Many ordinary, humble priests and religious worked hard to save the lives of endangered Jewish people in Nazi-occupied Europe, but this Capuchin friar’s courage, compassion and derring-do shines particularly brightly amid the terrible darkness of the Holocaust.
Despite later allegations that the Catholic Church did not do enough against the Nazi regime, there were many Catholic faithful who risked torture and even gave their lives to save others in Nazi controlled areas. Some would become well-known, such as ‘Vatican pimpernel’ Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, subject of a film made about his daring exploits in Rome, and champion cyclist Gino Bartali, who cycled around the Italian countryside secretly working for the resistance.
