Story 8 – Giovanni Terranova (aid worker)

More than 1,500 refugees gathered in the UNRRA Camp at Cinecittà have shown me how the subtle Idea of Rome and the high humanitarian spirit of UNRRA have contributed to the renewal of life for these beings, who were overwhelmed by war or uprooted far from their homes, deprived of all means of fortune, lost among the dangers of the world. At Cinecittà, I found men of every religious faith—Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, Calvinists, Copts, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc.—all living in peace with one another, respectful of each other’s beliefs, and observing each other’s rites when necessary. Two major religious groups predominate in the Camp: Catholics and Jews, while the other faiths each have only a few representatives. (…) Two big groups, then, followed by a number of people of other faiths, but all equal before the fate that has brought them here, citizens of a new world rising from the ruins of a terrible war.