This divine law of solidarity and charity assures that all men are truly brethren, without excluding the rich variety of persons, cultures and societies.

Pope Pius XI was editing and putting the finishing touches on Humani generis unitas when he died in February 1939, and his successor, Pope Pius XII, subsequently chose not to publish it, possibly in light of strong anti-Judaic or anti-rabbinic language in parts of it, which could be misunderstood by the faithful or perverted by pro-Axis media.

While some Nazis played it down, Diego von Bergen, the German ambassador to the Vatican, said: "Pope Pius wanted to hit with this encyclical primarily the Third Reich.

"[17] It did the Allies no harm when 61,000,000 German and Polish Catholics were told by the leader of their religion that "the idea which credits the State with unlimited authority" was abhorrent to him.

"To consider the State as something ultimate to which everything else should be subordinated and directed cannot fail to harm the true and lasting prosperity of nations," read the Encyclical.

The Pontiff wrote that the totalitarian system of government was an idea which "robs the law of nations of its foundation and vigor, leads to violation of others' rights, and impedes agreement and peaceful intercourse.