1. Class 37: Catholicism in early 20th C
Dr. Ann T. Orlando
24 April 2019

2. Introduction Beginning of Liturgical Renewal Biblical Scholarship
Church during WW I
Pius XII and Concordat with Hitler
World War II and Shoah
Pius XII after WWII

3. Liturgical Renewal in Church
The liturgy had been little changed since Trent
Need to reinvigorate liturgy in opposition to Enlightenment
Effort to rediscover older liturgical forms as core of liturgy (Romanticism)
Balance corporate and individual in worship
Benedictine Abbey at Maria Laach
Pope St. Pius X
Encouraged active participation of laity in Church music during liturgy
Special devotion to Mass
Romano Guardini ( )
Spirit of Liturgy 1918
Corporate, Christological nature of liturgy
Relation between liturgy and call to do justice in world

4. 19th C Biblical Scholarship
Beginning of Historical Critical Method roots in the Enlightenment
Reimarus ( ): Deist, roots of historical Jesus; resurrection a fraud; failure of eschaton led to Christian theology opposed to Jewish; Jesus as an apocalyptic Jewish prophet
Lessing ( ): Published Reimarus’s work; tries to reconcile Reimarus with Christian faith; “teachings not true because book is sacred; book is sacred because teachings are true”
David Strauss ( )
Life of Jesus
Test historical accuracy of New Testament claims about Jesus
Much mythical material in New Testament
Developed rules of historical critical method
Albert Schweitzer Quest for Historical Jesus 1906

5. Catholic Biblical Controversy
Late 19th C controversy focused on relation of Biblical criticism to Catholic theology
Alfred Loisy ( ) The Gospel and the Church (1902)
Very influential biblical Scholar
Questioned authorship of Old and New Testament works
Jesus as a radical eschatological Jewish prophet part of 1st C apocalypticism
Christian dogma develops to meet new challenges in each age; dogmatic definitions are always relative and variable
Eventually Loisy became very skeptical about Church as bearer of truth
Ecclesial Reaction
Pope Leo XIII, Providentissimus Deus, 1893, admitted some value to historical critical method, but not if weakened authority of Bible or Church
Pope Pius X, Pascendi Dominici Gregis, 1907, condemned historical method altogether
Alfred Loisy excommunicated 1907

6. Pope Pius X ( )
Opposed to Modernists (Historical Critical Method applied to Biblical studies)
Reform of Canon Law, 1917 (revised 1985)
Lay reception of daily Communion
Included children who had made First Communion
Not in a state of mortal sin
Willingness to accept God’s Will for them
Encouraged more lay participation in liturgy; but implied need to understand liturgy.
Roots of Catholic lay education

7. Benedict XV ( ) and WWI
WWI was just starting when Benedict XV elected
Referred to WWI as ‘suicide of Europe’
Deeply concerned that Europe had lost sight of its Christian roots and was returning to a new barbarism
Maintained strict neutrality and tried to negotiate a settlement
He was deeply concerned that the peace established in1917 would destroy the social and economic fabric of Germany
Reformed Church’s view of missionary methods in Maximum illud
Strong support for native clergy, especially bishops

8. Pius XI (1922-1939) Also wrote Divini Redpmtoris, condemning Communism
Deeply concerned about rise of Communism
Wrote Quadragessimo Anno (40th Year) to commemorate and endorse Rerum Novarum
In some sense saw Fascism as bulwark against Communists
Signed Lateran Accords, an agreement with Mussolini that Rome was Capital of Italy, Pope sovereign over Vatican City
But Pius XI clashed with Italian Fascists and rising German Nazis over political tactics and strong rhetoric
Supported Franco in Spain
Once Nazis came to power in Germany, 1933, recognized need to establish some relationship with them
Concordat with Hitler 1933 (negotiated by Pacelli)
But resulting concerns over Nazi rule led to Mit Brennender Sorge ; smuggled into Germany and read from every pulpit on Palm Sunday, 1937
Also wrote Divini Redpmtoris, condemning Communism

9. Pius XII ( ) and WWII
Pius XII did have a special love for Germany
Pius XII was opposed to Hitler, deplored Fascism almost as much as he deplored Communism
Opposed Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia
He was in contact with German Generals who tried to overthrow Hitler in 1940
But felt he needed to be publicly neutral to be able to work for peace
Catholic relief supplies and efforts to reunite refugee families were substantial across Europe
Worked with anti-Mussolini forces near end of War to remove Mussolini from power and prevent Nazis from taking over; managed to have Rome declared a non-combat zone
Worked with Catholic US bishops to establish Catholic Relief Services in 1943

10. Pius XII and the Holocaust
Public Stance; it does seem that Pius XII knew what was happening to Jews. No public condemnation
Possible reasons
Concern about vicious Nazi retaliation against Church; example of Dutch bishops
Better able to help some Jews if Church was not threatened by Nazis
Unwillingness to jeopardize official neutrality
Private Activities
Over 400,000 Jews in Italy saved
Churches in France, Germany, Belgium part of ‘underground’ railroad to hide Jews

11. The U.S. Press’ Changing View of Pius XII
”The voice of Pius XII is a lonely voice in the silence and darkness enveloping Europe this Christmas...He is about the only ruler left on the Continent of Europe who dares to raise his voice at all". (Editorial, the New York Times, Dec 25, 1941).
"A full explanation of Pope Pius' conduct is needed...It now falls to John Paul and his successors to take the next step toward full acceptance of the Vatican's failure to stand squarely against the evil that swept across Europe" (Editorial, the New York Times, Mar 18, 1998).

12. Pius XII after WWII Holy Year Pilgrimage 1950
Increased numbers of Catholics, increased prosperity for Church
Worked against Communism
Infallibly declared Assumption
Allowed historical critical method to be used by Catholic scholars
Encouraged growth of Catholic diocese in Asia and Africa; promoted diocese in Western Hemisphere

13. Epistemology and Pius XII: Humani Generis, 1950
We know by the Teaching Authority of the Church
Theologians should work to support and promote the mind of the Church
Concerns about modern methods
Opposed to process theology

14. Mystici Corporis, 1943 Written during the darkest days of WWII
Addressed to all people of good will
Church as a living body
Importance of family model as basic unit of society
Communion as participation in Body of Christ

15. Assignments (optional)
Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno, available at xi_enc_ _quadragesimo-anno_en.html
2. Pius X Encyclical Against Modernism, available at
3. Romano Guardini. The Spirit of the Liturgy. Trans. Ada Lana. New York: Crossronds, p
Pius XI Mit Brennender Sorge,
Pius XII Mystici Corporis,