On September 7, 2000 the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation launched the International Campaign for the Acknowledgement of the Humanitarian Actions undertaken by Vatican Nuncio Giuseppe Roncalli – later known as Pope John XXIII – in favor of people, of whom mostly were Jewish, persecuted by the Nazi regime. The launching took place at the Permanent Observation Mission of the Vatican to the UN, with the presence of the Vatican’s State Secretary, Cardinal Angel Sodano.
During the last months, the IRWF has carried out an exhaustive historical research related to different events connected with interventions of Nuncio Roncalli in favor of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.
Until now three reports have been published compiling different studies and materials of historical research about the humanitarian actions carried out by Nuncio Roncalli.
The first report (December 2000) includes references – among others – to the following works: Haim Barlas, ”Salvage in the Holocaust”; Arthur Morse, ”While six millions died”; Peter Hebblethwaite, ”John XXIII, Pope of the Council”; Ted Szulc, ”The secret alliance: the extraordinary story of the rescue of the Jews since World War II”; Giancarlo Zizola, ”L’utopia di Papa Giovanni”; Stefano Trinchese, ”Roncalli, diplomatico in Grecia e Turchia”; Randolph Braham, ”The politics of Genocide – the Holocaust in Hungary”; Meir Tuval-Weltman ”How Pope John helped rescue European Jews” (article).
The second report (February 2001) includes a compilation of the Vatican documentation related to the humanitarian activity of Nuncio Roncalli, as included in the work Actes et documents du Saint-Siège relatifs à la Seconde Guerre Mondiale” published by the Holy See.
The third report (April 2001) makes reference to the following works: Barry Rubin, ”Istanbul intrigues”; Ira Hirschmannn, ”Cautions to the winds”; Stanford Shaw, ”Turkey and the Holocaust”; Peter Hebblethwaite, ”An exchange of blessings – Pope John XXIII and the Jews”; Randolph Braham, ”The politics of Genocide – The Holocaust in Hungary”; Christian Feldman, ”Pope John XXIII”; Hana Arednt, ”Men in dark times”; Jewish Encyclopedia (article); Catholic Family Review (article); John F. Morley, ”Vatican diplomacy and the Jews during the Holocaust 1939 – 1943”.
