Rotta Angelo

Rotta, Monsignor Angelo Monsignor Angelo Rotta was the Apostolic Nuncio – the Vatican’s representative – in Hungary during the period of the Holocaust. In the period before the German occupation, Rotta helped absorb refugees from Poland, among them many Jews. After the German invasion, Monsignor Rotta was the first among the diplomats of the neutral states to press the Catholic Church and the Hungarian establishment to act against the anti-Jewish policies. When Rotta learned about the ghettoization and the brutal deportation of the Jews from Hungary, he was quick to register his protest. These policies must be brought to an end, he said, “because the real meaning of these is already widely known.” In the summer and winter of 1944, Rotta was a signatory on open letters of protest sent by representatives of the neutral states. These letters called for the end of the deportations, and demanded protection for Jewish children. Rotta did not limit his efforts to diplomatic measures. Beginning in the summer of 1944, when it seemed that converted Jews would not be sent to Auschwitz, and during the Arrow Cross period which began in October of that year, Rotta issued letters of Vatican protection for Jews serving in military labor-service companies. He signed these documents knowing full well that they would be used by Jews who had no intention of converting to Christianity, with whom he had never had any personal contact. During the Arrow Cross period, Rotta sent his representative, Sandor Ujvári, to follow the Jews who were sent by foot on death marches from Budapest to Vienna. He gave Ujvári blank, pre-signed protection letters to be distributed to the persecuted Jews. As Ujvári later testified, Rotta granted him absolution in advance for all sins, lies, forgeries and other actions he might be forced to commit in order to save Jews, because although he would be breaking the law of the land, he would be acting in the spirit of God. Rotta supported the heroic actionsof Giorgio Perlasca*, an Italian businessman who masqueraded as a Spanish diplomat in his quest to save Jews. When Perlasca revealed his true identity to Rotta, the Nuncio smiled and gave Perlasca his blessing. Rotta also cooperated with Nina Langlet*(see Sweden), who, together with her husband Valdemar, stood at the head of the Swedish Red Cross. In her book, written after the war, Langlet describes how Rotta told her that, although he received approval from the Hungarians to issue 2,500 letters of Vatican protection to Jews, he actually signed more than 19,000 such documents. Rotta took a tremendous risk by helping Jews. According to documents that later came to light, the Germans were secretly monitoring Rotta’s activities, and during the Arrow Cross period his messengers were arrested and shot. Despite the ever-present danger, Bishop Rotta continued in his diplomatic efforts and covert activities. He used the power of his official position to give strength to persecuted Jews all around him, and by doing so, saved many lives. On July 16, 1997, Yad Vashem recognized Monsignor Angelo Rotta as Righteous Among the Nations.