This week in Christian history: William Penn arrested, Bartolomé de Las Casas stands for Native Americans

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, August 13, 2023

Frank Norris meets with Pope Pius XII – Aug. 19, 1947

J. Frank Norris (1877-1952), a controversial fundamentalist preacher. | (Photo: Facebook/J. Frank Norris)

This week marks the anniversary of when J. Frank Norris, a prominent and influential fundamentalist Christian pastor, met with Pope Pius XII in Rome, Italy.

Although Norris was known for his anti-Catholic views, the Baptist preacher considered the threat of communism and the question of a creating Jewish state in the Middle East to be of greater importance than theological differences.

Pastor G. Beauchamp Vick, who was with Norris when he met with Pius XII, later spoke positively of the meeting before the congregation of First Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas.

“The summer home of the pope was about a 15 mile trip from Rome. When we went in he was seated behind a small desk in an ordinary chair. There were four chairs arranged on the opposite side of the desk. We went in and shook hands with him,” noted Vick, as quoted by historian Michael E. Schepis.

“He was very gracious in welcoming us. He spoke very good English. After the meeting he very graciously invited us back to see him on any of our future visits to Rome. We said we’d be very happy to accept that invitation if events made it possible.”