Rome, Italy, Oct 3, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Monsignor Gennaro Verolino, an elderly Italian priest, received the “Per Anger” award last Saturday. Established by the Swedish government, the award was given to Msgr. Verolino for his efforts to save Jews from the Nazis during World War II.
At the time, Msgr. Verolino was 38 years old and worked at the Apostolic Nunciature in Hungary, and in 1944 he helped save almost 25,000 Jews, providing shelter and diplomatic documents in Budapest, which was occupied by the Nazis.
Swedish Premier Goran Persson, visiting Rome last week, gave Msgr. Verolino the first “Per Anger Award,” a recognition instituted by the Stockholm government in memory of one its most famous diplomats. It is given to those outstanding for their humanitarian work and defense of democracy.