Anti-Communist Broadcasting and Slovak Catholic Diaspora in the Context of the Post-War Pontificate of Pius XII: Vatican Radio and Radio Free Europe

Key Points

• The research aims to explore the influence of Slovak Catholic emigration on the Holy See's anti-Communist strategies during Pius XII's pontificate.
• Analysis of Vatican archives related to Pius XII's post-war pontificate
• Examination of Vatican Radio's activities as an anti-Communist tool
• Investigation of the Vatican Secretariat of State's involvement in anti-Communism
• Slovak emigration significantly influenced the Holy See's anti-Communist strategies in the early Cold War.
• Vatican Radio served as a critical communication tool across the Iron Curtain, supporting anti-Communist propaganda.
• The Holy See had a complex relationship with Radio Free Europe, recognizing its religious broadcasts despite ambivalence.

Abstract