The book Uccisero Anche i Bambini (the English version’s title is Martyred and Blessed Together) about the Ulma family, co-authored by Vatican correspondent for ANSA Manuela Tulli and Father Paweł Rytel-Andrianik, head of the Polish section of Vatican media, has been honored with the prestigious Italian Cardinal Michele Giordano Journalism Award. The ceremony took place on September 21 in Naples.
Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, former Archbishop of Krakow, sent a special letter to the awardees and attendees. Reflecting on the Ulma family, the long-time personal secretary to Pope John Paul II issued a powerful plea: „Their martyrdom stands as a warning to all future generations: let there be no more wars and no more antisemitism, as taught and witnessed by Saint John Paul II, who lived through both 20th-century dictatorships—Nazism, with the tragedy of World War II, and Communism.”
Archbishop Domenico Battaglia of Naples, chair of the Cardinal Michele Giordano Award, now in its 12th edition, led the ceremony. The first prize was awarded to Amicizia, written by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See. Third place went to Giovanni XXIII e Paolo VI, authored by historian Marco Roncalli. A special award was given to Teologia nella Relazione by Father Alessandro Gargiulo, and special mentions were received by Comunicare l’Invisibile by Ciro Biondi and Il Papa del Coraggio e della Fede by Mimmo Muolo.
The award, established in 2012, was first presented in 2013. It is dedicated to the memory of Cardinal Michele Giordano, who served as Archbishop of Naples from 1987 to 2006 and passed away in 2010. Cardinal Giordano was renowned for his commitment to promoting culture and education, which inspired the creation of this award in his name.
The book Uccisero Anche i Bambini by Manuela Tulli and Father Paweł Rytel-Andrianik has been published in Italian, English, and Polish, with Spanish and Portuguese editions currently in preparation. It has garnered praise from readers in various countries. The work offers a joint Italian and Polish perspective on the historical story of the Ulma family. It was developed in collaboration with the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin.
Our Sunday Visitor published the English version of the book under the title Martyred and Blessed Together—the Extraordinary Story of the Ulma Family.
The Polish edition can be downloaded for free here: https://repozytorium.kul.pl/server/api/core/bitstreams/8dbfc401-97d4-4277-9038-543a47617377/content