Père Marie-Benoît

Père Marie-Benoît (Anglicized, Father Mary Benedict; in Italian, known as Padre Maria Benedetto; 3 March 1895 – 5 February 1990) was born Pierre Péteul. As a Capuchin Franciscan friar he helped smuggle approximately 4,000 Jews into safety from Nazi-occupied Southern France. On 1 December 1966, he was honored with the Medal of the Righteous among the Nations for his courage and self-sacrifice. His actions to save Jews during the Holocaust were the reason for his epithet Father of the Jews .

Life before World War II Born Pierre Péteul, Father Marie-Benoît served in World War I in North Africa, and was wounded at Verdun. He received the distinction of five citations and the Croix de Guerre. After the war he joined the Franciscan Capuchin Order and earned a doctorate in theology at Rome. In 1940 he returned to France and became a priest stationed in Marseille.

Also in Nice, Father Benoît met Angelo Donati, a Jewish banker and director of the French-Italian Bank of Credit. Donati had a plan to transport over the Italien Jews to North Africa by boat. However, in order to approach the Italian authorities, he needed the cooperation of the Holy See.

Upon the urging of his friends, Father Marie-Benoît disappeared from France and resurfaced in Rome as Padre Benedetti. One of his hiding places was commemorated by the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, a non-governmental organization which researches Holocaust rescuers and advocates for their recognition. thumb

He was elected to the board of DELASEM (Delegazione Assistenza Emigranti Ebrei: "Delegation for the Assistance of Jewish Emigrants"), the central Jewish welfare organization in Italy of which he eventually became president.

Marie-Benoît transferred the DELASEM headquarters to the International College of the Capuchins, and inaugurated an operation to forge documents there. His office was raided several times by the Gestapo, early in 1945, with the arrest, torture, and execution of most of the rest of the DELASEM leadership, Father Benoît was persuaded to go into hiding. Against everyone's expectations, he actually survived the war.

Recognition When Rome was liberated in June 1944, the Jewish community—led by Rabbi Israel Zoller—held an official synagogue ceremony in honor of Father Benoît, "shower[ing] him with praise." Years later, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson delivered a speech in which he said that Father Benoît's "wonderful actions" should "inspire the American people in the protection and preservation of the rights of citizens, irrespective of race, color or religion."

On 1 December 1966, Yad Vashem officially recognized Father Benoit as a Righteous Among the Nations. Overall, he helped thousands of Jews to reach Switzerland and Spain from the South of France, or escape by other means. Even while pursued by the Gestapo, he escaped to Rome, where he continued his efforts for the Jews.

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