Cardinal Gasparri instructs Pacelli to make clear to the Bavarian People’s Party leadership and Bavarian clergy that the Vatican does not favor the secession of Bavaria from the German Reich, stating that “it is the constant principle of the Holy See to stay remote from all purely political questions.” - Feb. 14, 1920
Source: Timeline
Feb. 14, 1920 Cardinal Gasparri instructs Pacelli to make clear to the Bavarian People’s Party leadership and Bavarian clergy that the Vatican does not favor the secession of Bavaria from the German Reich, stating that “it is the constant principle of the Holy See to stay remote from all purely political questions.” Italian original at www.Pacelli-Edition.de and English translation
On the same date, Schioppa sends Gasparri Baron Cramer-Klett’s report of his discussions with government figures in Berlin about establishing diplomatic relations with the Vatican. Italian original at www.Pacelli-Edition.de. and English translation
Feb. 14, 1920 Gasparri to Pacelli:
It has just now been reported to the Holy See that the leader of the Bavarian Center Party, Dr. Heim, has let slip in public a statement to the effect that the Holy See itself has shown its preference for the secession of Bavaria from the German Reich.I believe it superfluous to put it to Your Excellency how it is the constant principle of the Holy See to stay remote from all purely political questions and thus, how no statement would have been made by It to the effect indicated. It would desire, therefore, to deny publicly what Dr. Heim has attributed to the Holy See, in the event, to be sure, that it would turn out that he publicly expressed such a thought. If it is shown that he did this privately, Your Excellency may arrange to make known, in a confidential manner, the complete groundlessness of his affirmation. In any case, since it is reported that the attitude attributed to the Holy See by Dr. Heim has made a profound impression on the lower clergy of Bavaria, see to it, Your Excellency, how best to correct that impression...
Source: www.Pacelli-Edition.de, Document No. 1563.
Note: This communiqué may have been given to Nuncio Pacelli in Rome rather than transmitted to Munich. Pacelli traveled to Rome around February 10, 1920, the date of his mother’s death. He did not return to Munich until two months later, arriving on the night before April 12, 1920, according to the Bayerischer Kurier of that date. On March 5, 1920, the Auditor of the Munich Nunciature, Msgr. Schioppa, wrote Cardinal Gasparri that he had just received the Feb. 14 communiqué. See below.
Feb. 14, 1920 Schioppa, Auditor of Munich Nunciature, to Gasparri:
Most Reverend Eminence,
Baron Cramer-Klett came to see me upon his return from Berlin, where he had gone at the request of the Government to confer in general on the conditions in Italy and in particular on the question of German Representation at the Holy See. The aforesaid Baron charged me to report to Your Most Reverend Eminence how he carried out his duty to say what would be the current point of view of the Central Government concerning said Representation, subject to awaiting the decision that Prussia will take in this regard.
The Reich Government is very much inclined to transform the Prussian Legation at the Holy See into an Embassy; and, to support the venerated desire of the Holy Father, would be disposed to have the Bavarian Legation remain alongside this Embassy, but only temporarily (provisionally), that is, so long as the all the issues arising in Bavaria in consequence of the well-known political changes have not been completely resolved with the Holy See. In this sense, the Bavarian People’s Party would have to work to overcome the difficulties that will certainly be put forward by Minister-President Hoffmann, who has already spoken in some way for the abolition of the aforesaid Bavarian Legation (see Report No. 15420), and Cramer-Klett has therefore spoken in this regard with one of the Leaders of the mentioned Party, who promised him to act in this direction.
The Baron believes that this proposal could be accepted; 1st) because if the Prussian Legation were not transformed into a German Embassy, the “Reich,” as such, would not be represented at the Holy See, since until now the prevailing tendency is that the “Reich” itself should not be considered more unitary with Prussia; and thus the aforesaid Legation could not per se represent more than just Prussia; 2nd) because it can easily be foreseen that the solution of issues alluded to between Bavaria and the Holy See will proceed at great length and thus an abolition of the Bavarian Legation is not to be feared in the near future; 3rd) because, once the German Embassy is created, it does not seem possible that a new reduction of the rank of the Legation would follow, in case the Bavarian Government would ask, in consequence, that its provisional Legation at the Holy See would become permanent; finally 4th) because the status quo ante is no longer possible. The Central Government has every interest in showing that Prussia no longer has hegemony in Germany. A Prussian Legation at the Holy See would now represent just the opposite.
The same Baron told me that the Archbishop of Munich, to whom he has spoken of the matter, expressed a view contrary to his proposed solution, fearing that the enemies of the Church in Bavaria could take advantage of the provisional situation of the Bavarian Diplomatic Representative at the Holy See as an occasion to demand its suppression. The Baron, however, does not share this fear of Archbishop von Faulhaber and believes the proposal from Berlin can definitely be accepted, in the event, naturally, that the Holy Father deigns to approve it. Meanwhile, Baron Cramer-Klett would like to know the August Thought of His Holiness in this regard. He believes that if the Central Government could eventually say to Prussia that this is indeed the desire of the Holy See, it would perhaps be easier to obtain its consent.
My interlocutor further said to me that Mr. von Grünau, the Relator for Vatican Affairs at the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, told him that the German Government will strongly desire the creation of a Nunciature in Berlin, not at all in opposition to the continuance of that in Munich, and would urgently desire that this Berlin Nunciature be made a fait accompli as soon as possible, so that the Apostolic Nuncio can be given precedence over the other Diplomatic Representatives, who currently are only Chargés d'Affaires and who later, when they are eventually elevated to the rank of Ministers or Ambassadors, will have to acknowledge the indisputable precedence acquired by the Pontifical Representative.
Finally, the aforementioned Baron told me that, having spoken about the issue with Minister Erzberger who assured him - with his accustomed optimism - that with the first of next March the Prussian Legation at the Holy See should be transformed into the German Embassy.
Humbly bowing to kiss the Sacred Purple ...
Lorenzo Schioppa, Auditor
Source: www.Pacelli-Edition.de, Document No. 1018.