The Polish Section of Vatican Radio, 1940–1941: Ethical and security challenges

Abstrakt

The goal of this article is to present the communication of the Polish Section of Vatican Radio during the Second World War, based on preserved broadcast transcripts (13 January 1940–30 December 1941). It was seen that, in addition to reporting on the activities of the Pope and the Holy See, the broadcasts informed listeners about the unlawful and brutal actions of the occupiers and “the agony of the Polish nation.” They also documented “the consequences of godless atheism, whether brown or red.” The Polish Section of Vatican Radio also firmly denounced the actions of the occupiers in other countries. It also reported on the unlawful measures undertaken by the Germans against their own citizens. In April 1941, a radical change occurred in the way the Polish Section of Vatican Radio communicated. Such uncompromising reporting on the situation in Poland and other countries provoked sharp protests from the occupying authorities. It was observed that, alongside the criticisms aired by Vatican Radio, acts of terror against the populations of occupied countries intensified. In this context, Pope Pius XII, through the Secretary of State, Cardinal Luigi Maglione, issued a letter dated 28 April 1941 ordering a temporary suspension of broadcasts on anti-German topics. From that moment on, the programs avoided current wartime issues in Poland and other nations, focusing instead on the activities of the Pope, the Holy See, and the life of the Church in various countries. The adoption of this change was motivated by ethical concerns regarding listeners’ safety.