I “Fogli di Udienza” del Cardinale Eugenio Pacelli Segretario di Stato (review)

The long-awaited publication of part of the notations made by then-cardinal Eugenio Pacelli following his meetings with Pope Pius XI in almost a decade of service as secretary of state (1930–39) sheds considerable light on the pope and his chief minister, particularly on their personal and political relationship. In an introductory preface to the volume (pp. vii–ix), the current secretary of state, Tarcisio Bertone, alludes to the wide range of subjects and issues raised in the 1956 audiences that gave rise to the 2627 pages produced by Pacelli during his secretarial tenure. These documents are carefully edited and put into historical perspective by Bishop Sergio Pagano, prefect of the Secret Vatican Archive; the Jesuit Father Marcel Chappin; and the lay historian Giovanni Coco. Their role is crucial, for many of Pacelli’s reports and notations are short, sketchy, and provide little background, so that even the specialist would not necessarily be familiar with the issues raised without access to a broader range of documents. Fortunately, the editors have provided copious notes that in most cases are far longer than Pacelli’s observations. Indeed, in a number of instances this editorial commentary is more interesting and informative than Pacelli’s report.

Pagano’s presentation of the volume (pp. xi–xxv) continues the introduction by focusing upon the nature of the fogli that did not take the form of a diary but rather served as a summation of a series of sometimes daily discussions. The talks summed up by Pacelli have been divided into two categories by the editors: pontifical discussions and private ones. The first were either Pacelli’s personal talks with Pius XI or the pope’s talks with various dignitaries in his presence. The private talks described were those Pacelli held with various political figures or church dignitaries. During 1930, his first year as secretary of state, Pacelli reported on eighty pontifical audiences and twenty-four private ones—or, more accurately, these are the reports that have been preserved (pp. xiv–xv). Precisely why they were written remains uncertain. Nor do we know why important and controversial issues such as Nazi racism and antisemitism or fascist totalitarianism—which must have been discussed—are largely ignored in Pacelli’s fogli. Why was there no mention of Mit brennender Sorge in all of 1937 also remains a mystery. Likewise, the failure to discuss the Nazi pogroms and Kristallnacht in November 1938 is disappointing and limits their historical usefulness. On the other hand, we must remember that Pacelli did not draft these fogli for publication and kept them in his possession until his death.

The reports in the first volume, which run from February 12, 1930, to December 30, 1930 (pp. 147–383), offer no startling revelations, but they do provide interesting information and insights on a number of less controversial subjects. The volume also contains a large and useful biographical section (pp. 389–508) that provides vital information on the various individuals cited in the documents. It is particularly important in identifying lesser-known figures more than those who are well known. Thus in the first page of this informative directory (p. 389) the entry on Stanislaw Adamski will prove to be more needed by most readers than the one on the more important and widely known Konrad Adenauer. The biography is followed by a list of abbreviations employed by the editorial team (pp. 509–11), which leads to a fairly comprehensive bibliography of works (pp. 511–27) that are largely Italian but includes some English, French, and German studies. Finally, there are three indices: the first provides archival sources; the second includes other names, places and institutions; and the third lists newspapers and periodicals (pp. 529–91).