Papa vs. Hitler

National Geographic presents a version of Pope Oius XII, the leader of the Catholic church during WWII, and derisively called Hitler's Pope. He fears for his flock under Nazi tyranny and reluctantly submits. Secretly, he is in contact with conspirators looking to assassinate Hitler. These conspirators need legitimacy and negotiating power with the Allies. They hope the Pope would be that conduit.

This is unresolved history and both sides can point to their evidence. This lays out a singular version of the Pope. There is no need to paint the man as black or white. I certainly understand playing both sides during those dangerous times. It is a complex time and he has a complex problem. This has him as a heroic figure fighting in the shadows. I read into the evidence that the Pope may have wanted the assassination but was unwilling to risk everything to get it. Of course, risking everything is not just risking his life but countless others.

As aired on the National Geographic channel, this pop-umentary is undercut by the usual high percentage of airtime given over to commercials (the 87 minute program is in a two hour time slot), but while containing little material not well known before, the film makers have blended period newsreels and solid re-enactments for an eminently watchable re-telling of the story of European resistance to Hitler and his National Socialists. Only near the end does the film's subtext - the effort to rehabilitate the image of the controversial Pope Pius XII (1876 - 1958) in the midst of a somewhat bizarre campaign to elevate him to sainthood - he has been elevated to "Venerable" - come clearly to the fore. For the most part the pontiff is depicted very much as supporting player who tries to have it, not both ways, but all ways rather than taking a leadership position for any cause. Like many modern right wing politicians, his staunch anti-communist beliefs trumping (you should pardon the expression) his support for persecuted ethnic minorities or real resistance to dictators is quietly passed over. Having simply survived the era - very much like Spanish dictator Fransisco Franco - with his "estate" intact, one could argue he succeeded - as does this film by holding the watcher's interest for its full length despite commercial interruptions and the lack of new material.