The idiots they have done it after all

The destruction of Europe's spiritual centre, Rome being the Caput Mundi, by Allied bombing in World War Two.

The title of the post is a quote from the General Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin, the aristocratic commander of the German forces, also, like myself a Oxford graduate and more importantly an Oblate of St Benedict.

To his eternal credit, he had ensured that all the artwork of the Abbey was moved to Rome early in the war.

Cardinal Maglione, Secretary of State bluntly told the senior U.S. diplomat to the Vatican, Harold Tittmann, that the bombing was "a colossal blunder . . . a piece of a gross stupidity."