ADSS 1.255 Maglione to Orsenigo: Ribbentrop's audience with the Pope

ADSS 1.255 Luigi Maglione, Sec State, to Cesare Orsenigo, Germany

Reference: Telegram 165 (AES 2170/40)

Location and date: Vatican, 09.03.1940

Summary statement: Ribbentrop will have an audience with the Pope on 11.03.1940.

Language: Italian

Text:

German Ambassador (1) here has requested audience Holy Father for Minister Foreign Affairs Ribbentrop.  Audience will take pace Monday 11 March at 09.30. (2)

Notes: 

(1) Diego von Bergen (1872-1944), German Ambassador to the Holy See 1920-43.

(2) ADSS 1.254

ADSS 1.254 Tardini, Secretariat of State, notes: Preparations for Ribbentrop's visit

ADSS 1.254 Domenico Tardini, Sect State, notes

Reference: AES Germany 774

Location and date: Vatican, 09.03.1940

Summary statement: Preparations for Ribbentrop’s visit on 11.03,1940 done in secret.  Pope dreading the experience.  The meeting must not be exploited for Nazi propaganda.

Language: Italian

Text:

On Monday 11 March, von Ribbentrop will see the Holy Father.  The audience has been prepared secretly for some time.  Through the Prince of Hesse (I believe) (1) and through X (2).  The Holy Father submitted five points as desiderata of the Holy See (all prepared personally by himself and until now unknown to the Office).  The German Government declared that they could form the basis for an understanding.  The Ambassador (3) went yesterday (after all these months) to ask the Cardinal personally for an audience.  He said it would be a courtesy call, without éclat, but with … due honours.  The Holy Father, who had already been fully acquainted with X was very distressed.  He does not place much hope in this visit.  Today the Cardinal (after discussing the subject with me) advised His Holiness to hand Ribbentrop a written note as a précis of the conversation.  This is in order that the audience not be exploited by the Germans – a very likely thing – and to publish one day proof of what the Holy Father has deplored and has requested for the good of the souls and for the fulfilment of his apostolic duty. (4)

Notes: 

(1) Philipp, Landgrave of Hess (1896-1980) acted as an intermediary between Berlin and Rome through his marriage to Princess Mafalda of Savoy (1902-1944). He joined the Nazi Party in 1930 and was a supporter of Hitler until the Nazis turned against the German princely families.  Philipp was arrested in September 1943 and sent to KL Flossenburg.  He was moved several times later in the war until liberation in May 1945. Mafalda was arrested in Rome and eventually sent to KL Buchenwald and made to work in an armament factory where she died during an air raid in August 1944. 

(2) Not identified.

(3) Diego von Bergen (1872-1944), German Ambassador to the Holy See 1920-43.

(4) The documents relating to Ribbentrop’s visit did not concern the international situation, even if the Germans intended to use the visit as a means of consolidating the Berlin-Rome Axis.  The only topic of discussion for the Holy See was the condition of the Church in Germany and Poland.

See also ADSS 2.42: 17.03.1940 Pius XII to Cardinal Adolf Bertram, Breslau; 43: 22.03.1940 Pius XII to Cardinal Michael Faulhaber, Munich.

ADSS 1.225 Maglione to Ambassadors of Germany, France and UK - Christmas truce proposal

ADSS 1.225 Luigi Maglione, Sec State, to Ambassadors of Germany and France, and Minister of Great Britain (1)

Reference: AES 9119/39

Location and date: Vatican 13.12.1939

Summary statement: Papal appeal for a Christmas truce.

Language: Italian and French

Text:

[Italian]

As I had the honour to verbally inform Your Excellency (a) on 7 December (2) it is the Holy Father’s great wish that a truce, with complete suspension of hostilities, be proclaimed at Christmas.  On that occasion (b) I appealed for your kind assistance asking Your Excellency to sound your Government on this subject beforehand (3).

Because the date is drawing near, and in order to carry out the august direction of His Holiness I beg Your Excellency to give your help so that the truce suggested by His Holiness, interpreting the heartfelt wish of the peoples and confiding in the humane and generous feelings of their rulers, may be approved.

