La Poppessa

by Paul I. Murphy, R. Rene Arlington

rare

Genres: Biography, Religion, History, Nonfiction

408 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Czarny Pies · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quote from Andrew Greeley on the back cover of "La Popessa" describes the book perfectly: "A powerful and moving love story, no less interesting because the two lovers were always chaste celibates: one a pope, the other his confidante, adviser and friend." The pope in question is Pius XII (1939-1958), born Eugenio Pacelli. The friend and confidante is Sister Pascalina (a.k.a. la Popessa) born Josephine Lehnert in Bavaria in 1894.
The prime source of author Paul Murphy was Sister Pascalina who allowed him to interview her for 30 hours when she was 87. Generally, Paul Murphy gives the reader Sister Pascalina's version of events.
Sister Pascalina left her home at 15 to join "The Teaching Sisters of the Holy Cross". In 1917, at retreat house of her order in Switzerland, aged 23 Sister Pascalina met Eugenio Pacelli. At the time Pacelli aged 41 was the Vatican nuncio for Germany. Three months later Sister Pascalina would go to Munich to be Pacelli's housekeeper. Sister Pascalina would live under the same roof as Pacelli until his death in 1959 except for a brief period between in the second half of 1929 and the first half of 1930.
Together in Munich, Sister Pascalina and Pacelli would experience life in the Bavarian Soviet Republic (April-May 1919). From that point forward Pacelli would be a fervent opponent of communism. According to Sister Pascalina, Hitler met with Pacelli during the time of the Bavarian Soviet Republic and received a monetary subsidy from him. (This is one of many stories in the book, that I have not heard anywhere else.)
Sister Pascalina encouraged Pacelli to enjoy life. At her insistence he learned how to ski and to drive a motorcycle. Sister Pascalina worked hard to ensure that Pacelli always took the right moral position. According to her, she felt that Pacelli should have denounced Hitler publicly and that Pacelli went too far in placating the Nazi dictator. Also she was of the opinion that the Reichskonkordat of 1933 signed with Nazi Regime in Germany had been a mistake. Similarly she believed that the Lateran Accords of 1929 had been overly generous to Mussolini. After WWII she tried to convince Pacelli to intervene forcibly to put an end to collaboration between certain Catholic Church leaders and the Mafia in Sicily.
In his "Notes on Sources", Murphy informs the reader that he "moved in the circles of Cardinal Spellman; Bishop Fulton J. Sheen; Reverend Robert I. Gannon " (p. 309) and other leading American Catholic clergyman. "La Popessa" is thus filled with stories involving the American Catholic Church. Those involving Spellman are the most interesting.
It was Spellman who arranged in 1930 to have Sister Pascalina transferred from the Munich nunciature to Vatican after Pacelli had been named the Vatican Secretary of State the previous year. Spellman personally drove her from Munich to Rome and put her on his own staff, until Pacelli had a place for her. Several years later Sister Pascalina badgered Pacelli into appointing Spellman the Archbishop of New York.
Sister Pascalina also worked hard to protect Italy's Jews from being sent to extermination camps in the last months of WWII. Notably she housed 15,000 Jews at the Castel Gandolfo. (This particular story that I have heard in other places.)
A particularly entertaining tale involves Mussolini's mistress Clara Petacci who approached Sister Pascalina to ask the pope to convey a message from Mussolini to Roosevelt. Pacelli was enraged when Sister Pascalina approached him with the request and told her that she should never have met with such an immoral woman as Clara Petacci. Sister Pascalina then replied: "And what do you suppose they whisper about us, Holiness? I have been living under your roof since I was a young girl." (p. 224) One wonders if Sister Pascalina really said what she claimed at the time or invented her comeback at later date. In either case her sense of humour was still excellent.
Sister Pascalina became wildly unpopular amongst the Cardinals and members because of the way in which she controlled access to Pius XII. In one instance she gave Clark Gable an audience with the Pope and kept Angelo Roncalli (later Pope John XXIII) waiting for 2 hours outside the door. She also fought with Giovanni Montini (later Pope Paul VI).
Murphy also claims in his book that Sister Pascalina was allowed to enter the conclave that elected Pius XII pope, residing in Pacelli's cell throughout the proceedings. Sister Pascalina's power was resented and the day after the funeral of Pius XII, she was banished from the Vatican. Murphy is not the only observer to feel that despite all the enemies that she made she served Pius XII very well.
"La Popessa" is an extremely entertaining love story that also draws a fascinating portrait of the Vatican between 1930 and 1940. Many of the anecdotes presented are hard to believe but book still merits four stars.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story - of what no one would have imagined about Pope Pius and the Vatican - Sister Pascalina evidently had a lot of influence in a time when women, especially nuns, were thought of as just there to serve. She was a faithful helpmate to Pius but also responsible for many of the decisions and actions taken by the Pope. I thought it was well enough written and an interesting read.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the relationship between Pius the XII and Sister Pascalina and the politics of the time. Basically, from WWI until his death in the late 50's, Pius the XII relied on Pascalina's intelligence and insight.

