ADSS 1.210 Pius XII to German Pilgrims

ADSS 1.210 Pope Pius XII to a group of German Pilgrims

Reference: Discourses and Radio Messages 1, p321.

Location and date: Castel Gandolfo, 26.09.1939

Summary statement: In this dark hour priests must rise about nationalism and all must pray for peace and justice and for the Church in Germany.

Language: German

Text:

My dear sons you are cordially welcome.  You know how deeply concerned We are with all matters and aspects of the life and ministry of the Church amongst the German people.

You have come to Us in a grave hour.  It is so grave and the future is so dark that we humans can at this time only see and say one thing: the war which has broken out is, for all peoples involved in it, a terrible punishment of God.

For a priest, it is now more than ever before imperative to be wholly above all political and national passion; to console, to comfort, to help, to call to prayer and to penance, and himself to pray and to do penance.

Pray that God in his mercy may shorten the horror of war and give peace which for all concerned shall be a peace with honour, with justice, with reconciliation and settlement and which shall also mean happier days and greater freedom again for the Catholic church in your beloved Fatherland.

To you dear son, and all those entrusted to your care We give from a full heart the Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of the love, mercy, the strength and patience of Jesus Christ.

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