PRIESTS’ RETURN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25735, 5 January 1945, Page 2

PRIESTS’ RETURN

LIFE IN NAZI ROME REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE (Special) AUCKLAND, Jan. 4. Two Auckland Roman Catholic nriests who had the remarkable expen-, ence of living in Rome throughout Italy’s participation in the wai have returned to New Zealand with the latest draft of members of the 2nd NZEF in the Central Mediterranean theatre. They arc the Rev. Fameis Owen N. Snedden and John Flanagan, both former pupils of Sacred Hear. College. Fathers Snedden and Flanagan were ordained in Rome in February. 1941 after being students at the College of Propaganda for three years. When Italy entered the war they . and al other British students were given the option of leaving Italy or continuing with their studies in the Vatican City. The two Aucklanders decided to remain and complete the course. Later Father Snedden became known to radio listeners in every British country. His was the voice which for three years regularly, broadcast from the Vatican City radio the names of prisoners of war in Axis hands. Particularly after Greece and Crete, Father Snedden was the means by which many New Zealand families first learned that their menfolk had not been killed in the confused fighting of those two campaigns. He continued with this work until the Allies captured Rome. In other ways, too, he was able to be of aid and comfort to prisoners and their relatives. After Germany virtually assumed control of Italy the position of the two priests became even more remarkable than it bad been when they had to deal only with the Italians. Their duties frequently took them beyond the boundaries of the Vatican City, but although they were the nationals of a country at war with Germany, the Germans in Rome seem to have respected punctiliously the rights of the Vatican, and the Vatican passports carried by the two Aucklanders ensured them of safety from German guards and patrols. Father Snedden is a brother of Mr N. C. Snedden, the former well-known cricketer, and Father Flanagan is the son of Police Inspector M. Flanagan and Mrs Flanagan, of Auckland.