ADSS 1.224 Pius XII to Dino Alfieri: relations between Holy See and Italy

VADSS 1.224 Pius XII to Dino Alfieri, Italian Ambassador to the Holy See

Reference: ASS, XXXI (1939), 704-06.

Location and date: 07.12.1939

Summary statement: Allusion to the Lateran Treaty.  Gratitude for the good relations between the Holy See and Italy. Expresses the hope that Italy will stay out of the war.

Language: Italian

Text:

The solemn presentation of the Credentials, with which His Majesty the King Emperor accredits Your Excellency to Us as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (1), following many illustrious personages in this high mission, whose eminent qualities and fruitful activity will always be gratefully remembered here, takes place at a historical moment of singular importance, the various aspects of which have just been eloquently pointed out by Your Excellency.

Above all other considerations, We must recall that this year the tenth anniversary of the conclusion of the Lateran Treaty takes place, which, in the conscience of the Italian people, symbolises and brought the providential peace anxiously awaited through many long years of grievous dissension, which confused the souls and shackled the energy of many of the best sons of this glorious and privileged Italian nation, while in the conscience of the Catholic world the same Treaty meant the new, solemn and open acknowledgement of the read and actual sovereignty and independence of the Supreme Head of the Church.

Therefore Our soul receives with gratitude the vow, or rather the joyful certainty, expressed by Your Excellency, that the relations of cordial and confident understanding between Church and State in Italy, founded on the Lateran accord of peace, will continue to be carried out in a spirit of faithful observance, and We, for our part, shall give to these high intentions of your August Sovereign and of his Government all that benevolent support that the nobility of such aim and its beneficial effect for the peaceful growth and prosperity of the Italian people deserve.

In this present difficult hour, when the Rulers of States, in the sphere of their internal and external activity, are confronted by tasks which impose extraordinary burdens on their energies for decision and action, when the fulfilment of such high duties of government, thorough the weight of the exceptional sacrifices bound indissolubly to them, makes the complete trust and the loyal consent of the masses of people more than ever necessary, the latter, now aw always, being made up of those who carry the cross along the via dolorosa which mankind has to tread again; in these circumstances as We repat, the harmony between the two Powers and the internal peace, which is a fruit springing from it, are the best remedy to lighten the difficulties and at the same time the finest gift that the State can make to itself and to its citizens.

At this moment, when Your Excellency starts his distinguished mission, the work of the Apostolic See in favour of peace and understanding amongst nations also appears not only necessary and urgent but also difficult and full of thorns.  Difficult above all because the fundamental concept of justice and love, which fosters not only the happiness of the individual, but also the nobility and the growth of social relations, through a wrong process of thought and action which makes the divine human, and the human divine, has fallen, in many respects, into oblivious and contempt.  This distorted development, amounting to subversion of the principles of justice and moral duties, has tended and designed to substitute the Christian concept of life, community and State with disruptive and destructive doctrines which believe that the progress of civilisation and of mankind consists in freedom from the bounds of natural law and of divine revelation, whose resplendent light shines on the world form this sacred city of Rome.

Each one of these errors, as generally every error, lasts for a certain time, during which it increases and decreases; it is at one moment at its height and then suddenly falls apart.  There are two phases: the first when the intoxicating poison of the alluring doctrines overwhelms and infatuates the masses and makes them fall into its power, and the other, when the bitter fruits become ripe and the eyes of the masses, or at least of the wiser and more thoughtful of them, look at them terrified, remembering how deceptive were the plans and the promises with which they were drawn into error.  How many eyes, once closed, are no opening again!

But We are specially comforted by the understanding that Your Excellency has nobly expressed regarding the fundamental thought of Our recent Encyclical Letter for the peaceful and brotherly union of mankind and for peace in justice, and We are led to hope that Our further endeavours for such a high aim will always find response in the courageous, strong and industrious Italian people who by the wisdom of their rulers and their inner impulse have, up to now, been saved from the danger of being drawn into war, and have thus been placed in the best position to co-operate for the coming and establishment of true peace, founded on justice and humanity.

While from the bottom of Our heart We implore the Omnipotent One to assist Italy and its Rulers with His light and with His protection, We impart with all Our soul on His Majesty the King Emperor and on the Royal Family, on His Excellency the head of Government, on the entire Italian people so near and dear to Us, and in particular on Your Excellency Our Apostolic Benediction.

Notes: 

(1) Eduardo Dino Alfieri (1886-1966), Italian Ambassador to the Holy See 07.12.1939 to 31.05.1940. He succeeded Bonifacio Pignatti (1877-1957), ambassador 1935-39.

ADSS 1.20 Pius XII to Victor Emanuel III (draft): Proposal for peace conference

By early May the Pope had reason to believe that a peace conference was a possibility.  This draft of a letter to the King of Italy was prepared in the event that the five powers - Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland - agreed to meet using the resources offered by the Pope.   Over the following days the proposal was positively received and the pope thanked.  It was discussed by each of the five powers but there was a decided lack of will to undertake the conference. The letter to Victor Emanuel was never sent.  By mid-May there appeared little prospect that the proposal would come to fruition.  Nevertheless Pius made it clear that he was always available and ready to help negotiations at any time.

ADSS 1.20 Pope Pius XII to King Victor Emanuel III – draft of letter (1)

Reference: AES 2402/39, draft with the pope’s corrections.

Location and date: Vatican, 04.05.1939

Summary statement: Appeal to the King for a peace conference.

Language: Italian

Text:

In this particularly grave hour in the life of the peoples, We cannot avoid feeling reflected in Us the anguish of the fear that the present international disputes could become embittered to the point of leading to an open conflict.  To what ruins, death and teas this would lead, anybody with a sane mind and a feeling heart cannot fail to see, warned by the experience of a not-too-distant past.

Interpreting these feelings, and answering the repeated and warm prayers that reach Us from every corner, conscious of Our Responsibility and eager to try everything that is in Our power for the well-being of the peoples, We feel it is our imperative duty to appeal to those upon whom depends the settlement of the present dangerous disputes and to invite them, I the name of God, and of their own human feelings, to find in peaceful talks a path which would avoid the danger of bloody conflicts.  For this reason and in great earnest We address Ourselves to You, beloved Son, begging that Your Government, accepting Our proposal, will not refuse to meet the Representatives of France, Germany, Great Britain and Poland in a friendly “conference”.  We hope that Your Representatives and those of the other great European nations, gathered together, will be able, through serene and loyal discussions, to find a solution to the present problems and reach the desired understanding.

Absolving in this way Our duty of Pastor and Father We think it is better to abstain from examining programs and details of this longed for meeting: but we are sure that everybody understands that peace cannot return to the people’s mind until the outstanding problems between Germany and Poland, France and Italy, and the others which derive from these, are final settled.

Trusting that Our appeal will find in the hearts of those to whom it is addressed the acceptance that the gravity of the cause authorises Us to expect and with the eager wish that the sense of reciprocal justice and moderation will be able to procure to the anxious peoples the peace for which they long and the possibility of peaceful work, We give You, Beloved Son, Our Apostolic Benediction.

Notes: 

(1) This is the draft of an invitation which would be sent not only to the King of Italy, but also to the heads of State in Germany, Great Britain, France and Poland.  But as the first attempt to find out the reactions of the interested governments proved that they were not favourable to the proposed conference, the letter was not sent.

King Victor Emanuel III

1900-1946