The Holy See and Czechoslovakia 1945—1948 in the Context of the Nascent Cold War

Hrabovec, Emilia

doi:10.18254/S207987840016710-0

English

Home>Issue 8 (106)>The Holy See and Czechoslovakia 1945—1948 in the Context of the Nascent Cold War

The Holy See and Czechoslovakia 1945—1948 in the Context of the Nascent Cold War

Table of contents

Annotation Estimate Publication content

References Comments

The Holy See and Czechoslovakia 1945—1948 in the Context of the Nascent Cold War

Annotation

PII

S207987840016710-0-1

DOI

10.18254/S207987840016710-0

Publication type

Article

Status

Published

Authors

Emilia Hrabovec Send message

ORCID: 0000-0002-9601-0486

Affiliation: Comenius University
Address: Slovakia, Bratislava

Edition

Volume 12 Issue 8 (106)

Abstract

The spectre of Communist expansion as a result of the Second World War represented for Pope Pius XII one of the greatest concerns. The unambiguously pro-Soviet orientation of the Czechoslovak government in exile and the crucial influence of Communists in the inner architecture of the restored state convinced the Holy See that Czechoslovakia was already in 1945 fully absorbed into the Soviet sphere of influence. This fact strengthened the Pope’s conviction of the necessity to resume relations with Prague as soon as possible and to send a nuncio there who would provide reliable information and protect the interests of the Church threatened both by open persecution and by propaganda manoeuvres in favour of a “progressive Catholicism”. The importance of the relations with Czechoslovakia stood out also in the international perspective, in which Czechoslovakia, in contrast to Poland or Hungary, seemed to be the last observatory still accessible to the Vatican diplomacy in the whole East-Central Europe. The year 1947 represented a caesura in the relations between the Holy See and Czechoslovakia. In the international context, this year was generally perceived by the Vatican as a definitive reinforcement of the Communist regimes in Eastern Europe. In the Czechoslovak framework, the greatest importance was ascribed to the political crisis in Slovakia in autumn 1947, during which the Communists definitively took over the political power in Slovakia. The lost struggle over the predominantly Catholic Slovakia, that for some time had been considered by the Vatican one of very few hopes for the defence of Christian interests in the Republic, was perceived by the Holy See as a dominant breakthrough on the way to the total Communist transformation of Czechoslovakia. While in the immediate post-war period the Holy See had tried to come to terms with Czechoslovakia also at the price of some compromises, in winter 1947/1948 the last hopes for a diplomatic solution vanished and were replaced by the conviction that in the confrontation with Communism not diplomatic, but spiritual weapons — prayer, testimony, martyrdom — were of crucial importance.

Keywords

Holy See, Czechoslovakia, Catholic Church, Communism, Cold War

Received

24.04.2021

Publication date

15.09.2021

Number of characters

56867

Number of purchasers

Views

1023

Readers community rating

0.0 (0 votes)

Cite Download pdf 200 RUB / 1.0 SU

To download PDF you should pay the subscribtion

GOST	Hrabovec E. The Holy See and Czechoslovakia 1945—1948 in the Context of the Nascent Cold War // ISTORIYA. – 2021. – V. 12. – Issue 8 (106). URL: https://history.jes.su/s207987840016710-0-1/. DOI: 10.18254/S207987840016710-0
MLA	Hrabovec, Emilia "The Holy See and Czechoslovakia 1945—1948 in the Context of the Nascent Cold War." ISTORIYA. 12.8 (106) (2021). DOI: 10.18254/S207987840016710-0
APA	Hrabovec E. (2021). The Holy See and Czechoslovakia 1945—1948 in the Context of the Nascent Cold War. ISTORIYA. vol. 12, no. 8 (106) DOI: 10.18254/S207987840016710-0

Full text is available to subscribers only

Subscribe right now

Only article and additional services

Subscription benefits

200 RUB / 1.0 SU

Whole issue and additional services

Subscription benefits

1000 RUB / 10.0 SU

All issues and additional services for 2021

Subscription benefits

5000 RUB / 50.0 SU

References

1. Actes et documentes du Saint Siège relatifs à la seconde guerre mondiale / ed. by P. Blet, A. Martini, B. Schneider and R. A. Graham. Città del Vaticano, 1965—1981.

