ADSS 10.355 Alexander Easterman to Pius XII - Hungarian Jews face renewed deportation

News that the Hungarian government was under enormous pressure and further, that Regent Horthy was looking at ways to extricate Hungary from its alliance with Germany, spread quickly.  The World Jewish Congress was well-informed and appealed directly to the pope urging him to speak out in order to avoid the resumption of deportations.  One day later the German-backed Arrow Cross deposed Horthy's regency and installed a pro-Nazi government.  The Hungarian Holocaust resumed immediately.

Alexander Easterman, Secretary of the World Jewish Congress to Pope Pius XII

Reference: Telegram 996 (AES 6915/44)

Location and date: London, 14.10.1944 @16.35 (Rec’d Rome 16.10.1944 @ 11.30)

Summary statement: Request intervention for the Jews of Hungary.

Language: English

Text:

Desperate appeals reaching us save surviving Jews in Hungary. (1) Germans now preparing carry out plans deporting three hundred thousand men, women, children.  Your Holiness intervention by public call in name of humanity may avert this appalling tragedy.  We are sure our ill fated innocent people will not appeal in vain for utmost and urgent last hour efforts save them from doom. (2)

Notes:

(1) See ADSS 10.321, notes.

(2) See ADSS 10.362.

ADSS 10.281 Luigi Maglione to William Godfrey, Apostolic Delegate, UK - Hungarian Jews

10.281 Cardinal Maglione to William Godfrey, Ap Del, UK

Reference: Telegram 571 (AES 4955/44)

Location and date: Vatican, 29.07.1944

Summary statement: News of steps taken by the Holy See for the Hungarian Jews.

Language: Italian

Text:

Following my telegram number 566 (1), I wish to inform your Excellency that, the Budapest Nunciature, has informed us that the august appeal of the Holy Father led Regent Horthy to take a firmer stand on the racial issue and also stimulated the bishops to take more intense activity on behalf of the victims of the racial laws so that the government promised Cardinal Seredi that they would stop the deportations and the special exemptions. (2) The nunciature added that the situation has, in fact, improved.

Your Excellency may, if deemed appropriate, confidentially communicate the above to the World Jewish Congress (5 New Cavendish Street). (3)

Notes:

(1) Telegram sent 12.07.1944 (ASES 4291/44). Not published in ADSS.  See ADSS 10.274

(2) See ADSS 10.265

(3) See ADSS 10.273

ADSS 10.253 Bernard Griffin, Westminster to Cardinal Maglione

As news of the Hungarian deportations continued to spread across the neutral and western world, protests grew in intensity.  This is one of the many that flowed into the Vatican throughout July.  It is also worth taking note of the dates below.  Griffin sent the telegram on 3 July.  Rome had been liberated for a month, but it took four days to reach the Vatican.

10.253 Bernard Griffin (1899-1956) (Westminster 1943-56) to Cardinal Maglione.

Reference: Telegram 548 (AES 4376/44)

Location and date: London, 03.07.1944 @ 11.48; (Received Rome 10.07.1944 @ 13.00)

Summary statement: Request intervention for Hungarian Jews.

Language: English

Text:

Have been requested by the World Jewish Congress (1) to support their appeal to Holy Father to intervene on behalf of Hungarian Jews. (2)

Notes:

(1) See ADSS 10.249

(2) Response sent 14.07.1944 via Telegram 179 (AES 4376/44): “Holy See even through Papal Nunciature Budapest has left nothing undone and is still dong everything possible to alleviate sorrowful plight all those who are suffering on account nationality or race”.

ADSS 10.134 Luigi Maglione to Amleto Cicognani (USA)

ADSS 10.134 Cardinal Maglione to Amleto Cicognani, Ap Del USA.

Reference: Telegram 1499 (AES 2712/44)

Location and date: Vatican 05.04.1944

Summary statement: The Holy See is doing everything possible for the Jews of Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and the Baltic States.

Language: Italian

Text:

I received your telegram 1840. (1)

As already communicated to Your Excellency, there have been recent renewed appeals made through the Apostolic Nunciature in Hungary, Romania and Slovakia for the Jews resident there. (2)

The Holy See continues to take the utmost interest in the problem. (3)

A similar action will not be possible for the Jews of the Baltic States. (4)

Concerning the Jews in Shanghai, the Japanese government has not responded. (5)

Notes:

(1) ADSS 10.127

(2) See ADSS 10.117.  William Godfrey, Apostolic Delegate in London, had written on 14.01.1944 to Alexander Eastermann (1890-1985), World Jewish Congress: “I feel certain that if His Holiness is in a position to be of any assistance, he will do all he can as constantly as he has done in the past”.