[Phyllis]

Very interesting look into the papacy

[Vikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the true story of a nun, Pascalina, who was behind Pope Pius XII from about 1930 - 1955. It was a very interesting. I learned a lot about the Catholic Church.

[Rafael]

Unusual inside view of the Papacy of Pius XII.

[Roseann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has made me a stronger Catholic. I refrained from reading it just because I thought it would be controversial and even had a hard time reading it in the beginning but now that I am almost done . 15 more pages and this book has brought me to shock but with good outcomes. And tears of laughter and moments of joy with Sister and the Pontiff.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had an extremely hard time deciding how to rate this book. I ended up giving two stars because it had some redeeming points. I had only heard of Pius XII's reticence to speak out against the Nazi regime--so this book opened my eyes to all the aid he actually gave. I'm not Catholic, so it also added some insight into the workings of the Vatican. I was 7 when Pius died, but I remember hearing about him as a child, and I certainly remember the American movers and shakers in the Catholic hierarchy from that time (Spellman, Cushing, etc.) And I remember Pope John Paul XXIII clearly because of Catholic friends at the time. So it was an interesting story--and that is where I would leave it. I would never call this a factual biography. It reads more like historical fiction (with more emphasis on the fiction part as opposed to the historical part) , as opposed to biography. There is no sourcing, and continuous reconstructed conversations. The author even goes so far as to tell us what Puis XII was thinking, and what motivated other members of the Catholic hierarchy. I'm not even sure where I got this book, but it is not one I care to keep in my library. My time would have been better served reading Sister Pascalina's memoir. And although it was interesting at times, I would not recommend wasting your time on this book, unless you really, really like fiction that claims to be biography.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eugenio Pacelli met Sister Pascalina while he was apostolic nuncio to Germany. In 1917 she was working in a retreat house in the Swiss Alps where the monsignor went to recuperate from exhaustion. He requested that her superiors allow her to supervise the sisters who worked at the nunciature in Munich. During this time she became something of an advisor to the future Pope.

When he was made Secretary of State at the Vatican, he missed her efficient running of his household as well as her wise counsel. He asked her to move to Rome to assist him. Pope Pius XI decided that she should work in the Department of State. Eventually she became an assistant to Pacelli. He had always been frail and required medication. Sister Pascalina saw to his medication and advised him on policy, much to the dismay of clergy in that department.

After he was elected Pope, she moved to the Papal Palace and continued her working for Pius XII Eventually she had a desk outside his office and served as his gatekeeper and advisor for the remainder of his reign. The members of the college of cardinals resented the presence of a woman in the formerly all male environment. They also resented having to ask her for an appointment to see the Pope.

[Michèle Plante · Rating 3 out of 5]

Donne une excellente idée de l’opulence de la vie au Vatican. Récit intéressant.

[María Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Increíble historia. Me encanta el nivel de compromiso del autor por visibilizar a una mujer que fue tan influyente en el vaticano. El libro es súper entretenido, aprendes de eventos históricos, personajes importantes, la dinámica interna del Vaticano..., y todo desde la perspectiva de una resiliente monja

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a book that I would ordinarily read, but it was suggested for a book club and I found it fascinating. Historical fiction, based on a real character, providing an inside look in a convent and with the interactions into the local society.

[Kem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not very well written, but interesting enough for what it is. A record of a shady time in the history of the catholic church.