Holy Silence

An Assignment from the Pope

In 1938, John LaFarge, a Jesuit priest from New England, was directed by Pope Pius XI to draft a papal encyclical that would denounce anti-Semitism and Adolf Hitler's campaign against the Jews.

An Assignment from the Pope

2m 4s

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    Holy Silence

    S1 E1 - 55m 34s

    Take a fresh look at a topic that has sparked controversy for decades. During the years leading up to WWII, what was the Vatican's reaction to the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany? After the war began, how did the pope respond to the horrors of the Holocaust? In telling that story, "Holy Silence" focuses on American officials who worked behind the scenes to influence the Vatican's actions.

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