Is it possible for a Pope to be infallible? When considering 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 when the world learned of the mass murders taking place in Europe, World War II became a moral obligation rather than a power struggle. The Allied Powers, the Nazi resistance group, and even some Catholic groups invaded Germany not only to save the Jews, but also to force the Nazis out of power in Germany. Surprisingly, the Vatican did not help these resistance groups. Pope Pius XII neglected to help the Jewish victims of the Holocaust and cowardly ignored the moral issue 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 in favor of neutrality. In 1930, Pope Pius XI appointed Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, later Pope Pius XII, as Secretary of State of the Holy See. Pacelli helped Pius XI write encyclicals, deal with diplomatic matters, and manage international affairs (Sanchez 16). In fact, Pius This agreement allowed the Pope to impose laws on the German clergy and to guarantee the freedom of German Catholic dioceses, schools, religious orders, congregations and parishes (Concordat). The German Reich agreed to these conditions on the condition that the papacy would encourage the demolition of the cathedral... middle of paper... in its Christmas message of 1942. In a speech to the College of Cardinals in June 1943, Pius XII repeated what she had told 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 making the situation of the victims even worse” (Phayer 54). his concern was Nazi retaliation against Catholics in occupied countries. The Pope's silence was deafening. If Pope Pius XII had promptly shared his knowledge regarding the deportations of Jews and extermination camps with the rest of the world immediately upon learning of them. information, it is extremely possible that many lives would have been saved. This silent reaction of the papacy began the controversy over Pope Pius XII's moral obligations and failure to react to the atrocities committed..