Pope Francis met with members of the British Armed Forces during the general audience on June 12, 2024, just 80 years after Pope Pius XII met with Allied soldiers shortly after the liberation of Rome on June 5, 1944.
Speaking to I.MEDIA, a member of the British Armed Forces underlined the importance of remembering the liberation of the capital, as at the time it was overshadowed by the Normandy landings that occurred a day later.
The members of the 38th (Irish) Brigade and the Royal Irish Regiment, two British army units made up of soldiers from all across Ireland, did not go unnoticed in St. Peter's Square with their striking green and red uniforms, kilts and bagpipes. Following in the footsteps of their predecessors, those who had liberated the Eternal City and been received by Pius XII on June 12, 1944, the delegation included descendants of British soldiers who had taken part in the Italian Campaign during WWII.
After attending Pope Francis' audience under a blazing sun, the delegation was able to meet the Argentine Pontiff briefly and take a photo with him. The Pope, visibly pleased with the encounter, even asked them to play their bagpipes, bugles, and drums for him, as they had done for Pius XII in 1944.
"Words almost fail me, because it was remarkable," Major General Colin Weir, Colonel of the Royal Irish Regiment, who has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and more, told I.MEDIA shortly after the meeting. “When we heard the drums start to play and we saw [...] the procession marching through the square, for me, having served for 32 years in this army, it was one of the most moving and profound experiences.”
Remembering the liberation of Rome
Colonel Weir explained that for them it was important to commemorate “the sacrifice of those soldiers who had fought for the best part of three years,” to achieve the liberation of Rome on June 5, 1944.
The Italian campaign, which pitted the Allies against Nazi forces and their Fascist allies, was particularly bitter and deadly, especially in the months leading up to the capture of Rome.
With the Normandy landings taking place the following day, the June 5 victory was quickly "knocked off the front pages," Colonel Weir highlighted.
“The sacrifice of the troops of the Second World War, both in Normandy and here, demonstrates that thing that is easily forgotten. That is, the freedoms that we take for granted need to be defended, and sometimes they need to be fought for to be recovered when we’ve lost them,” he explained.
Among the Allied troops in Rome in 1944, those of the 38th Irish Brigade - made up of many Catholics - had the opportunity to meet Pope Pius XII on June 12, 1944, and also play for him in St. Peter’s Square. In his speech in English, he acknowledged the “sorrows,” “dangers” and “uncertainties” the soldiers had lived through in the war, while calling them to “keep always and everywhere close to God.”
An important moment
The British Ambassador to the Holy See, Christopher Trott, also agreed with Colonel Weir that this commemoration was “a good reminder” of the sacrifice of Allied soldiers in Italy, highlighting how his own grandfather had fought on the peninsula. “It’s been a wonderful experience to remember him,” he said, adding that he was “thrilled” to have been able to commemorate the liberation of Rome with the Pontiff in St. Peter’s Square.
“This regiment is 350 years old and that moment of playing for the Pope will be one of the most significant points [of its story],” Colonel Weir said.
