Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did Pius XII encourage clemency for some convicted German war criminals?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Pius XII
Pius XII served as pope from 1939 to 1958; photograph by Yousuf Karsh.
Pope Pius XII encouraged clemency for convicted German war criminals—particularly those who were Catholic—primarily in the name of Christian forgiveness.
Additionally, historians suggest this stance may have been motivated by a desire to avoid further weakening Germany during the postwar period, as the pope feared the spread of communism and Soviet influence into central Europe following the war.1