19 July 1943 / 2013 Anniversary of the bombing of Rome

Last weekend marked the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Rome and the first time Pius XII left the Vatican since May 1940.  The pope's response to the tragedy of bombed Rome was an example of spontaneous action in the face of great need.  It raises the terrible question as to why a similar action was not employed when the Jews of Rome were rounded up and faced even greater danger three months later.

This clip is from YouTube.

The relevant ADSS references are found in Volume 7, documents 301-303, 305-307, 309-311. 

This report was posted on the Vatican news website.

On 19 July 1943, the United States Air Force bombed Rome: 9,125 bombs fell from 690 airplanes with 930.30 metric tons of explosives, resulting in 1800 deaths. Egidio Picucci recalled that Monday, 70 years ago. “The scene facing the people when the explosions stopped, when the rumble of the airplanes, which in the waves that followed disrupted everything, began to muffle, aroused general disbelief. The city walls seemed like ragged backdrops of a stage carried away by the wind. The morale of the people was at rock bottom. No one expected an attack of that kind and everyone roamed, lost and silent, around the dusty streets filled with rubble. Rome, the Eternal City, was no more. In order to provide relief to the people’s distress, the providential news came in that the Pope was to visit San Lorenzo in the afternoon around 5:30 p.m. At that time people ran to the basilica, in front of which the people encircled him, speaking more with their eyes and tears than with their words. Pius XII was visibly moved and opened his arms as if to pull everyone closer to him and not let them go”.

L’Osservatore Romano recalled this tragic event and the two visits the Pope made to the wounded city following the two bombings. The second bombing took place on 13 August. “In a strictly private setting, without any escort (…) accompanied only by Mons. Giovanni Battista Montini, Substitute of the Secretariat of State, the Pontiff at 5:20 pm, after having received the first news on the extent of the disaster, left the Vatican to go as soon as possible bringing relief in person to the victims. Faced with many sad sights of destruction the Holy Father stopped the car for a long time and asked for news of the victims and the scope of the damage. His extremely pale face showed his inner pain. (…) With difficulty, in front of the ruined pronaos of the Temple, His Holiness was able to climb down while a wave of excitement erupted from everyone’s heart. Defying the impassable terrain, (…) he kneeled (…) inviting everyone to the Christian prayer for the victims”.

The bombs also caused incalculable damage to the historical-religious patrimony of the city, especially damaging the cemetary of Verano (even striking the tomb of Pope Pacelli’s family) and the Basilica of San Lorenzo. The basilica was subsequently rebuilt, beginning in 1946. The work was made possible thanks to the work in those difficult years of Giovanni Battista Montini, Richard Krautheimer and Fr Antonio Ferrua.

ADSS 7.53 Maglione notes on meeting with Osborne & Tittmann

As the year wore on and the diplomats inside the Vatican kept trying to elicit a positive response from Cardinal Maglione on the subject of a papal protest, both Osborne and Tittmann remained adamant that the pope should not be distracted by fears of Allied bombing of Italian cities.  Maglione tried equally as hard to elicit a promise of some sort for the protection of Rome and other Italian cities.  At the end, the Cardinal writes as though lamenting, that despite the expressions of Jewish gratitude for all the pope has done, Osborne still insisted the pope speak publicly against the extermination of the Jews.

ADSS 7.53 

Cardinal Maglione, notes

Reference: A.E.S. 6409/42

Location and date: Vatican, 14.12.1942

Summary statement:  Maglione communicates to Osborne that the Italian embassy announced the departure from Rome of the Italian military Supreme Command; he awaits an answer concerning the Germans. Osborne observes that the Pope is too preoccupied about the bombing of Italian cities. The Pope should protest against the massacre of the Jews.

Language: Italian

Text: 

This morning I spoke with the English Minister (1) and, after, the Charge d’affaires of the USA (2) and I said to them: “Yesterday the Italian Ambassador communicated to me orally, but officially, that the Supreme Commander, Mussolini, and Military HQ have left Rome.(3)

 “I then asked Ambassador Guariglia if there are any German military leaders in Rome: if this is the case, I think they should also leave Rome. “Guariglia responded saying he would carry my question and suggestion to the Italian Government”.

