Understanding the motives of Pius XII

From Fr Alberic Stacpoole, OSB Sir, It is difficult for us to judge Pius XII a saint, or a smooth diplomat? On 24 September Clifford Longley (Catholic Herald) settled for "Misunderstood Hero". On 19 September Peter Stanford (Sunday 'Imes) settled more brusquely for' Wicked Pope".
I suppose a just test might be a look at the first year of Pacelli's papacy, 1939. Till then he had spent his entire clerical life in the papal Secretariat of State, i.e. in diplomacy. He was elected almost without debate in March 1939, as Hitler occupied Prague and then all Czech lands — as just the year before he had taken Austria. Pius remained strictly neutral — "The Holy See has a duty to serve truth and promote peace", he told his College of Cardinals.
As Europe slithered to war, the Vatican moved into a peacemaker role. The French ambassador, Charles Roux, openly resented the Pope's placing democracies on an equal footing with totalitarian states. In April the Paris nuncio (who later joined Vichy France) told the French that the Vatican could not compromise its neutrality or cherished Church principles — which denied fascist doctrine.
In July the Vatican asked Mussolini to intervene to stop Church persecution in Hitler's Germany and Austria. In August Pope Pius asked the German and Polish Governments to refrain from action that might aggravate events. On 1 September the Pope would not condemn Hitler's march into Poland: he wished to remain disengaged. Only when Pius felt safe, with an ambassador arrived from the USA did he in January 1940 permit reports of Nazi atrocities and persecutions of Poles to be broadcast.
How then do we judge? How might John Paul II similarly behaved?
Yours faithfully, ALBERIC STACPOOLE Ampleforth Abbey, York From Revd Philip Casey Sir, The Hon. Gerard Noel (Letters 17th September) in reply to Mr James Bogle's excellent defence of Pope Pius XII, says that Mr Bogle "totally fails to rebut the main point that Pius uttered no condemnation of Nazism until after Hitler was dead". How many more times has it to be repeated that Pius had the sense not to stir up Hitler's anger any more than necessary?
Pius knew Hitler for the evil man he was. The well meaning Dutch bishops unfortunately did not possess his wisdom and so only one week after their futile denunciation of Hitler from the pulpits of Holland, came "the immediate deportation of all Dutch Jews who had hitherto remained safe by declaring themselves (genuinely or otherwise) to be Roman Catholics. Their number included Edith Stein the Carmelite martyr and Jewish convert" (Mr Bogle's own words!).
I fear nothing will ever convince Gerard Noel, who seems always to have had this low opinion of the great pope, who did so much for the Jews that the Chief Rabbi of Rome became a Catholic himself and took as his confirmation name "Eugenio".
May I also say, dear editor, how good it was to read Frank (Lord) Longford's Charterhouse Chronicle on why the Patten Report on Northern Ireland is Northern Ireland's best chance of peace.
It was so heartening to read this understanding article on the Catholic minority's viewpoint in your paper instead of the usual contributions from your correspondent Patrick West.
Thanks again dear editor and congratulations! In my humble opinion, the Herald is now the best of the Catholic periodicals.
Yours faithfully, PHILIP M CASEY Stone, Staffs.