The belief that the Vatican is still opposed to any transfer of the Palestine Mandate from Britain to Italy is expressed by Sir Odo Russell, Minister Plenipotentiary to the Holy See from 1922 to 1928, in a letter published to The Times.
The letter followed reports that the Bishop of Terracina had asked for prayers that the flag of Italy be raised over the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. During recent weeks. Rome has waged an intense propaganda campaign upholding Italy as the “logical and legitimate” protector of Palestine. Early in June, 30 Italian bishops sent a telegram to Premier Mussolini urging him to plant the Italian flag in Jerusalem.
In his letter Sir Odo describes a conversation he had 15 years ago when he was British envoy to the Holy See with the then Papal Secretary of State, the late Cardinal Gasparri. “When I jestingly suggested that His Eminence might prefer to see the mandate transferred to the Italian Government he held up his hands in horror and though his retort was a curt ‘God forbid’ it was uttered with such vehemence as to leave me in no doubt of the Vatican’s view of the matter.”
A subsequent conversation revealed that the British guardianship of Holy Places was regarded with complete approval by the Holy See, Sir Odo says. “Though this opinion was given before the signing of the Lateran Treaty (between the Italian Government and the Vatican) I have a shrewd suspicion it still prevails and will continue to prevail despite the war,” Sir Odo asserts.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
