Francesco Bonifacio - World War II

World War II

War broke out in June 1940, but had very little effect in Istria. The war escalated, right after the Italian debacle of September 8, 1943. The both components of the Communist Party, Italian and Yugoslav, quickly organized to take power in the area. German troops arrived around mid-September occupying the key positions of Istria. The local population was now consisted of German soldiers and their Fascist allied, and Communist Partisans. Life, already not easy, was made even harder. Moreover; the Villa Gardossi area with its forests and isolated houses, was an ideal land for the Partisan guerrilla. Don Francesco did not change his mind and continued his service on behalf of his community, but faced this new situation with great energy and extreme courage. During a German Army cordon and Army search operation, he risked his life to recover and bury the bodies of fallen partisans. He prevented the Germans for setting a house on fire, because they believed to be a partisan shelter. He prevented protested at the Fascist HQ of Buie regarding the murder of a peasant, and saved a man from a Partisan firing squad, because the Partisans believed him to be a German informer. He sheltered in his canonic house, youths who didn’t want to be drafted into the new Italian Fascist Army or wanted to avoid been induced into the Partisan forces. To his parishioners he delivered his simple attitude, regarding the present situation,” God, is not the author of the present evil; the authors are men soaked with the sin”.