Is it possible for a pope to be infallible? When we examine events such as the Holocaust, the answer to this question becomes twofold. Were Pope Pius XII's actions an attempt to save the Catholic Church from persecution or were they a lack of understanding of Hitler's ethnic cleansing? Nearly six million Jews were massacred during the Holocaust, and as the world became aware of the massacres taking place in Europe, World War II became a moral obligation rather than a struggle for power. The Allied Powers, Nazi resistance groups, and even some Catholic groups invaded Germany not only to save the Jews, but also to force the Nazis from power in Germany. Surprisingly, the Vatican did not help these resistance groups. Pope Pius XII neglected to help Jewish victims of the Holocaust and cowardly ignored the moral issue in order to remain neutral, avoid conflict in the war, and avoid the persecution of more Catholics . Since Pope Pius XI was in power, the Church was pro-neutrality. In 1930, Pope Pius XI appointed Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, later Pope Pius XII, Secretary of State of the Holy See. Pacelli helped Pius XI write encyclicals, handle diplomatic issues, and manage international affairs (Sanchez 16). In fact, Pius XI even chose Cardinal Pacelli to accept the Reich Concordat of 1933 – an agreement signed by Cardinal Pacelli and Herr Franz von Papen, vice-chancellor of the German Reich – on his behalf. This agreement allowed the Pope to impose laws on German clergy and ensure the freedom of German Catholic dioceses, schools, religious orders, congregations and parishes (Concordat). The German Reich agreed to these terms as long as the papacy encouraged the demolition of Catholics...... middle of paper ...... in its Christmas message of 1942. In a speech to the College of Cardinals in June 1943, Pius XII repeated what he had said to the Italian ambassador in 1940: "We would like to speak fiery words against such actions (German atrocities) and the only thing that keeps us from speaking is the fear of further worsen the plight of the victims. » (Phayer 54). His concern was about Nazi reprisals against Catholics in occupied countries. The Pope's silence was deafening. If Pope Pius XII had immediately shared his knowledge of Jewish deportations and death camps with the rest of the world, it is extremely possible that many lives would have been saved. This silent reaction from the papacy sparked controversy over Pope Pius XII's moral obligations and failure to respond to ongoing atrocities..