Papal Nuncios of 1933-1945: |
GERMANY
Cesare OrsenigoApostolic Nuncio in Berlin 1935. Arranged the 4-20-1939 birthday celebration for Hilter with Vatican's 'warmest regards'. Died 4-1-1946 Orsenigo was contacted by other nuncios when deportations arose but did little more than intercede with the vatican. He said that the Nazi viewpoint was that even outlying territories were not the concern of the Berlin nunciature, although there was a concerted effort, as the Nazis occupied a country to demand that the nuncios leave diplomatic issues to the nunciature in Berlin, and govern religous affairs only. Typically, the nuncios left their posts. Orsenigo was accused by Bishop of Berlin Preysing of favoring Gestapo interests over Catholic interests, even requesting Pacelli to send a replacement of 'brains and heart'. Since Orsenigo followed Pacelli [Pius XII] as nuncio, his position was compromised across the board: Pacelli had him circumvented by having Bishops send reports to himself, the German Catholics saw him as a stooge for the Gestapo, and the Vatican checked up on him by corresponding with others such as Preysing. Most critically, with Weizsäcker, he adopted a philosophy that irrevocable differences existed between the Vatican's doctrine/policy and the Nazis and that those differences were best ignored, or not dealt with. Since racial policies were pre-eminent it meant he felt that Jewish issues such as deportation were not the immediate venue of the nunciate. Most agree that Orsenigo favored facism, particularly Nazism and that he collaborated and supported the German war effort. Seen as weak by Innitzer, and as a Pius XI loyalist by Pacelli, he failed to obtain a cardinalate in February 1946 and died in April during a return to Germany. |
TURKEY
Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli †1933,Roncalli was appointed nuncio in Turkey, and In 1935, also to Greece; by 1944, to France. Later took office post war as John XXIII. (See Popes) His work in Turkey was unique and he is credited with opening discussions with Eastern Orthodox and others under a brutal regime. During WWII, in Istanbul, he obtained much information for the Vatican as the site lived up to its reputation as a hub of espionage. Roncalli was intricately involved with other nuncios in other countries in obtaining rights for converted Jews. His communications with Maglione, the Secretary of The Vatican under Pacelli, showed that he soulgth refuge for 2 Jewish refugees in Istanbul, and in 1942 intervened with Valeri in France to "simplify the transit" of a group of French Jews. In 1943, he intervened on behalf of a group of Berlin Jews to leave Germany, and that Maglione allow safe passage for 20,000 Jews. He is listed as intervening on the behalf of other Jewish relief and refuge efforts [See Which Jews?]. Though not known for his dynamic or political qualities, his reign as Pope showed remarkable moves to progressive changes in the Catholic Church, including Vatican II Council and other renewal movements. |
FRANCE
Valerio ValeriNuncio to France 1936-1945; Previously 1933, to Romania and Delegate to Egypt/Arabia. Valeri appealed to Orsenigo in Berlin when deportations started, especially for word to families who were separated. Valeri ran the difficulty of appeasing the anti-semitic Vichy government through Petain, while maintaining Vatican racial policies and concerns. As with many of the nuncios, he focused mostly on the rights and concerns of Catholics, so while some Jews were aided, the rights of converted Jews were of greater concern, because he could justify it within the venue of the nunciature. Petain sought his aid on facilitating or explaining government policy toward the Jews, although Velari while considered somewhat prejudice, maintained concerns over racial issues. Petain tried to appeal to him on the basis of historical ecclesiatic anti-semitism. |
HUNGARY
