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The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara: A Heartbreaking Tale of Faith, Family, and the Power of Loss

Jackson Hayes

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In 1858, a six-year-old Jewish boy named Edgardo Mortara was kidnapped by the Papal States. The kidnapping sparked outrage throughout the world and led to a diplomatic crisis between the Papacy and the Italian government. The case of Edgardo Mortara is a powerful and moving account of a young boy's kidnapping and the devastating impact it had on his family.

The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara

by David I. Kertzer

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	4302 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	367 pages

Edgardo Mortara was born in Bologna, Italy, in 1852. His parents were devout Jews, and Edgardo was raised in a traditional Jewish household. In 1858, when Edgardo was six years old, he was playing in the street when he was approached by a group of men. The men told Edgardo that they were from the Papal States and that they had come to take him to Rome. Edgardo was terrified, but the men told him that he would be safe with them. They also told him that he would be baptized into the Catholic Church.

Edgardo was taken to Rome and placed in a Catholic orphanage. He was baptized into the Catholic Church and given the name Giovanni Battista Mortara. Edgardo's parents were devastated by his kidnapping. They pleaded with the Papal States to return their son, but their pleas were ignored. The case of Edgardo Mortara became a cause célèbre throughout the world. People from all walks of life were outraged by the kidnapping of a young child. The Italian government also protested the kidnapping, but the Papal States refused to return Edgardo.

Edgardo remained in the Catholic orphanage for 12 years. During that time, he was raised as a Catholic and given a Catholic education. He was also forbidden from seeing his parents or any other members of his family. In 1870, when Edgardo was 18 years old, the Papal States were overthrown by the Italian government. Edgardo was finally reunited with his parents, but he had been forever changed by his experience. He had lost his faith in Judaism and had become a devout Catholic. He also had a difficult time adjusting to life outside of the orphanage. He had been raised in a strict Catholic environment and he had difficulty adapting to the more secular world.

Edgardo Mortara died in 1940 at the age of 88. He was a complex and controversial figure. He was a victim of religious persecution, but he also converted to Catholicism and became a devout Catholic. He was a symbol of the power of faith and the power of loss.

The kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara is a powerful and moving story that explores the themes of faith, family, and the power of loss. It is a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara

by David I. Kertzer

4.3 out of 5