ADSS 9.191 Maglione to Cicognani: Holy See and Palestine

ADSS 9.191 Cardinal Maglione to Amleto Cicognani, Apostolic Delegate, USA

Reference:  (AES 2968/43)

Location and date:  Vatican, 18.05.1943

Summary statement: Efforts of HS to help the persecuted Jews; considerations about the Holy Places in Palestine.

Language: Italian

Text:

Your Excellency knows well the constant wide-ranging action undertaken by the Holy See – through considerable difficulty – in favour of those considered “non-Aryan”.

The Holy See has given particular attention to young people and children trying to alleviate their suffering and even in recent days it intervened with the Slovak government to suspend any transfer of “Jewish” residents in the Republic. (1)

Recently, his Excellency the Apostolic Delegate in London, communicated to the Holy See news that the British government has allowed the immigration of children of Jewish descent residing in European countries to Palestine, and has sought the intervention of the Holy See to help transfer these children without encountering too much difficulty. (2) 

In ensuring that the Apostolic Delegate mentioned that the Holy See would not fail to take care of the children mentioned, (3) I consider it appropriate to draw to your attention to the general question of the “Jewish Home” in Palestine.  In this respect, your Excellency, will certainly remember that ever since the Balfour Declaration of November 1918 (4), the Holy See has hastened to repeatedly express its point of view on the establishment of a “Jewish Home” in Palestine in solemn documents.

His Holiness, Benedict XV of venerable memory, in a Consistorial Allocution on 10 March 1919, expressed himself thus:

There is one matter on which we are most specially anxious, and that is the fate of the Holy Places, on account of the special dignity and importance for which they are so venerated by every Christian. Who can ever tell the full story of all the efforts of Our predecessors to free them from the dominion of infidels, the heroic deeds and the blood shed by the Christians of the West through the centuries? And now that, amid the rejoicing of all good men, they have finally returned into the hands of the Christians, Our anxiety is most keen as to the decisions which the Peace Conference at Paris is soon to take concerning them. For surely it would be a terrible grief for Us and for all the Christian faithful if infidels were placed in a privileged and prominent position; much more if those most holy sanctuaries of the Christian religion were given into the charge of non-Christians. (5)

The same pope reaffirmed the attitude of the Holy See in an allocution on 13 June 1921, in which, among other things he said: “ we certainly do not want any diminishment of the rights of the Jews but it should be at the expense of the suppression of the sacred rights of Christians”. (6)

Later on 6 March 1922, the Secretary of State sent a Note to the British government on this important and delicate issue; and on 4 June he sent an Aide-Memoire to the Council of the League of Nations, in which the principles enunciated by the Holy Father were solemnly reaffirmed. (See attachments) (7)

As you will see, there are two related issues in the documents.  The first concerns the “Holy Places” (such as the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, Bethlehem, etc …) around which Catholics have had special rights over the centuries, and which in justice, must be respected.  On this point there were, even after the last world war, repeated and formal assurances.

The second issue is Palestine.  There is no doubt that Catholics throughout the world are looking with deep piety and devotion towards the land of Palestine, which was consecrated by the presence of the Divine Saviour and its place as the cradle of Christianity. Therefore their religious feelings would be hurt should Palestine be given and entrusted, in greater part, to the Jews.  That pattern would give rise to other Catholics, who would be understandably concerned about the peaceful enjoyment of those historical rights, already mentioned, and accorded to the Holy Places.

It is true that at one time Palestine was inhabited by the Jews, but how can the principle of brining back people to this land where they were until 19 centuries ago be historically accepted?

In conclusion, it does not seem difficult, if one wishes to create a “Jewish Home” to find other areas the best lend themselves to the purpose, while Palestine under a Jewish majority, would give rise to new and serious international problems, would displease Catholics all over the world, would provoke the justifiable protest of the Holy See, and would badly correspond to the charitable concerns that the Holy See has had and continues to have for the non-Aryans.

So I think it appropriate for your Excellency to attend with tact and prudence so to distinguish between the complex and serious questions and draw them to the benevolent attention of his Excellency, Mr Taylor (8), and, if needs be, to their Excellencies the bishops.

If, then, there is a divergence in public opinion contrary to Catholic interests, your Excellency will come to a conveniently enlightened  agreement with their Excellencies the bishops.(9)

Cross references: 

(1) See ADSS 9.176

(2) See ADSS 9.94

(3) See ADSS 9.171

(4) 02.11.1917.  The Declaration was signed by the Allies in 1918. Lord Balfour was Foreign Secretary of the UK, 10.12.1916 to 24.10.1919.

(5) AAS 11 (1919), p 100.  Cited in Eugene Bovis (1974) The Jerusalem Question, pp 6-7.

(6) Ibid, 13 (1921), p 283.

(7) Not published in ADSS.

(8) Myron Taylor, Personal Representative of FDR to Pius XII

(9) The original minute was much shorter.  Domenico Tardini made the annotation:

“07.05.1943. With the Apostolic Delegate I would be much more explicit:

a) I would refer to the intervention of the Holy See for the Jews and what it has done and will do for the children …

b) I would get fully into the question of a Jewish home in Palestine – α recalling at some length the background information; β pointing out the attitude of the Holy See; γ asserting the rights about the holy places; δ making clear the arguments that do not make it … permissible for Catholics to have a Palestine in Jewish hands. 

In conclusion the Apostolic Delegate:

a) should begin to discuss the matter with Taylor, with the bishops etc.

b) in case you should have to enlighten public opinion …

c) a Palestine in Jewish hands would not only open new and serious questions … and would not be the best way to correspond with what the Holy See has done for the Jews.  It should come out in a clear and complete dispatch”. See the encyclical In multiplicibus curis of 24.10.1948 where Pius XII insisted on the internationalisation of the Holy Land. (AAS 40, 1948, pp 435 ff.

