Letter from Joseph P. Walshe to Frederick H. Boland (Dublin)(Secret and Confidential)

My dear Secretary,
As I reported by telegram yesterday evening¹ I was received in audience by His Holiness at 10.45 yesterday morning. I delivered the Taoiseach's message,² and I added that all the members of the Government were praying for Him at this ... one of the gravest moments in the history of Christianity. The Holy Father was moved by the Message. 'Ireland is always faithful', he said, 'and I want her fidelity now.' He went on to speak of the imminent danger to the Church in Italy, and in the whole of western Europe. I agreed with Him as to the gravity of [the] hour, and I added that the situation was made incomparably worse by the lack of realization of the danger on the part [of] Christians generally, and particularly, perhaps, of some important Italian Catholic groups.

The Holy Father was looking very tired indeed, and for the first time I saw Him in a mood of the deepest pessimism. Instead of sitting bolt upright in His Chair as He usually does, He was leaning back hunched up, almost physically overcome by the weight of His present burdens. 'If they have a majority, what can I do to govern the Church as Christ wants me to govern?' The Holy Father spoke with such anguish and such incredible frankness that I felt at once obliged to reply that at least Ireland understood the depth of His anguish. Her Catholic instinct realized the danger to the Church of Christ, and the Government and people were ready to do everything within their power to serve Him. I added specifically that the Government, as well as the people, would regard it as the greatest moment in our history, if He deigned to make Ireland the home of the Holy See, for the period of persecution, if and when it came. For this offer He expressed His deepest gratitude and went on to say 'Ireland is the only place I could go to ... only there would I have the atmosphere and the sense of security to rule the Church as Christ wants me to rule it.'

Then the Holy Father suddenly sat up in His Chair and turned round leaning towards me and looking at me with His piercing jet black eyes. He said almost sharply; 'Yes, but what do you, as a follower of Christ, think I ought to do?' I was thunderstruck by the question. More than ever before I realized the Christlike character of the Holy Father, and the very force of His supreme spirituality made me say, almost in spite of myself, when I recovered from my emotion, 'I think You ought to stay, Holy Father'. 'And that is what I think and that is what I intend to do. My post is Rome and if it be the will of the Divine Master, I am ready to be martyred for Him in Rome.'

This was the most unforgettable moment of my life and every word the Holy Father said remains in my mind as if I were still listening to Him now. And all I said in my report of a few days ago seems almost optimistic in comparison with the attitude of the Pope.³ I hope the Government can make some gesture, however small, to show Him that we are with Him in a practical way in the struggle.

When I received the Taoiseach's message,⁴ I made all the necessary arrangements for an Audience (given with unheard of promptitude) in a talk with Mgr. Montini. The latter as well as the Holy Father realized the necessity of urgent publicity. I went to see my friends at the Osservatore⁵ offices afterwards, and subsequently to the Audience. Mr. MacDonald and I made all possible arrangements for wide publicity.

The Osservatore put the Message in its best news space. Although, Wednesday being a two page day, is a bad day for publicity purposes the message has appeared in the Quotidiano (Azione Cattolica), Messagero (liberal conservative) and no doubt will appear in other papers tomorrow. I am afraid Fr. Dunne the Corresp of the Inpd and Standard made his usual gaffe of translating badly from Italian.