American bombing of Castel Gandolfo recalled
February 21, 2026
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CWN Editor's Note: Laudato Si’ Village, dedicated last September at Castel Gandolfo, recalled the anniversary of the American bombing of the Holy See’s property in 1944, during World War II.
The hundreds of refugees who were killed “were people looking only for a safe place,” said Father Manuel Dorantes, administrative director of the Laudato Si’ Higher Education Center. “They were seeking protection.”
Pope Venerable Pius XII, who reigned from 1939 to 1958, “opened doors,” Father Dorantes added. “He made space available. He saved lives.”
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