For the German Ambassador:

(a) verbal communication to the Counsellor of the Embassy (4)

(b) the occasion that I asked the Counsellor to kindly sound out the German Government on the subject

Attachments:

Draft of note [French]

As Christmas approaches the Holy Father feels most grieved at the thought that the belligerents as well as the civil population, should be forced to live, especially during these holy days under the fear of attacks on land, air raids and battles at sea.

His Holiness, certain of interpreting the deep aspirations of the people and trusting in the feeling of humanity and charity of those who rule their destinies, addresses a very ardent appeal to the Governments of the belligerent nations to welcome His appeal to suspend every kind of hostility on land, sea and in the air as from midnight of the 23^rd until midnight on 26 December.

Draft of Telegram [Italian]

Being certain of interpreting the deep wish of the peoples We appeal to the feelings of humanity and Christian charity of Your Majesty (Your Excellency) begging you to accept Our proposal that during Christmas festivities hostilities be completely suspended.

Notes: 

(1) Diego von Bergen (1872-1944) German Ambassador to the Holy See 1920-43; Francios Charles-Roux (1879-1961) French Ambassador to the Holy See 1932-40; D’Arcy Osborne (1884-1964) UK Minister to the Holy See 1936-47.

(2) ADSS 1.223

(3) Domenico Tardini had informed the Secretary of the Italian Embassy about his approach to the three Ambassadors.  See DDI, Series 9, Vol 2, n589, p450.

(4) Fritz Menshausen (1885-1958), Counsellor to the German Embassy to the Holy See 1936-45.

ADSS 1.223 Montini - notes on Christmas truce

 ADSS 1.223 Giovanni Montini, notes.

Reference: AES 8992/39

Location and date: Vatican, 07.12.1939

Summary statement: Michael Faulhaber (Munich) has intervened in favour of the Christmas truce.  Pope will try and obtain agreement of governments.

Language: Italian

Text:

During this morning’s audience, His Holiness ordered the Substitute to tell the Most Eminent Cardinal Secretary of State that His Eminence Cardinal Faulhaber (1) has begged the Holy Father to give his assistance in favour of the proclamation of a Christmas truce (without which, amongst other things, all Midnight Masses would be prohibited); and therefore His Holiness would like everything done to obtain the consent of the various Governments for the approval of the truce.

Handwritten note of Luigi Maglione, Secretary of State

07.12.1939

Yesterday I asked the Ambassadors of France and Germany and the Minister of Great Britain to sound out their governments (2).

Notes: 

(1) In a letter of 25.11.1939 Cardinal Faulhaber addressed the pope: “Your Holiness has probably already considered whether it would be possible to arrange a cease fire for all fighting and instructions for fighting, at least for Christmas Even and Christmas Day.  Those at the front as well as at home would welcome this most sincerely.”  In this way it would be possible to ask for the authorisation to ring the bells and to celebrate Midnight Mass.

(2) Francois Charles-Roux (1879-1961), French Ambassador to the Holy See 1932-40; Diego von Bergen (1872-1944), German Ambassador to the Holy See 1920-42; D’Arcy Osborne (1884-1964), UK Minister to the Holy See 1936-47.

ADSS 1.176 von Bergen to Sec State: Hitler thanks Pope for his message

ADSS 1.176 German Ambassador (1) to the Holy See, to Secretariat of State.

Reference: AES 5988/39

Location and date: 01.09.1939

Summary statement: Hitler thanks the Pope for his message of 31.08 but Polish provocations have made peace impossible.

Language: German

Text:

The Führer thanks His Holiness for His message of yesterday’s date. (2) As His Holiness will have learnt from the messages received in the meantime, events have unfortunately rendered impossible the peaceful solution, which Germany had hoped for.  The Führer had waited two days for the arrival of a Polish emissary for the peaceful settlement of the German-Polish conflict.  As a reply to his efforts, Poland ordered general mobilisation.  Furthermore, the Poles had yesterday committed of still further unheard-of frontier violations which this time involved regular Polish troops entering German territory.  These unbearable provocations have caused the Führer to take steps that would also ensure that same peace and quiet at Germany’s Eastern frontier, which Germany requires and which obtains at her other frontiers. (3)

Notes: 

(1) Diego von Bergen (1872-1944), German Ambassador to the Holy See, 1920-43.

(2) ADSS 1.160

(3) This is a reference to the German organised attack on the Gleiwitz radio station during the previous night to provide a “justifiable” excuse to order the invasion of Poland.