2. Balogh M. Diplomatic Missions of the Holy See in Hungary and East-Central Europe after the Second World War // Central European Papers II. 2014. № 1 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: http://real.mtak.hu/id/eprint/18640

3. Chenaux Ph. Pio XII. Diplomatico e pastore. Cinisello Balsamo, 2004.

4. Církevní komisie ÚV KSČ 1949—1951. I. Církevní komisie ÚV KSČ (“Církevní šestka”). Duben 1949 — březen 1950 / ed. by M. Bulínová, M. Janišová and K. Kaplan. Brno, 1994.

5. Comité d’Action Slovaque. Aide-Mémoire sur la necessité du plébiscite en Slovaquie. P., 1946.

6. Cuhra J. Staat und Kirchen in der Tschechoslowakei // Handbuch der Religions- und Kirchengeschichte der böhmischen Länder und Tschechiens im 20. Jahrhundert / ed. by M. Schulze Wessel and M. Zückert. München, 2009.

7. De Gaulle Ch. Mémoires de guerre. II. L’Unité (1942—1944). P., 2000.

8. Di Nolfo E. Vaticano e Stati Uniti, 1939—1952: dalle carte di Myron C. Taylor. Milano, 1978.

9. Doskocil W. Weihbischof Johannes Nepomuk Remiger. Zum Gedenken an seinen 100. Geburtstag und 20. Todestag // Bohemia. 20. 1979. № 1.

10. Gleichstellung unter Stalin? Die Entwicklung der Parteien im östlichen Europa 1944—1949 / ed. by S. Creuzberger and M. Görtemaker. Paderborn, 2002.

11. Hrabovec E. Der Vatikan, die Tschechoslowakei und die europäischen Mächte in der politischen Krise der späten Dreißigerjahre // Italien und Österreich im Mitteleuropa der Zwischenkriegszeit. Italia e Austria nella Mitteleuropa tra le due guerre mondiali / ed. by M. Guiotto and H. Wohnout. Wien, 2017.

12. Hrabovec E. Die Nuntien in der Tschechoslowakei: Clemente Micara, Francesco Marmaggi, Pietro Ciriaci, Saverio Ritter // Eugenio Pacelli als Nuntius in Deutschland. Forschungsperspektiven und Ansätze zu einem internationalen Vergleich / ed. by H. Wolf. Paderborn, 2012.

13. Hrabovec E. Ján Vojtaššák — The Most Persecuted Catholic Bishop in Czechoslovakia // The Trial of Cardinal József Mindszenty from the Perspective of Seventy Years: the Fate of Church Leaders in Central and Eastern Europe / ed. by A. Fejérdy. Città del Vaticano, 2021.

14. Hrabovec E. Pio XI e la Cecoslovacchia: un rapporto difficile alla luce delle nuove fonti vaticane // Pio XI: Keywords. International Conference Milan 2009 / ed. by A. Guasco and R. Perin. Berlin, 2010.

15. Hrabovec E. Pius XII and the Idea of European Unity // Polonia sacra 24. 2020. № 4.

16. Hrabovec E. The Catholic Church and Deportations of Ethnic Germans from the Czech Lands // The Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics. 16. 2000. № 1-2.

17. Hrabovec E. Vertreibung und Abschub: Deutsche in Mähren 1945—1947. Frankfurt am Main, 1996.

18. Hromják Ľ. S výrazom lásky trvám. Životopis spišského biskupa Jána Vojtaššáka. Spišské Podhradie, 2015.

19. Hummel K.-J. Die Stunde des Christentums // Kirche und NS-Staat [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.katholisch.de/artikel/470-die-stunde-des-christentums

20. Ickx J. L’Ostpolitik di Pio XII. Il “modus vivendi” proposto a Mosca 1946—1947 // Chiesa del silenzio e diplomazia pontificia, 1945—1965 / ed. by E. Hrabovec, G. Brugnotto and P. Jurčaga. Città del Vaticano, 2018.

