Crusade of charity
Pius XII and POWs (1939-1946)
Margherita Marchione
284 pages | ~8 hrs
Crusade of charity
Pius XII and POWs (1939-1946)
By Margherita Marchione
During the darkest hours of World War II, an extraordinary network of compassion emerged from the Vatican, reaching across battle lines to connect separated families and offer hope to the desperate. This remarkable account unveils the Vatican Information Office, established by Pope Pius XII in 1939, which became a lifeline for millions seeking news of missing loved ones.
Through meticulous research into previously untold archives, this work reveals how a dedicated team worked tirelessly to locate prisoners of war and relay vital information to anxious families. Vatican Radio transmitted over one million shortwave messages, creating an unprecedented communication system that transcended the chaos of global conflict. The scope of this humanitarian effort becomes clear through the staggering documentation: hundreds of thousands of archived documents and twenty million individual letters, each representing a human story of separation and hope.
Drawing from authentic telegrams, reports from apostolic delegates who visited prison camps worldwide, and personal correspondence from families and friends, this narrative illuminates how faith-driven service manifested during humanity's greatest trial. The book demonstrates how spiritual conviction can inspire systematic compassion, showing readers how organized charity work can create profound impact even in seemingly impossible circumstances.
For those seeking to understand how spiritual principles translate into meaningful action, this historical account offers powerful insights into service, dedication, and the transformative potential of coordinated humanitarian effort.
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects
- ✓ Explore History
- ✓ Explore Church work with prisoners of war
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects of World War, 1939-1945
- ✓ Explore Catholic Church
- ✓ Explore World War, 1939-1945
- ✓ Explore Prisoners of war
- ✓ Explore Weltkrieg
Topics
Details
- Published
- 2006
- Publisher
- Paulist Press
- ISBN-10
- 0809144204
- Pages
- 284
- Language
- EN
- LC Classification
- BX1378.M263 2006
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