On September 7, 2000, the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation (IRWF) launched an international campaign aimed to acknowledge the humanitarian measures undertaken by Nuncio Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, later Pope John XXIII, for people persecuted by the Nazi regime. The presentation was held at the Permanent Observer Mission of the Vatican to the UN, in New York, with the attendance of the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Angel Sodano.
The IRWF has carried out exhaustive historical research in relation to the different events associated with Nuncio Roncalli’s interventions on refugees’ behalf during the Holocaust.
At this point in the investigation it is necessary to put out this request of international collaboration in order to eventually gather all personal testimonies and complementary documentation on behalf of individuals, churches, foreign relations ministries of relevant countries, public and private institutions in order to enhance the already gathered information. These are the events related to Nuncio Roncalli’s interventions on which we seek further testimonial or documental information.
- Jewish refugees who arrived in Istanbul and were assisted in going onto Palestine or other destinations by Nuncio Roncalli.
- Slovakian children who managed to leave the country as a result of Nuncio Roncalli’s interventions.
- Jewish refugees whose names were included on a list submitted by Rabbi Markus of Istanbul to Nuncio Roncalli.
- Jews held at Jenovats concentration camp, near Staragradiskas, liberated thanks to Nuncio Roncalli’s intervention.
- Bulgarian Jews who left Bulgaria thanks to Nuncio Roncalli’s request to King Boris of Bulgaria.
- Romanian Jews from Transnistria who left Romania as a result of Nuncio Roncalli’s intervention.
- Italian Jews helped by the Vatican as a result of Nuncio Roncalli’s interventions.
- Orphaned children of Transnistria on board a refugee ship that weighed anchor from Constanza to Istanbul, and later arriving in Palestine as a result of Nuncio Roncalli’s interventions.
- Jews held at the Sered concentration camp who were spared from being deported to Polish death camps as a result of Nuncio Roncalli’s intervention.
- Hungarian Jews who managed to save themselves thanks to the conversions into Christianity through the Baptismal Certificates sent by Nuncio Roncalli to Hungarian Nuncio, Monsignor Angelo Rota-
Persons or organizations who might be able to collaborate with the present request should send all relevant information to the following addresses:
Dr. Mario Ablin
Member of the Executive Committee of the IRWF
Coordinator for the Nuncio Roncalli Committee
Antebi 3 (94547) Jerusalem, Israel
Via e-mail to: irwf@irwf.org.il
Mr. Baruch Tenembaum
Founder, IRWF
34 East 67th Street New York, NY 10021 USA
Via e-mail to: irwf@irwf.org