I added; “In waiting for a response on this point I also ask you to bring the foregoing to the attention of your Governments”. (4)

The English Minister made the observation that his communications with the government were slow: it would be therefore good to entrust the Apostolic Delegate of London to inform the English Government. (I answered that I proposed to do this).

The English Minister then added that, although the Supreme Commander Mussolini and the General Staff are leaving Rome, the ministries will remain.

I answered that it would be dealt with, in the event, of civil offices, not military.

To Rome, I added, there are no, as far as I know war factories… ”.

“But there are the barracks, the troops…”

“In a city of one and a half million inhabitants it will be necessary to have troops in order to maintain public order!”

“The police are not enough?”

“I do not believe so.”

At this point the Minister delivered the attached letter to me, where it repeats the news that the policy of the English government expressed 19.01.1942 has not changed. (5)

I answered: If its Government had the evil intention to bomb Rome, I would try and find many excuses. But I believe in the good will of the Government of London and hope that it will take into consideration our valid reasons.

The Minister has pointed to the impression that the Holy See worries in a particular manner about Italian cities, when it speaks about bombing, because they are Italian.

I observed: firstly there are the most special reasons for Rome.  I reminded him of these (and I have not failed to repeat that if Rome was bombed, Holy See will protest); secondly, The Holy See has intervened against the bombing of civilian populations of Italian cities, because such bombings have happened.  The Minister must not forget that the Holy Father spoke against the bombing of unarmed populations on other occasions: when the English cities were bombed and all understood that the bombing of the English cities did not indeed escape the severe words of the Holy Father. (6)

The minister recognised the justice of my observation [about the Pope speaking against bombing cities] and then exclaimed:  But why does the Holy See not intervene against the terrible massacres of the Jews?  

I recalled that the Holy Father had already spoken in his messages that the right to life, to a peaceful existence and sharing of the goods of the earth belong to all people of every race and confession.  

And one cannot ignore how much the Holy Father has done to help the poor Jews.  They know this and frequently thank the Holy See. 

The minister insisted on this point:  he would have the Holy See intervene to stop the massacre of the Jews.

Cross References:

(1) Sir Francis D’Arcy Osborne

(2) Harold Tittmann

(3) ADSS 7.52

(4) Tittmann referred the cardinal to the note of the United States government passed by him via the Minister in Bern.  See FRUS 1942.3 p796.

(5) ADSS 5.208 – concerning bombing of Rome

(6) Cf Homily 24.11.1940, ADSS 4.177, 191; Christmas Address 24.12.1941, ADSS 5.172

5 November 1943 Bombing the Vatican

Yesterday Zenit, a Rome based Catholic news agency, published an article on one of the lesser known stories of World War II, although it is recorded in some detail in ADSS Volume 7.  Documents 453 onwards describe the bombing and the diplomatic aftermath.

On 5 November a single plane flew over Vatican City and dropped bombs (ADSS 7.453).  The identity of the plane was never established despite a series of investigations launched by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Maglione (ADSS 7.455, 473, 474, 475), and responses made by the British (457), American (459) and German (464, 471) governments.  Amidst the documents is a telegram sent by Maglione to the Apostolic Delegate in Washington, Amleto Cicognani, (463) that there was a rumour that Stalin had congratulated Churchill for ordering the raid! The British government promptly denied the rumour (465).

The three governments denied responsibility and reaffirmed their committment to observing Vatican neutrality (466, 470, 472, 483).  The Allies accused the Germans, who counter-accused the Allies of bombing the Vatican for propaganda purposes. On 9 December the British and American governments informed the Vatican that Allied pilots had been ordered to avoid flying over Vatican territory (491, 492, 493).

The timing of the bombing was significant.  Rome was occupied by the Germans, the Jews of Rome were either in Auschwitz or hiding, the city was hungry with the very real spectre of famine hovering ominiously, the partisans were stepping up anti-German activity and Naples had been liberated a few weeks but not before the Germans wrecked a savagery on the city not witnessed outside of Eastern Europe. The Vatican remained visibily neutral hoping Rome would be spared. 

