Pope Pius XII sent a blessing to the people of Israel, it was revealed here today by the winner of an all-Italy Bible Quiz.
The blessing was spoken during a private interview the Pope gave Miss Laura Cerutti, a Catholic, who leaves today to participate in the finals in Jerusalem of the International Bible Quiz. As far as is known, this is the first time the Pontiff has sent a blessing to the people of Israel.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.