 In 1999 , British author John Cornwell 's Hitler 's Pope criticised Pius XII for his actions and inactions during the Holocaust . Cornwell argued that Pius XII subordinated opposition to the Nazis to his goal of increasing and centralising the power of the Papacy . Further , Cornwell accused Pius XII of anti @-@ Semitism . The Encyclopædia Britannica described Cornwell 's depiction of Pius XII as anti @-@ Semitic as lacking " credible substantiation " . Kenneth L. Woodward stated in his review in Newsweek that " errors of fact and ignorance of context appear on almost every page . " Paul O 'Shea summarized the work by saying it was " disappointing because of its many inaccuracies , selective use of sources , and claims that do not bear any scrutiny . However , [ Cornwell ] has rendered a service by insisting Pacelli be re @-@ examined thoroughly and placed firmly within the context of his times " . Five years after the publication of Hitler 's Pope , Cornwell stated : " I would now argue , in the light of the debates and evidence following Hitler 's Pope , that Pius XII had so little scope of action that it is impossible to judge the motives for his silence during the war , while Rome was under the heel of Mussolini and later occupied by Germany " . 
