Prayers of Pope Pius XII; Translated from the Italian by the Rev. Martin W. Schoenberg, O.S.C.
Westminster, Maryland: The Newman Press, 1957. First edition. Octavo, original red cloth, gilt spine, yellow endpapers, original dust jacket. Slight edge-wear, closed tear to front panel, small blemish to blank rear panel of unclipped dust jacket. A near-fine copy. Item #1615
"A TRIBUTE OF LOVE TO A GREAT AND SAINTLY POPE"
First English translation of this collection of prayers by Pope Pius XII, complete with an elegant photographic portrait of the pontiff in profile on the front of the dust jacket.
Eugenio Pacelli and his family had deep roots in the local Roman aristocracy: "As his aquiline nose might suggest, he was a born Roman. Profiles of his half-sad countenance under a white skullcap, deep-set eyes, and long, bony fingers clasped in prayer were reproduced in countless forms" (Thomas Bokenkotter). Even before he became Pope, Pacelli attained a global visibility as Cardinal Secretary of State, the chief diplomat of the Holy See, under Pope Pius XI. "If Pius XI was the first pope to speak on the radio, Pius XII was the first to appear on television. After World War II he encouraged on so many occasions, pilgrimages to Rome, and in the two Holy Years he proclaimed, 1950 and 1954, vast crowds poured into the Eternal City where they had an opportunity to see him in person in great public audiences. No pope until that time had been photographed as often and had his picture appear as often in as many publications around the world. No pope addressed so many people from so many different walks of life" (John W. O'Malley). Translated by Martin W. Schoenberg, O.S.C. (with a brief Introductory Note by Leo A. Pursley, Bishop of Fort Wayne), the prayers are arranged with titles but without additional notes. Together, they are a reflection of the prayer life of the Church at mid-century and "a tribute of love to a great and saintly pope." Approbations. Thomas Bokenkotter. A Concise History of the Catholic Church; John W. O'Malley. A History of the Popes.
Price: $200.00