The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara

The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara documents a true incident from 1858 when papal authorities seized a six-year-old Jewish boy from his family in Bologna. The removal of the child was ordered after Church officials learned he had been secretly baptized by a servant years earlier, making him legally Christian under papal law. Historian David Kertzer reconstructs the events through extensive research in Vatican archives and period documents. The narrative follows both the Mortara family's desperate fight to recover their son and Pope Pius IX's refusal to return the child, despite international pressure and outrage. This case became a pivotal moment in the battle between the Catholic Church and the forces of Italian unification and modernization. At its core lies the conflict between religious authority and civil rights in 19th century Europe. The book raises enduring questions about the separation of church and state, religious freedom, and the rights of parents versus institutions. Through this single family's story, Kertzer illuminates broader tensions that continue to resonate in contemporary debates about faith, law, and human rights.

Readers describe this as a gripping historical account that reads like a thriller. Many note how Kertzer makes complex 19th century Italian politics accessible while maintaining historical rigor through extensive research and documentation. Likes: - Clear explanations of the political and religious context - Well-paced narrative structure - Balanced treatment of both Catholic and Jewish perspectives - Extensive use of primary sources and Vatican archives Dislikes: - Some found the political details overwhelming - A few readers wanted more focus on Edgardo himself - Several noted redundant passages in the middle sections Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (3,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (280+ ratings) Sample review: "Kertzer expertly weaves together the personal tragedy of a family with the broader historical implications. The detailed research never gets in the way of the compelling narrative." - Goodreads reviewer "Sometimes gets bogged down in minutiae of papal politics, but the human story shines through." - Amazon reviewer

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🔹 Pope Pius IX, who refused to return Edgardo to his Jewish parents, was the longest-reigning elected pope in history (32 years) and was canonized as a saint in 2000. 🔹 Steven Spielberg acquired the rights to adapt the book into a film and has been trying to bring the story to the screen since 2016, with Tony Kushner writing the screenplay. 🔹 The Mortara case became an international scandal that contributed to the collapse of the Papal States and helped fuel the movement for Italian unification. 🔹 Author David Kertzer won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize in Biography for his later book "The Pope and Mussolini," which explored the relationship between Pope Pius XI and the fascist dictator. 🔹 The Catholic Church's practice of secretly baptizing Jewish children was not uncommon in 19th-century Italy - if a Christian servant believed a Jewish child was in danger of death, they were encouraged to perform an emergency baptism.