Contemporary Church History Quarterly

Volume 32, Number 1 (Spring 2026)

Article Note: David I. Kertzer, “Eugenio Pacelli and the Vatican’s Irish Plan to Save Baptized Jews (1938–1939),” Irish Theological Quarterly 91 (2026): 3–16, doi: 10.1177/00211400251404116.

Dirk Schuster, University of Vienna

David I. Kertzer, professor at Brown University and Pulitzer Prize winner, has recently published several studies on Pope Pius XI (1857–1939) and Pope Pius XII (1876–1958) and their relationship to fascist Italy under Benito Mussolini (1883–1945) and the National Socialist Third Reich. In his latest article, published in February 2026 in the Irish Theological Quarterly, Kertzer examines for the first time Ireland’s role in accepting Jews and Jews who had converted to Catholicism from Italy and Germany in 1938 and 1939. This short period was a decisive one for Jews and converts, especially in Italy. Continue reading →