(3) See ADSS 10.137, 158, 187

(4) Nothing was found on this matter. See ADSS 10.313

(5) See ADSS 10.127.

ADSS 8.342 Bernardini to Maglione: Jewish thanks for papal intervention.

The expression of thanks from the World Jewish Congress and the Jewish Agency for Palestine based in Switzerland demonstrated the firm belief in the perception of papal powers of intervention and persuasion. In the Slovakian case thus far, papal protests made life for the Slovak government increasingly uncomfortable.  This was in no small measure due to the pressure applied through the Slovak bishops.  The deportation of the Jews was not halted until October 1942 when the government succumbed to pressure applied through the Catholic Church and Jewish community agencies in Slovakia and Hungary.

ADSS 8.342


Reference: Report number 14689, (AES 2731/42, orig)
Location and date: Berne, 09.04.1942

Summary statement: Recognition of Jewish authorities for the steps of the Holy See for the Slovak Jews.

Language: Italian

Text:

With reference to the dispatch No. 2327/42 of 27 March 1942, I hasten to inform Your Eminence that the reverend leaders of the World Jewish Congress and Jewish Agency for Palestine have asked me to convey their deepest expression of gratitude for the authoritative intervention of the Holy See to the Slovak Government in favour of their co-religionists.

The effectiveness of Your Eminence is demonstrated in the speech delivered on 27 March [1942] by the Deputy Premier and Minister of the Interior, which is attached (1) and in which Mr Mach sought to justify the measures taken against the Jews and to present them as compatible with natural law and religious principles.(2)

The leaders of the Jewish Congress and the Jewish Agency for Palestine are confident that the government will be persuaded by the Holy See to revoke such unjust and inhumane measures.

Cross references:


(1) Not published.


(2) ADSS 8.334

ADSS 8.314 Bernardini to Maglione: a Jewish request for the Slovak Jews

The next document demonstrates the perception of papal influence and authority.  Gerhart Reigner and Richard Lichtheim of the World Jewish Congress approached Nuncio Filippo Bernardini and asked he send a message from them to Rome requesting a papal intervention to stop the planned deportation of the Slovak Jews. 

Reigner will re-appear later in 1942 with the telegram that was considered so shocking that it defied belief.  While inaccurate in some details, it set out in chilling summary Hitler's intention to murder all Jews under German control.  A copy did make its way to Rome, but is not included in the published documents of ADSS.

News of a temporary suspension of the deportation was reported by Giuseppe Burzio on 24 March 1942 (ADSS 8.324), but was then dismissed as a false rumour the next day. (ADSS 8.326)  Nonetheless, Reigner and Lichtheim expressed their thanks to the Pope for his efforts in early April, (ADSS 8.342), even as the trains left Slovakia for Poland (ADSS 8.334, 343).  Another papal protest to the Slovakian minister, Karel Sidor, met with no success (ADSS 8.346).

(Translations of these documents will follow.)ADSS 8.314
Reference: Rap nr 14511 (AES 2327/42 orig)
Location and date: Berne, 19.03.1942

Summary statement: Bernardini sends a request from the World Jewish Congress asking for the Pope’s intervention in Slovakia.

Language: Italian

Text:

I have the honour to send to Your Eminence the enclosed pro-memoria concerning the situation of the Jews in Central and Eastern Europe, which was sent to me by representatives of the World Jewish Congress and the Jewish Agency for Palestine which have offices in Geneva. (1)

They insisted that I ask the Holy Father to intervene with the Slovak government to attempt to have the inhumane measures taken by that country against their fellow Jews lifted, and which I reported with the report No. 14416 of 10 March 1942. (2)


References:


(1) The memo was dated 18.03.1942 and detailed antisemitic measures taken by the Germans in Germany and territories under their control. The representatives who presented the memo were Richard Lichtheim (1885-1963) and Gerhart Riegner (1911-2001).


(2) ADSS 8. 300.

Gerhart Riegner c 1942