris & Mollye Fogelman International Jewish Film Festival

Holy Silence

Expired March 7, 2021 5:00 AM
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1 film in package

The Catholic Church’s response to the Holocaust is re-examined through historic footage, rare documents and contemporary interviews. Pope Pius XI was unequivocal in denouncing the anti-Semitism taking hold in 1938 Germany. His successor, however, adopted a starkly different position during wartime. To this day, the inaction and complicity of Pius XII in dealing with Nazism remains a source of deep controversy. What more, if anything, might the Church have done to stop Hitler’s Final Solution and intervene on behalf of Europe’s Jews? As the Vatican prepares to unseal its WWII archives in March 2020, this timely, first-of-its-kind exposé examines all sides of a hotly debated topic, revealing a damning failure of moral authority.

The Catholic Church’s response to the Holocaust is re-examined through historic footage, rare documents and contemporary interviews. Pope Pius XI was unequivocal in denouncing the anti-Semitism taking hold in 1938 Germany. His successor, however, adopted a starkly different position during wartime. To this day, the inaction and complicity of Pius XII in dealing with Nazism remains a source of deep controversy. What more, if anything, might the Church have done to stop Hitler’s Final Solution and intervene on behalf of Europe’s Jews? As the Vatican prepares to unseal its WWII archives in March 2020, this timely, first-of-its-kind exposé examines all sides of a hotly debated topic, revealing a damning failure of moral authority.

  • Year
    2019
  • Runtime
    72 minutes
  • Language
    English, Italian
  • Country
    United States
  • Premiere
    02/13/2021 00:00
  • Note
    English Subtitles