Pope who preferred his enemy’s enemy

THE defence of Pius XII by Fr Con McGillicuddy (Irish Examiner letters, October 12) ignores the contrast in the Pope’s behaviour as between Hitler and Stalin.

Pope Pius positively encouraged east European clerics to embrace martyrdom in opposition to communism. There was no waffle about how it might only make things worse. His position was, and was understood by all to be, opposition to Stalin up to and including death.

In contrast, his concordat with Hitler positively forbade any Catholic political activity within Germany. In fact, he as good as instructed the Catholic party to disband in Germany.