Inside the Vatican of Pius XII: Memoirs of an American Diplomat During World War II Book

The question of whether Pius XII and the Vatican must bear blame for failing to act decisively in response to Hitler’s Final Solution is as hotly debated today as in the years directly following World War II. INSIDE THE VATICAN OF PIUS XII presents for the first time the observations of an American diplomat who spent four years inside the Vatican. Neither a smoking gun nor a vindication of Pope Pius, it provides a perspective on events that will certainly fuel further discussions. Harold H. Tittmann, Jr., was a vitally important source of information for such bestselling books as Hitler’s Pope and other inquiries into the Vatican’s wartime activities. His memoir, edited by his son, describes his encounters with Pius XII and offers details that give a full picture of daily life in the Vatican. Though an admirer and defender of Pius XII, Tittmann writes, for example, that enslaved Jewish laborers were put to work right outside the Vatican walls, a situation that seemed to draw no comment or protest from the Vatican. Writing of his own activities as a diplomat, Tittmann chronicles his role in assisting and hiding escaped prisoners of war and his experiences navigating the tensions with the representatives of enemy states, with whom he lived side by side. Deftly conveying the beauty and solemnity of events that took place in the dramatic settings of St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, and the pope’s private chapel, Tittmann's memoir will be praised by scholars and participants on both sides of the debate.Read More