Msgr. Angelo RottaInitially a diplomat (internuncio) to Bulgaria, Msgr. Rotta was appointed Apostolic pro-nuncio to Hungary, in Budapest from 1944-1945, during the deportation of Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz and other camps. He is known for issuing many passes to Jews seeking asylum in Palestine, and for interceding by safe-houses and other efforts on behalf of the Hungarian Jews. He was nuncio during the time Raoul Wallenberg rescued 10,000 Jews from Budapest He appealed at one point to Orsenigo in Berlin for relief for Hungarian Jews. In March 1944, Eichmann and staff took over the Majestic Hotel in Budapest, and arranged within 8 weeks the deportation of most of the Jews of Budapest, death marching them miles across borders to declare them displaced persons because Hungary had laws protecting their citizenship. Rotta noted the deportation of 300,000 in a letter to Rome and noted that the Hungarian people were surprised at the Bishops' inaction. On deportations he said,"It is said that it is not a question of deportation, but of compulsory labor. It is possible to discuss about the words; but the reality is the same. When old men of over 70 and even over 80, old women, children and sick persons are taken away, one wonders for what work these human beings can be used? The reply given is that Jews have been given the possibility of taking their families with them; but then the departure of the latter should be a matter of free choice. And what is to be said of cases in which these old people, sick people, etc., are the only ones deported, or when there is no relative whom they should follow? And when we think that Hungarian workers, who go to Germany for reasons of work, are forbidden to take their families, we are really surprised to see that this great favor is granted only to Jews."8.. |
ITALY
Francesco Cardinal Borgongini Duca1929-1953 Nuncio to Italy [in Roman Curia] With turn of the century separation of national Italy from the Vatican, the Vatican appointed a delegate to the nunciate in Italy. Borgongini Duca, the nuncio during the war years was also a member of the curia [RCC civil service]. Borgongini Duca was summoned by Mussolini regarding the Jewish racial issue & Italy's unwillingness to compromise the question. The foreign minister Ciano stated: "I spoke very clearly to Borgoncini[sic] I explained the assumptions and goals of our racism. ...I will add that he showed himself to be personally very anti-Semitic...". Borgongini relayed the message although the Pope did not back down. Mussolini wanted five basic concessions restricting even Jewish converts on racial issues, although on May 5, 1938, a letter from Maglione to Borgongini Duca merely warned of impending hardships including the ban on converts practicing their faith with any but practicing Catholics. Jesuit priest Venturi, the liasion to Mussolini tried intevening also with no success. The issue for Maglione and B-D which would not die down was appeals to ease up on inter-faith marriages, although no concessions were made.1 |
PORTUGAL
Pietro Cardinal CiriaciNuncio in Portugal, January 19, 1934, after having been a Secretary of State Nuncio in Czechoslavakia, 1928. Later in his life, Pope John XXIII [Roncalli] later in Vatican II names several cardinals as presidents of commissions on reform of the Church. Ciriaci is named head of the Commission for the Discipline of the Clergy and the Christian People. Aristides de Sousa Mendes a diplomat in Portugal enabled thousands of Jews to flee to refuge in Portugal during the war, and Quakers provided refuge and relief for escaping Jews. A refugee/rescue organization, Opera di San Raffaele and another organization, San Raffaele appealed in February 1941 for visas for 150 German 'converts' to the Holy See, and then telegraphed to the Nuncio in Portugal, with no response. HICEM, a Jewish organization at the time was arranging thousands of visas, and the Vatican had 1000 available. A second cable to Ciriaci from the Vatican on 7-1-41 was made but not until October were the visas forthcoming from the Portugese government, the degree of Vatican involvement is not clear. x |
ROMANIA
Apostolic Nuncio CassuloCassulo took over the nuncio from Valeri in 1939. His first concern was the treatment of Jews in general and met with Antonescu in 1941 who tried to convince him of sinister Jewish influence in commerce and banking and communist collusion. Cassulo protested but in March of 1941, racial laws were enacted. Cassulo turned his attention mostly to 'Converted Jews' whom the State considered the same a 'racial' Jews and lobbied with Maglione of the Vatican to place converts on equal civil rights par with others. 270,000 Romanian Jews were killed, with 170,000 deported by 1941. Cassulo did intervene with Queen Mother Helena for aid to the Jews in Transnistria. Conversion remained the criteria for his intervention, the nuncio citing fear of 'meddling with internal affairs' otherwise. |
SPAIN
Gaetano Cardinal CicognaniMay 16, 1938 to Spain, formerly Nuncio to Austria/pre war to Peru and Bolivia, then to Spain. Spain figured prominently in the rescue of many Jews, most eminently, Spanish Jews living abroad. Cardinal Cicognani petitioned for their repatriation. |
