Archbishop Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, Bulgaria, 1931-1934, and Greece-Turkey, 1934-1943

Archbishop Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (1881-1963), who later became Pope John XXIII, interceded with King Boris of Bulgaria on behalf of the Bulgarian Jews, and with the Turkish government on behalf of Jewish refugees who had fled to Turkey.  A source of information to the Vatican about the Holocaust was provided by Roncalli.  He provided reports about the annihilation of millions of Jews in Europe.  

Roncalli distributed Palestine certificates from the Jewish Agency for Palestine to Jews in Hungary.  He worked closely with US Ambassador to Turkey Laurence Steinhardt, WRA representative Ira Hirschmann, Jewish Agency for Palestine representative Chaim Barlas and others in helping Jewish refugees escape to Turkey. 

In 1944, Roncalli was appointed Nuncio to Paris.  In 1953, he was appointed Patriarch of Venice. 

In 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope.  He was responsible for instituting many of the reforms in the Catholic Church, especially those recommended by his Vatican II Council.  These actions led to closer relations between Jews and Catholics.  Roncalli died in 1963.