June 23, 1858. A knock at the door—it’s the papal police. For the Mortaras, a Jewish family living in Bologna, this is not a good sign. And soon, the officers break the agonizing news: “You have been betrayed.” The Mortaras’ six-year-old son, Edgardo, has been secretly baptized, and the Church has ordered him to be taken away. Why did the Catholic Church order a young Jewish boy to be kidnapped? And how would that decision end up re-making the map of modern Europe?Special thanks to our guest, David Kertzer, author of The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara and The Pope at War. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.