National History Day: Taking a Stand

Christina Noriega
Notre Dame High School
Riverside, California

Many people emphasize our First Amendment right to freedom of speech; yet when speaking up involves forfeiting the approval of others, many tend to cower back. Taking a stand can be a very difficult thing, especially when faced against the strong influences of the media. Last year I was fortunate enough to participate in National History Day in Washington D.C., competing with my historical paper The Jews, the Nazis and Pope Pius XII. The theme for the competition was "Taking a Stand in History." I was one of two winners at the state level, but did not place at the national level. Still, I emerged with something much more valuable than a gold medal: I learned the importance and value of sticking to one's convictions, whether or not it is the popular thing to do.

Since the 1960s, Pope Pius XII has been widely accused of being silent and not defending the millions of Jewish people who suffered in the Holocaust. Many people do not realize that during and immediately following the war, he was regarded internationally as a hero who did everything he could to protect his Jewish brothers and sisters without making them more vulnerable to the danger they faced daily. Hitler and the Nazis considered the Pope to be a great threat, evident in the many documented statements made by German sources, including the newspaper the Berlin Morgenpost. The Pope sheltered thousands of Jewish people throughout many Roman convents and monasteries, as well as in Castelgandolfo and the Vatican itself, doing everything he could to protect these oppressed people.

After competing in National History Day, I have tried to enlighten people about this widely misunderstood Pope and the important stand he took during this time of global turmoil. This past May, I was invited by two teachers at my school to give a talk on Pope Pius XII in their Church History classes. Initially, I was quite nervous; yet as the day of my presentation drew near, I began to look forward to this talk as a chance to communicate to my peers a truth which, I believe, must be told. Pope Pius XII's role during WWII was invaluable in saving what has been estimated to be 860,000 Jewish people. Today the Vatican is working toward recognizing him as "venerable" (the first step in the process of canonization).

As citizens of the United States, we must realize the responsibility our right to freedom of speech entails. Over time, facts tend to become lost in fiction, and we have the power to set the record straight, ensuring that credit is given where it is due. This is what it means to be a citizen of America. As we approach college and begin life as adult citizens of our wonderful country, we must remember what we stand for and stay true to our convictions.