Jewish orphans controversy
Encyclopedia
The Jewish orphans controversy was a legal dispute that occurred after the Second World War when the Holy See
under Pope Pius XII
issued instructions that Catholic institutions and families should keep baptized
Jewish children in their ranks after they had been rescued from a likely deportation to Auschwitz.
published a document dated 20 November 1946 on the subject of Jewish children baptized in war-time France. The document ordered that baptized children, if orphaned, should be kept in Catholic custody and stated that the decision "has been approved by the Holy Father".
, who would become Pope John XXIII, was serving as Nuncio
for France, and reportedly ignored this directive. He would later be recognized by Yad Vashem
as Righteous Among the Nations
because of his assistance to the Jewish underground when he was Nuncio for Greece and Turkey.
and abbé Roger Etchegaray attempted to settle the dispute by transferring the Finaly children back to Spain and into Israel, where Jewish relatives were able to raise them.
The Finaly Affair has been compared to the Mortara Affair in the 19th century because the Vatican had issued very similar instructions on the case of Edgardo Mortara, who had received an emergency baptism
and was therefore taken from his Jewish family.
by the State of Israel, wrote to the pope, seeking his permission to keep a Jewish child she sheltered during the war. Hellman writes that Jaromirska "was instructed by the pope to return the child to its father." In his letter to Jaromirska, the pope told her it was her duty as a Catholic to return the child and to do so in goodwill and friendship.
(ADL), who had himself been baptized as a child and had undergone a custody battle afterwards, called for an immediate freeze on Pius's beatification process until the relevant Vatican Secret Archives
and baptismal records were opened. Foxman, however, has not repeated the allegation in subsequent statements and ADL press releases concerning Pope Pius XII.
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
under Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
issued instructions that Catholic institutions and families should keep baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
Jewish children in their ranks after they had been rescued from a likely deportation to Auschwitz.
1946 document
In 2005, Corriere della SeraCorriere della Sera
The Corriere della Sera is an Italian daily newspaper, published in Milan.It is among the oldest and most reputable Italian newspapers. Its main rivals are Rome's La Repubblica and Turin's La Stampa.- History :...
published a document dated 20 November 1946 on the subject of Jewish children baptized in war-time France. The document ordered that baptized children, if orphaned, should be kept in Catholic custody and stated that the decision "has been approved by the Holy Father".
Angelo Roncalli
Angelo RoncalliPope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
, who would become Pope John XXIII, was serving as Nuncio
Nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
for France, and reportedly ignored this directive. He would later be recognized by Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....
as Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous among the Nations of the world's nations"), also translated as Righteous Gentiles is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis....
because of his assistance to the Jewish underground when he was Nuncio for Greece and Turkey.
Finaly Affair
A notable case in relation to this controversy is the Finaly Affair, which occurred in France between 1945 and 1953. Cardinal Pierre-Marie GerlierPierre-Marie Gerlier
Pierre-Marie Gerlier was a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Lyon from 1937 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1937.-Biography:...
and abbé Roger Etchegaray attempted to settle the dispute by transferring the Finaly children back to Spain and into Israel, where Jewish relatives were able to raise them.
The Finaly Affair has been compared to the Mortara Affair in the 19th century because the Vatican had issued very similar instructions on the case of Edgardo Mortara, who had received an emergency baptism
Emergency baptism
An emergency baptism is a baptism administered to a person in imminent danger of death. This can be done by a person not normally authorized to administer the sacrament.-Latin Rite:...
and was therefore taken from his Jewish family.
Pius XII's personal intervention
Pius XII personally intervened in one case. According to Peter Hellman's book, Avenue of the Righteous (1980), a Polish Catholic woman named Leokadia Jaromirska, who was later honored as a Righteous GentileRighteous gentile
Righteous gentile may refer to:* Ger toshav, "stranger-foreigner", Aramaic and Hebrew term for a resident alien in a Jewish state.* Righteous among the Nations, an honorific bestowed by the State of Israel to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews from the Nazis...
by the State of Israel, wrote to the pope, seeking his permission to keep a Jewish child she sheltered during the war. Hellman writes that Jaromirska "was instructed by the pope to return the child to its father." In his letter to Jaromirska, the pope told her it was her duty as a Catholic to return the child and to do so in goodwill and friendship.
Anti-Defamation League
Abe Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation LeagueAnti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
(ADL), who had himself been baptized as a child and had undergone a custody battle afterwards, called for an immediate freeze on Pius's beatification process until the relevant Vatican Secret Archives
Vatican Secret Archives
The Vatican Secret Archives , located in Vatican City, is the central repository for all of the acts promulgated by the Holy See. The Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, having primal incumbency until death, owns the archives until the next appointed Papal successor...
and baptismal records were opened. Foxman, however, has not repeated the allegation in subsequent statements and ADL press releases concerning Pope Pius XII.