The French Churches and the Jewish Question: July 1940 — March 1941

This article examines why, following the military defeat of June 1940, the French Catholic Church remained silent as race laws were introduced, whereas before the war it had publicly rejected racism and opposed antisemitism. A number of reasons accounted for it. A strong conviction prevailed in its ranks that the regime which had then emerged offered a unique opportunity to resume preeminence in French society and regain rights formerly denied under the Republic. It took two years for members of the clergy to recognise that by its prolonged silence the Church had in fact jettisoned its traditional views on 'justice and charity' for all men. It was only after the deportation to the death camps of over fifty thousand Jews that it finally raised its voice up on their behalf.     

The Opportunistic President: How US Presidents Determine Their Legislative Programs

The president is the most influential policy actor in US politics, and his legislative program greatly influences Congress's agenda. Yet little research has focused on what factors affect the president's choices when constructing his agenda. We develop a theory that determines when a president will include an issue in his program. We hypothesize that presidents structure their agendas around the congressional calendar for consideration of expiring laws and salient issues. Using data over 28 years and across 12 policy areas, we find presidents build their programs around these policymaking opportunities. We assert that presidential agendas are less driven by individual priorities than previous accounts have concluded.     

The “Sin of Omission”? Radio Vatican and the anti‐Nazi Struggle, 1940–1942

Studies and articles have recently appeared condemning Pius XII and Vatican policy during World War II. Pius XII and the Vatican are charged with having committed "crimes of omission". The papacy is accused of having remained silent during the mass killings of the Jews and of passivity when no order was given to the national Churches to act in the Jews' defence. An examination of broadcasts from Vatican radio challenges such conclusions. These broadcasts show that Vatican radio exposed Nazi persecution of the Church and opposed collaboration with Nazism. Furthermore, Vatican radio also appealed to Christians to remain true to their faith's injunctions: to defend the sanctity of life and the unity of humankind. In so doing the Vatican pursued a policy of spiritual resistance to Nazi ideology and racism.