Main Characters

Pope Pius XI
Papst_Pius_XI._als_Kardinal_JS wiki freeThe mountain climbing pope. In the late 1930s, he is alarmed by Hitler’s rise and wants to alert the world to stop him. To
do this, he decides to release a papal encyclical, the highest proclamation a pope can make.

John LaFarge
An American Jesuit, he is called upon by Pius XI to draft the papal encyclical denouncing Hitler and anti-Semitism. Pius
selects him because of LaFarge’s writings on racism in America.stanton collection

27. Nuntius_Pacelli_und_Pater_Leiber_1929 on prussian accordsCardinal Eugenio Pacelli
The Vatican Secretary of State, saw Communism, not Hitler and Nazism as the world’s greatest danger. He would become pope after Pius XI’s
death.

Superior General Wlodmir Ledochowski
The leader of the Jesuits, who worked to delay delivery of LaFarge’s encyclical to Pope Pius XI.ledo photo wiki free

william phillips 1946ggAmbassador William Phillips
The U.S. ambassador to Italy, who was under direct orders from President Roosevelt to draw Mussolini away from the Axis alliance with Nazi Germany.

19. Hurley w Mooney JapanMonsignor Joseph Hurley
The highest ranking American at the Vatican, Hurley served as an intermediary for Phillips and the pope.

Benito_Mussolini_and_Adolf_Hitler munich 1937Adolf Hitler
In 1938, the fuhrer had recently annexed Austria and was preparing to move into Czechoslovakia. Hitler realized that Pius XI’s popularity was an obstacle.

Benito Mussolini
In September 1938, Il Duce barred Jews from public life in Italy. The pope said he was embarrassed to be an Italian.

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