Giovanni Ferrofino
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Ferrofino was an Italian Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...

 of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

.

Early life and ordination

Ferrofino was born in 1912 in the city of Alessandria
Alessandria
-Monuments:* The Citadel * The church of Santa Maria di Castello * The church of Santa Maria del Carmine * Palazzo Ghilini * Università del Piemonte Orientale-Museums:* The Marengo Battle Museum...

 in north-west Italy. On September 22, 1934 he was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...

 a priest of the Diocese of Alessandria.

Apostolic nuncio

On February 8, 1960 Ferrofino was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

. The following October 26, 1961 he was appointed Titular Archbishop of Zenonopolis
Zenonopolis
Zenonopolis was a city in Isauria, originally called Rusumblada but renamed in honour of Emperor Zeno , who was born there....

 in Isauria
Isauria
Isauria , in ancient geography, is a rugged isolated district in the interior of South Asia Minor, of very different extent at different periods, but generally covering what is now the district of Bozkır and its surroundings in the Konya province of Turkey, or the core of the Taurus Mountains. In...

 and ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...

  on November 28, 1961. Giovanni was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

 on November 3, 1965 and resigned from the position on September 29, 1970.

Actions during the Second World War

During the Second World War, according to Gary Krupp of the Pave the Way Foundation
Pave the Way Foundation
Pave the Way Foundation is a non-sectarian organization whose mission is to identify and eliminate non-theological obstacles between religions, headed by Gary Krupp. It has done considerable research on the papacy of Pius XII and has sought to deconstruct negative stereotypes such as "Hitler's Pope"...

, he personally acted on the direct orders of Pius XII twice a year to obtain visas for Jews arriving from Portugal to the Dominican Republic.

He traveled with the nuncio, archbishop Maurilio Silvani, to get 800 visas per boat load twice a year from 1939–1945 and appealed directly to General Rafael Trujillo in the name of Pius XII. This action, Krupp said, saved over 10,000 Jews who were then routed into America with the help of Monsignor Ferrofino through Cuba, Mexico and Canada.

External links

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