Forgiveness

One of the Nazi secret agents during World War II was Peter Koch. He was known as the ‘terror of Rome,’ because of the harsh cruelty he showed during the war. After the war was over, he was arrested and condemned to death as a war criminal. In prison, Peter Koch wrote a letter to Pope Pius XII asking for forgiveness, especially for attacking San Paolo fuori le mure, one of the Roman basilicas. After reading his letter, the Pope asked Monsignor Nasalli Rocca to go to the prison and convince him that the Pope had forgiven him. He also gave him a Rosary beads. When Mons. Rocca entered the prison cell, he assured him of the Pope’s forgiveness. Koch burst into tears and said: ”My country should be ashamed of itself, the Tribunal condemned me to death, and the Pope now forgives me. It would have been much different if I had forgiven others....” At that time the Monsignor presented him with the Rosary beads. As he continued to cry, he told Rocca: “I am not worthy to touch the Pope’s Rosary with these hands with blood of so many crimes and innocent victims. I ask you to at least hang it around my neck.” Just before he was executed, he was praying the Rosary to the Blessed Mother.