The Zenit article proposes a new theory based on new documents that suggest the source of the raid lay in orders given by Roberto Farinacci from the Salo Republic in an attempt to silence Vatican Radio.  According to the new information, Farinacci was convinced the Vatican was sending information to the Allied.  It will be interesting to read the book which has received some coverage in the Italian press.

Book Features 1943 Bombing of Vatican



Cardinal: Episode Targeted Defenseless State


By Mariaelena Finessi

ROME, NOV. 12, 2010 (Zenit.org).- A newly published book documents the 1943 bombing of the Vatican, with recently discovered documentation on the event and facts about who was responsible.

Augusto Ferrara's Italian-language book, "1943 Bombe sul Vaticano" [1943 Bombs on the Vatican] was presented Nov. 5, the 67th anniversary of the attack.

Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate of Vatican City State, participated in the book's presentation. He recalled the bombing, stating that "it was a wretched, vile episode, because it was directed against an unarmed and defenseless state."

He added that "one wondered what sense an event of such a nature could have other than that of an insult."

Cardinal Lajolo explained that it "was the only act of violation of the territorial sovereignty of the Vatican state since its creation."

Despite this, he said, the event demonstrated that the Vatican "in as much as it was small," showed "the efficacy of its function of protection of the Pope," whose "liberty and independence" it ensured.

Unknown to many, the episode was shrouded in mystery for several years. Ferrara's volume finally throws light on the event thanks to complete documentation made from newspaper clippings of the time and, above all, of images, to date unpublished that the author, a known philatelist, found in a bookstall in Verona, Italy.

In all there are some thirty photographs taken on November 6, 1943, the day after the bombing. A personal note of the photographer, also kept in the envelope, indicated the hour of the event.

Though Vatican City was hitherto spared during the war, that evening a plane flew over. At 8:15 p.m. five bombs were released, of which one remained unexploded.

The consequences are imprinted in those photos: the water reservoir in the railroad station and offices of the governorate were destroyed; the glass in the rear of St. Peter's Basilica was shattered.

Finding those responsible

The event was covered both in L'Osservatore Romano as well as in Italian and foreign newspapers. To identify the perpetrator of the attack, the Vatican Secretariat of State asked for clarifications from the foreign ministers of the powers of the time: the United States, England and Germany.

Published in the book is the relevant correspondence: U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower, the English government and the government of the Reich all denied responsibility.

The Italian Social Republic, led by Benito Mussolini out of Salo, accused the United States of the attack. The Fascist press speculated on the event, accusing the Allies of having violated the international norms and offending the symbolic place of Christianity.

In reality, Ferrara revealed that it was the Italian Fascists themselves who planned the attack on the Holy See.

The plane, which has since been identified as a SIAI Marchetti S.M. 79, an Italian bomber known as a "Sparviero," took off from Viterbo, Italy. It had been a gift to the Italian Social Republic. The book offers a transcription of a telephone conversation, between a priest and Jesuit Father Pietro Tacchi Venturi, who was close to the Pope's secretary of state at the time, which suggests that Fascist leader Roberto Farinacci ordered the bombing.

In the dialogue, the priest affirmed: "It was the Italians. We were able to verify it through persons who were present at all points of the development of the maneuver.

"It was a Savoia-Marchetti plane, which had on board five bombs destined to strike the Vatican Radio station, because Farinacci was convinced that it was transmitting to the enemy news of a military character."

The news was confirmed by the director of L'Osservatore Romano, Count Dalla Torre. For a week there was talk of nothing else in the press. Then silence fell.


Cardinal Lajolo noted that it seems the event was quieted by an invitation of Monsignor Giovanni Battista Montini, the future Pope Paul VI, who worked at that time in the Secretariat of State of Pius XII, so as "to not fuel the risk of a possible civil war."

The book, co-published by the Libreria Editrice Vaticana and Augusto Ferrara, was delivered to the Benedict XVI on Nov. 3.

 

Sparviero