21. Jakubčin P. Pastieri v osídlach moci. Komunistický režim a katolícki kňazi na Slovensku v rokoch 1948—1968. Bratislava, 2012.

22. Kaplan K. Der kurze Marsch. Kommunistische Machtübernahme in der Tschechoslowakei 1945—1948. München; Wien, 1981.

23. Kaplan K. Stát a církev v Československu 1948—1953. Brno, 1993.

24. Kukánová Z. Od tolerance k nepřátelství. Diplomatické vztahy Československa s Vatikánem v letech 1945—1950 // Semper paratus 3. 2014.

25. Lundestad G. The American Non-Policy towards Eastern Europe: 1943—1947. Tromsö, 1978.

26. Machula J. Vatikán a Československo (1938—1948). Paměti. Praha, 1998.

27. Marek P. České schisma. Příspěvek k dějinám reformního hnutí katolického duchovenstva v letech 1917—1924. Olomouc 2000.

28. Memorandum o Slovensku. Vydalo oddělení pro vědeckou politiku při straně národně socialistické, 07.07.1946 // Historický časopis XVI. 1968. № 2.

29. Messineo A. Il convegno dei cinque // La Civiltà Cattolica 96. 1945. Vol. IV.

30. Oprea C. C. Tra Roma, Bucarest e Mosca. Cattolici, ortodossi e regime comunista in Romania all’inizio della guerra fredda (1945—1951). Roma, 2013.

31. Pehr M. Die Beziehungen zwischen der Tschechoslowakei und dem Heiligen Stuhl in der Zeit der sogenannten Dritten Tschechoslowakischen Republik // Kirche, Religion und Politik in Österreich und in der Tschechoslowakei im 20. Jahrhundert / ed. by M. Kunštát, J. Šebek and H. Schmoller. Wien, 2019.

32. Pio XII. Discorso ai nuovi cardinali. 20.2.1946 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: http://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/it/speeches/1946/documents/hf_p-xii_spe_19460220_la-elevatezza.html

33. Pio XII. Discorso di Sua Santità Pio XII al Sacro Collegio nella festività di S. Eugenio. 2.6.1947 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: http://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/it/speeches/1947/documents/hf_p-xii_spe_19470602_una-volta.html

34. Pio XII. Negli ultimi sei anni. 24.12.1945 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: http://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/it/speeches/1945/documents/hf_p-xii_spe_19451224_negli-ultimi.html

35. Pio XII. Nell’accogliere. Discorso di Sua Santità Pio XII. 2.6.1945 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/it/speeches/1945/documents/hf_p-xii_spe_19450602_accogliere.html

36. Pius XII an die deutschen Bischöfe. 1.3.1948 // Kirchlicher Anzeiger Köln. 1.5.1948.

37. République Slovaque. Ministère des affaires étrangères. Aide-Mémoire sur l'existence de la République Slovaque et sur la nécessité de conclure le traité de paix avec elle. P., 1946.

38. Slovak Action Committee, Slovak National Council in London, Slovak League of America and Canadian Slovak League. Memorandum Presented to the Peace Conference Concerning the Rationality of Existence of Czecho-Slovakia. P., 1946.

39. Smetana V. Concessions or Conviction? Czechoslovakia’s Road to the Cold War and the Soviet Bloc // Imposing, Maintaining, and Tearing Open the Iron Curtain. The Cold War and East-Central Europe, 1945—1989 / ed. by M. Kramer and V. Smetana. Lanham; Maryland, 2014.

40. Vnuk F. Slovakia and the Slovaks in the Twentieth Century. Bratislava, 2021.

41. Vodičková S. Uzavírám vás do svého srdce. Životopis Josefa kardinála Berana. Brno, 2018.

42. Hrabovec E. Vatican Eastern Politics and Slovakia in the Context of Inner, International and Church Politcs // ISTORIYA. 2016. Vol. 7. Issue 9 (53). URL: https://history.jes.su/s207987840001550-4-1/ DOI: 10.18254/S0001550-4-1

43. SSSR i germanskij vopros, 1941—1949. Dokumenty iz arkhiva vneshnej politiki Rossijskoj federatsii / pod red. G. P. Kunina i J. Laufera. M., 1996.