DONATELLA BOLECH CECCHI

La Santa Sede, la Gran Bretagna e la guerra: la questione degli ecclesiastici cattolici di nazionalità nemica

N. 206

Summary - Among the many difficulties met by the Holy See during the Second world war there was Great Britain's hostility due to the position of neutrality claimed by Pope Pius XII. Great Britain, who wanted the Pope to take an open position in favour of the Allies against Germany and Italy, had a long quarrel with the Vatican with reference to the churchmen of Italian and German nationality, who stayed in territories under British control, mainly in North Africa.  While the Holy See pretended they were mostly loyal to the Church, the British Government was determined to treat them as enemies. Negotiations went on in Rome between the British Minister Sir Osborne d'Arcy, and the Papal representatives from 1939 to 1943, with the British determined to have all the Italian churchmen removed  from their places and the Holy See insisting on their Vatican nationality. Notwithstanding a strong opposition, the Vatican could not avoid their removal. Only in the case of Malta bishopric the Church was succesful in rejecting the British candidate as successing to the Archbishop. The question came to an end only in September 1943 when Italy signed the armistice.