Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty is an unsung hero in his native Ireland. During the German occupation of Rome from 1942 to 1944, he ran an escape organization for Allied POWs and civilians, including Jews. He placed thousands in safety and was known as `the Pimpernel of the Vatican.' When the Allies entered Rome he had saved over 6,000 lives. He did this in spite of the Vatican's desire to remain neutral. He posed a question to Pope Pius XII as they discussed the risks the Monsignor's actions posed to the Vatican's political neutrality: "But what is our duty when we come face to face with evil?"
We want our Esperanza scholars to have this kind of courage. Knowledge isn't sufficient. There have been numerous examples of people throughout history who have used their knowledge for evil purposes. Therefore, we need to continually expose our scholars to examples of those who used knowledge to benefit others and to stand for the right, even in spite of danger to oneself.
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