"When Mark Riebling’s Church of Spies: The Pope’s Secret War against Hitler appeared last year, it earned widespread acclaim. Well written and meticulously researched, Riebling’s book highlights a series of long-forgotten episodes from World War II: Pius XII’s daring efforts to kill Adolf Hitler and end his genocidal regime. Now, thanks to filmmaker Christopher Cassel, Riebling’s book has been turned into an equally gripping docudrama, Pope vs. Hitler. Propelled by a taut script, Cassel’s film recreates these events with powerful acting and scenery, interspersed with commentary from historical experts.
Pope vs. Hitler recently premiered in New York, and aired subsequently on the National Geographic Channel. It has since become available online. If the sustained ovation Cassel’s film received at its premiere is any indication, its impact is going to be large."