LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS Y EL MAGISTERIO DE LA IGLESIA DURANTE LA GRAN GUERRA DEL SIGLO XX 1/Human Rights and the Magisterium of Catholic Church During the Great War of the Twentieth-Century/ Os direitos humanos e o magistério da Igreja durante a grande guerra do Século XX

During the last two years we have commemorated several significant events that left a mark in Contemporary History: in 2014, the First World War Centenary; in 2015, the 70^sup th^ anniversary of the End of World War II; and also the anniversary of the discovery of the Nazi Concentration Camps. The purpose of the article is to review the thought of the Popes during the years in which the World Wars took place. After reviewing different documents produced by the Popes during those years (e.g., encyclicals, statements, speeches and radio broadcasts), it is concluded that the thought of Benedict XV, Pius XI and Pius XII was characterized by a concern for the protection of Human Rights. Such concern was not only limited to a theoretical reflection about the Rights and their grounds, but also was reflected in a fierce defense of human beings and their dignity, by expressing complaints about the violation of Human Rights committed by ideologies, a commitment to achieve World Peace, and by protecting those who were unfairly persecuted by political regimes.