ADSS 9.171 Maglione to Godfrey: Efforts of Holy See; position on Palestine

ADSS 9.171 Cardinal Maglione to William Godfrey, Apostolic Delegate, UK.

Reference:  Telegram 358 (AES 2701/43)

Location and date:  Vatican, 04.05.1943

Summary statement: Efforts of the Holy See to help the Jews; position of Holy See on the Holy Land

Language: Italian

Text:

I refer to your telegram number 271. (1)

You know well how the Holy See has done everything possible to come to the aid of the non-Ayrans, despite serious difficulties.

The Holy See has always been interested in and shown special care for young people and children.  Concerning your report about the children, the Holy See has not failed to strive in this regard:  however, I need to know, from time to time, their number and also to which governments and in what sense the Holy See can intervene.

As for the serious question of the Jewish Home in Palestine (2) your Excellency doubtless remembers the attitude taken by the Holy See at the time of the Balfour Declaration in 1917. (3)

It is a known fact that Catholics, in addition to enjoying special rights with regard to the Holy Places, are watching from all around the world, with deep piety and devotion to the land of Palestine, sanctified by the presence and the memories of the Divine Redeemer.

Therefore, Catholic religious feeling would be seen to be wounded, and would fear for their rights if Palestine were to belong exclusively to the Jews.

Cross references: 

(1)  See ADSS 9.94

(2)  Balfour Declaration, 02.11.1917.

(3)  See ADSS 9.191.

Pius XII and Palestine - May 1943

One of the tangential issues that emerged from the diplomatic efforts undertaken by the Holy See for the Jews in Occupied Europe, was the question of where rescued Jews would, should or could go.  Nearly all attempts to secure visas, however temporary, in neutral countries in Europe and states outside Europe had come to nought.  The Jews themselves made it clear that once out of Europe they wanted to go to Palestine.  For most of the period 1941-1944 the question was largely theoretical - Jews in Europe were for the most part trapped with no way out.

The Vatican worried that an influx of Jewish refugees into Palestine would create a situation that would be detrimental to the concerns of the Church.  Palestine was home to the holy places such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the Mount of Beatitudes in Galilee.  A Jewish majority in what was the British-governed Mandate was not desirable.  It would cause grave offence to Catholic piety and even worse, outshine Vatican efforts to help the Jews get out of Europe in the first place.  Pius XII understood the arguments and agreed with them.  He would not support a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

Between March and May 1943 there are several documents in ADSS 9 that show without any doubt the resistance to the idea of Palestine becoming a Jewish home.  There is agreement that the Jews should have a national home; as long as it was not in Palestine.  

On 12 May 1917 the Secretary of State, Cardinal Gasparri and the young Monsignor Pacelli met Nahum Sokolow, president of the World Zionist Organisation and listened to his ideas for a Jewish Homeland in Palestine.  Sokolow recorded the meeting as being positive and friendly.  Things changed less than six months later with the British announcement of the Balfour Declaration of 2 November 1917. Polite and cordial meetings in the Vatican between two sides that had no power to change the political realities of Palestine were one thing, the announcement of the British government to support a Jewish Homeland in Palestine and the political and military power that underpinned the statement, were quite another.  Pope Benedict XV was opposed to the idea of Jewish home for the reasons cited above.  Fear of Jewish domination and, worse, the fear of Jews having political power over Christians, led the pope to declare his, and the Church's official opposition to any attempt to create a Jewish state in Palestine.  The attitude was not change until well after the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.

Let us look at the documents in ADSS 9.

ADSS 9.94:  13.03.1943 The Apostolic Delegate in London, William Godfrey, sent news to Rome that the British government was willing to permit Jewish children passage to Palestine.  Notes made by Domenico Tardini included references to the Holy See's long known opposition to the creation of Jewish home and the bald statement that the Holy Land was more holy to Catholics than Jews!

ADSS 9.171  04.05.1943 Cardinal Maglione wrote to Godfrey to say that the Holy See has done and is doing everything to help the Jews.  However, as the Apostolic Delegate would well remember, the British government's pledge in the Balfour Declaration was not in the interest of Catholics who would be offended if Palestine was to be exclusively Jewish.

ADSS 9.191  18.05.1943 Maglione wrote to Amleto Cicognani, Apostolic Delegate in Washington with instructions to protest any and all attempts to create a Jewish homeland in Palestine.  The forceful language borders on the undiplomatic.  The idea of bringing a people back to a land after nineteen centuries makes no sense.  Catholics will be outraged.  The Holy See is doing everything it can to help the Jews. 

ADSS 9.324  04.09.1943 Angelo Roncalli, Apostolic Delegate in Turkey to Cardinal Maglione expressed his reservations over Jewish migration to Palestine as if they were going to reconstruct a biblical-like kingdom.  These were dreams and not realities.  Roncalli did confess that perhaps his reservations were personal scruples that he had not been able to disperse. 

There is an awful inference in these documents.  The Holy See was doing everything it could to help and rescue the Jews of Europe so the Jews should not seek to emigrate to Palestine and upset Catholic sensibilities.  And it was the pope who maintained the official stance opposing Jewish migration that had been adopted by his predecessor Benedict XV in late 1917.

Between January and March 1943 approximately 105,000 Jews were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau.  Between 1939 and 1945  73,764 Jews managed to reach Palestine.  The Vatican's fears of Jewish domination in the Mandate were at best nonsensical and at worst a manifestation of old fashioned supercessionism and Judeophobia.