Pankratius Pfeiffer

Pankratius Pfeiffer SDS (Italian: Pancrazio Pfeiffer; born Markus Pfeiffer; 18 October 1872 – 13 May 1945) was a German Catholic priest and superior general of the Salvatorian order for 30 years. During the Nazi occupation of Rome during the Second World War, he acted as an informal liaison between Pope Pius XII and the German leadership. In this capacity, he rescued hundreds of Jews and others in Rome from execution by the Nazis. He also persuaded the Nazis to spare several Italian cities from destruction during their retreat from Italy. As a result, Pfeiffer became known as "the Angel of Rome."

The Very Reverend

Pankratius Pfeiffer

SDS
Born
Markus Pfeiffer

(1872-10-18)18 October 1872
Brunnen, Bavaria, German Empire
Died13 May 1945(1945-05-13) (aged 72)
Rome, Kingdom of Italy
Orders
Ordination30 May 1896

Early life

Markus Pfeiffer was born on 18 October 1872 in Brunnen, Bavaria, in the German Empire. On 18 March 1889, he traveled to Rome,[1] and on 21 March, he entered the Society of the Divine Savior, commonly known as the Salvatorians, taking the religious name of Pankratius. He was ordained a priest on 30 May 1896. His first assignment was as the private secretary to the founder and superior general of the Salvatorian order, Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan, and was stationed at the Salvatorian motherhouse,[2] Palazzo Cesi-Armellini, in Rome.[3]

Salvatorian leadership

The Salvatorians' first general chapter was convened in 1902,[4] where Pfeiffer was elected procurator general. While holding this position, he also became a consultor to Jordan.[2] In 1908, he began work in the Vatican, in the office overseeing papal audiences.[1]

Due to the outbreak of the First World War, the Salvatorian generalate moved from Rome to Fribourg, Switzerland.[4] The third general chapter was held in Fribourg 1915, at which Pfeiffer was elected to succeed Jordan as superior general of the Society of the Divine Savior. Pfeiffer was considered an effective leader of the order, despite a financial crisis in 1930.[2]

Role in saving Jews and others from the Nazis

During the Second World War, Pfeiffer became an informal liaison between Pope Pius XII and the German leadership during the occupation of Rome by the Nazis in 1943 and 1944. In this capacity, he saved many Jews in Rome from persecution and ultimately death.[2] During the occupation, Pfeiffer would travel every two days to the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, where he would inform the secretariat of Jews who had been arrested and would receive the Vatican's requests for release to be delivered to the Nazis.[5][6]

It is unknown precisely how many Jews were saved due to the efforts of Pfeiffer.[2][7] On one occasion, the pope used Pfeiffer as an intermediary to speak with General Reiner Stahel, the commander of Nazi forces in Rome, and Heinrich Himmler, to secure the release of 249 Jews that had been rounded up.[5][8] On another occasion, Pfeiffer persuaded the Nazis to release 400 hostages, eight of whom were Jews, who were being transported to their execution by firing squad.[9][10][11]

In addition to Jews, Pfeiffer saved others from the Nazis. Every day, Pfeiffer visited the Regina Coeli prison and another prison on Via Tasso, where he would often return with freed prisoners who had been sentenced to death.[2][12] During the German retreat from Italy in 1945, Pfeiffer also convinced the Nazis to refrain from destroying several Italian cities.[13] As a result of his efforts saving people from the Nazis, Pfeiffer became known as "the Angel of Rome".[13][14]

Death

On 12 May 1945, Pfeiffer was knocked down by a British military jeep as he tried to cross the road to the Vatican.[2] He died the following day.[15] On the day of his death, Vatican Radio paid tribute to him for his actions during the Second World War.[16] He was succeeded as superior general by Facundus Peterk.[17]

A short street in Rome off of Via della Conciliazione was named in his honor.[13][18]

References

Citations
  1. "Sixty years since the death of Father Pfeiffer Salvatorian Fathers open "On Mission in Rome" Exhibition to commemorate the Catholic priest who saved hundreds of lives during Nazi occupation". Agenzia Fides. 12 May 2005. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  2. "Fr. Pankratius Pfeiffer: Successor to the Founder as Superior General" (PDF). Salvatorians USA Province. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  3. "The Motherhouse of the Society of the Divine Savior" (PDF). Salvatorians USA Province. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  4. Lomonaco, Amedeo (15 May 2021). "Founder of the Salvatorians beatified in Rome". Vatican News. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  5. Gagliarducci, Andrea (29 August 2021). "Expert's latest investigation dispels myths about Pius XII and Rome's Jews". Catholic News Agency. Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  6. Graham 1973, p. 467
  7. Bottum & Dalin 2010, p. 139
  8. Graham 1973, p. 469
  9. Preziosi, Giovanni (16 October 2011). "La lista di Pfeiffer" [Pfeiffer's List]. L'Osservatore Romano (in Italian). p. 5. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  10. Guilfoyle, Kate (18 October 2018). "Pius XII: The pope who fought Hitler". The Catholic Weekly. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  11. "SDS in 1945 - The Final Days of World War II" (PDF). Salvatorians. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  12. Graham 1973, p. 468
  13. Diaz Vizzi, Daniel (9 October 2021). "The German priest who helped Pius XII save Jews during World War II". Rome Reports. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  14. "Palazzo Cardinal Cesi – a hotel in the heart of christendom". Inside the Vatican. 1 June 2014. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  15. "Rev. Pancratius Pfeiffer". The New York Times. 13 May 1945. p. 17. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  16. Bottum & Dalin 2010, p. 138
  17. "Generalate". Society of the Divine Saviour. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  18. _ (1999). Publik-Forum, Vol. 28, p. 44.

Sources

Further reading
  • Willer, Philomena (2005). P. Pankratius Pfeiffer SDS (1872–1945): Vom Bäckergesellen zum Vatikandiplomat (in German). Lindenberg: Kunstverlag Josef Fink. ISBN 3-89870-221-9.
  • van Meijl, Peter (2007). Pater Pancratius Pfeiffer SDS und sein Einsatz für die Juden während der deutschen Besatzung in Rom (1943–1944) (in German). Vienna: Austrian Province of the Salvatorians.
  • Samerski, Stefan (2005). "Im Dienst der Kirche ständig bemüht um die Rettung von Menschen. Erinnerung an Pater Pankratius Pfeiffer SDS (1872–1945)". L'Osservatore Romano (in German). Vol. 35. p. 5.
  • Samerski, Stefan (2013). Pancratius Pfeiffer, der verlängerte Arm von Pius XII (in German). Munich: Ferdinand Schöningh. doi:10.30965/9783657767267. ISBN 978-3-506-76726-4.
  • Dollmann, Eugen (2002). Roma nazista 1937-1943. Un protagonista della storia racconta. Superbur Saggi (in Italian). Translated by Zingarelli, Italo. Rizzoli Libri. ISBN 9788817128018.
  • Angelozzi Gariboldi, Giorgio (1988). Pio XII, Hitler e Mussolini: il Vaticano fra le dittature (in Italian). Milan: Mursia. ISBN 8842528757.
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