Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - Giovanni Palatucci was a young man from the province of Avellino (Italy) who gave up his medical carrier to become a policeman, as a vocation. During the Second World War, while he was in charge of the Office of Foreign Affairs in Fiume (Italy), he saved the lives of thousands of Jews, gypsies, and persecuted. It is estimated that he falsified nearly 5,000 passports prior to the armistice. After the armistice, during the German occupation, Palatucci became the police chief in Fiume, working in support of its cause for independence. A plan of action that he had written and that was destined for the Allies fell into the hands of the Germans, leading to his arrest and death sentence.
The heroic saga of the last police chief of Fiume has been compiled by Angelo Picariello in his book entitled, “Capuozzo, Indulge this Child - The Life of Giovanni Palatucci” (Saint Paul Editions). The book was presented April 1 at the Lateran Pontifical University. The book was given its title by Prof. Elio Guerrico, Vice-Director of Saint Paul Editions and moderator of the event. The book’s title is a sentence taken from one of the last heroic acts performed by this simple man in the dramatic moment of his deportation to Dachau, where he died at the age of 36. Just before his departure, Palatucci told one of his subordinates to pass along word of the deportation to the mother of one of the young men in the vehicle with him, thus fulfilling the youth’s wishes.
In his opening words, Bishop Rino Fisichella, Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University, expressed his joy for having been able know and introduce others to “not only a man that, God willing, is on his way to sainthood, but a man who also had an incredible sense of his duties to his country.” He was a policeman who manifested the ideal that motivated him -justice and magnanimity - until the very last moment of his life, offering us an amazing testimony in a time period characterized by a profound credibility crisis among political leaders. Dr. Manganelli, Chief of Police, shared his experience of having come across the testimony of Palatucci nearly 20 years ago, thanks to the author of his first biographical work, journalist Goffredo Raimo. Palatucci’s story sparked the police chief’s curiosity, as he had been a policeman who chose to show his great respect for humanity and for the country by disobeying an unjust and illegitimate order. Palatucci was a unique hero. Normally, we expect heroic acts to be a “moment that stands out within the context of an ordinary life,” the magistrate said; however, in the case of the last police officer of Fiume, the heroism lasted over 6 years’ time, leaving with it a message for us to receive and share with others. Senator Giulio Andreotti, also present at the event, expressed his wish that stories like Palatucci’s, which often remain untold, may soon find support, audiences, and followers. Palatucci’s cause for beatification is underway, having completed the diocesan phase in the Diocese of Rome, in 2002. The cause is now awaiting subsequent declarations from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. (PC) (Agenzia Fides 2/4/2008; righe 39, parole 532)
