Pope honors 'heroic' German priest for saving Jews during WWII

Published: 2005-05-16

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI praised the "heroic dedication" of a German-born priest who, during World War II, persuaded Nazi officials to spare the lives of Jews and political dissidents imprisoned in Rome. Salvatorian Father Pancrazio Pfeiffer was general superior of the Society of the Divine Savior in Rome during the nine months Italy was occupied by German troops. He became known as "the pope's messenger" as he took advantage of his German origins to gather information and mediate on behalf of Pope Pius XII with German authorities to get immunity for religious institutes in Rome and win clemency for Jewish and political prisoners. Because Father Pfeiffer developed numerous personal contacts with some members of the German forces, he was able to save the lives of hundreds of prisoners.

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