SWITZERLAND
Felipe Bernardini-1935-1953Worked to solicit passports for Jews and refuge in Switzerland although this has been reported as toward those with means.Bernardinin in Berne from July 29, 1942 reported to Maglione regarding conditions, but Bernardini was convinced that little could be done to aid adult Jews already deported. His letters include references to a few thousand children in France in which he sought to place the children in Porugal or permanently in North and South America. Maglione acts on the letter by seeking information from Valeri, the French nuncio.Later though, Maglione warned Valeri not to intervene if the Gestapo was involved. On behalf of several of the nuncios, 3-4000 children were able to emigrate to the Dominican Republic for refuge. He also intervened on behalf of the Jews of Slovakia, and interceded with South American governments through the Red Cross to obtain passports and safe passage for Jews in Switzerland to get to S.America.7 Unfortunately, within a few years, fleeing Nazis were given the same aid from Vatican officials, to the same places. |
LUXEMBORG/BELGIUM
Clemente Cardinal Micara1923-1946 Apostolic Internuncio to Luxembourg and to Belgium ('23). Micara was forced with his staff to leave his nunciature with Nazi invasion, governing as he could from the Vatican along with Giobbe from the Netherlands and Cortesi from Poland. |
NETHERLANDS
Paolo Cardinal Giobbe12 Aug 1935. With Micara of Luxemborg and Belgium, Giobbe had to leave/flee as the Nazis occupied the Netherlands, returning for the time to the Vatican, while Queen Wilhemina and her court fled to Great Britain. For the duration of the war, there was no official Nuncio in the Netherlands, although these men continued in their roles as advocated for their appointed countries. |
POLAND
Archbishop Filippo Cortesi24 Dec 1936 appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Poland, having been appointed earlier also in 1921. True to the National Socialist's pattern, as Poland was occupied, Cortesi was relieved of his nuniature in Warsaw at the beginning of the war and he fled to Romania with his diplomatic corp. Orsenigo, in Berlin was given his responsibilities in Poland. This was significant to Nazi control because they sought from the Vatican enforcement of provisions of the 1933 concordat which allowed Nazi control over the appointment of Bishops, which consolidated Nazi power in Poland during the deportations and genocide. Cortesi continued to try and influence from the Vatican but was greatly hindered. |
Norway& SWEDEN
ddddSweden and Norway had unique situations with regard to the Vatican: the structure and concerns of Scandanavian clergy took precedence over vatican representation.....notes |
UNITED STATES
APOSTOLIC DELEGATE: AMATAEO GIOVANNI CICOGNANIAppointed as apostolic Delegate to the US in 1933. The US was a main player in WWII long before we entered the war. Members of the WJ0* and the --- appealed on a number of occasions for Cicognani to intervene with the Vatican for relief, refuge and emigration. Cicognani [not the same as the Spanish nuncio, his brother, Gaetano], had the ear of Roosevelt through Myron Taylor, the US representative to the Vatican, and the man who represented the US at the Evian Conference, in which little change occurred with regard to Jewish refuge. Cicognani, while diplomatic, did intervene to the Vatican in several instances to aid the release of a prominent Jewish leader Feldinger in Romania, although rebuking his outspokeness. Letters between Maglione, Cicognani, and Taylor indicate the Vatican's displeasure at the concept of Jewish rule in Palestine or a Jewish State which they opposed, citing Catholic interests in 'catholic piety' and concern for relics and sites dear to Catholics. Cicognani remarked that the idea of a Jewish state [CHECK LTR DIRECTION} was "visionary and uptopian", and he was concerned with Maglione that a new Messianic fervor would be stirred. xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx |
Brazil
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2Morley, J. Vatican Diplomacy and the Jews during the Holocaust: 1939-1943;
3Catholic Hierarchy: Catholic-hierarchy.org
4The Vatican Website:
5Singapore Jesuits site
6NewAdvent Catholic Encyclopedia
7Raoul Wallenberg.org, "Monsignor Philippe Bernardini"
8Catholic League.org: "Msgr. Rotta Rebuffed": http://www.catholicleague.org/piusxii_and_the_holocaust/rottareb.htm
9Wikipedia