Catholic Answers Live #12431 Debunking Lies About “Hitler’s Pope” w/Michael Knowles - Michael Knowles
Oct 27, 2025
Michael Knowles, a conservative commentator and host of The Michael Knowles Show, dives deep into the complex legacy of Pope Pius XII. He passionately debunks the narrative of 'Hitler's Pope,' highlighting the historical evidence of Pius XII’s moral courage against Nazism. Knowles discusses the necessity for the Church to address humanitarian crises and critiques sedevacantism as divisive. He encourages a return to faith through classic Catholic literature and emphasizes practical steps for enhancing the Catholic influence in the U.S.
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Knowles' Reversion Story
- Michael Knowles recounts leaving and later returning to the Catholic faith after intellectual doubts and college exposure.
- He credits his roommate and thinkers like Plantinga, C.S. Lewis, and Chesterton for his reversion.
How To Win Back Those Who Left
- If intellectual doubt drives a youth away, reintroduce classic apologetics and writers like Chesterton, Lewis, and Belloc.
- If liturgy or personal wounds are the issue, restore reverent worship and address pastoral hurts to re-enchant faith.
Pius XII Was Wrongly Slandered
- The slander that Pius XII was "Hitler's Pope" is a manufactured calumny rather than historical fact.
- Michael Knowles argues archival evidence and contemporaneous reactions show Pius XII acted with moral courage to protect Jews.
