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Mortara Case

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:3,000.00 - 5,000.00 USD
Mortara Case

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Auction Date:2016 Jun 15 @ 18:00 (UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT)
Location:236 Commercial St., Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts, 02109, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Three printed documents regarding the controversial case of the kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara, including a copy of the letter from the Deputies of the British Jews to Pope Pius IX, three pages, February 7, 1859; a copy of Moses Montefiore’s report on the case, eight pages, 8 x 13, July 13, 1859; and a cover letter enclosing the report. The letter to the pope, in part: “In the Summer of the past year Edgar Mortara a Child of tender years was taken from the dwelling of his Father Angelo Mortara then resident at Bologna and removed altogether from parental control. The plea for this proceeding, so adverse to the laws of Nature, was that the Child had been secretly baptized some years previously…We believe that restoration of the Child to its Parents will be hailed by the World at large with entire satisfaction.” Montefiore’s report describes his attempts to meet with the pope and enter a plea for the boy’s return, in part: “I left this Country fully aware that I should have to encounter many difficulties…My first endeavour was to obtain an audience of the Sovereign Pontiff, and as the Representative of the Board, to place the Memorial in his hands and urge a compliance with its prayer, but…was received with great courtesy by his Eminence Cardinal Antonelli…The Cardinal received the Memorial from my hands and undertook to present it to the Sovereign Pontiff stating that he had presented to His Holiness similar Memorials from Holland Germany and other Countries. He considered the Mortara case a most unfortunate one but as the child (as his Eminence alleged) had been baptized it would be contrary to the Laws of the Holy See to allow it to return to its parents without that religious education to which it was entitled as a member of the Roman Catholic Church…I then urged that the fact of Baptism had not been satisfactorily proved…His Eminence replied that the question had been fully discussed…and therefore I must not expect an answer from the Sovereign Pontiff.” In very good condition, with toning and chipping to the edges. Despite the international controversy caused by this strange scenario, the boy was never returned to his parents and Pope Pius IX essentially served as a surrogate father; Edgardo Mortara grew up to become a priest and did successfully connect with his true family. An utterly fascinating collection of material related to this often forgotten but quite important historical event.