 In 1941 , Cardinal Theodor <unk> of Vienna informed Pius of Jewish deportations in Vienna . Later that year , when asked by French Marshal Philippe Pétain if the Vatican objected to antisemitic laws , Pius responded that the church condemned antisemitism , but would not comment on specific rules . Similarly , when Philippe Pétain 's regime adopted the " Jewish statutes " , the Vichy ambassador to the Vatican , Léon Bérard ( a French politician ) , was told that the legislation did not conflict with Catholic teachings . Valerio Valeri , the nuncio to France was " embarrassed " when he learned of this publicly from Pétain and personally checked the information with Cardinal Secretary of State Maglione who confirmed the Vatican 's position . In June 1942 , Pius XII personally protested against the mass deportations of Jews from France , ordering the papal nuncio to protest to Pétain against " the inhuman arrests and deportations of Jews " . In September 1941 , Pius XII objected to a Slovak Jewish Code , which , unlike the earlier Vichy codes , prohibited intermarriage between Jews and non @-@ Jews . In October 1941 , Harold Tittmann , a US delegate to the Vatican , asked the pope to condemn the atrocities against Jews ; Pius replied that the Vatican wished to remain " neutral , " reiterating the neutrality policy which Pius invoked as early as September 1940 . 
