Pope to allow Hesse-Savoy marriage: official!

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 July 18, 1925

The negotiations, which lasted for more than two months, the Vatican has issued a dispensation permitted the religious wedding between Princess Mafalda, King Vittorio Emanuele's second daughter, and Prince Philipp of Hesse, reports the Chicago Daily Tribune in an exclusive dispatch.

Princess Mafalda and Prince Philipp faced numerous obstacles, including religion and the Prince's unique position.    The Vatican had over worried concerns about the "future happiness of the Princess," who was marrying into a Protestant family.   The "usual precautions required by the rules governing mixed marriages appeared practically useless" in Prince Philipp's case.

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 The House of Hesse was one of the "first ruling houses to embrace the Reformation, becoming its supporter and defender, and even founding the first Lutheran university."   Vatican officials believed that "such a family would naturally bring up their offspring as Lutherans."  The Holy Office requires that the children of mixed marriages "must be educated as Catholics."

The Pope was called upon to "intervene to modify the unrelaxing attitude of the prelates.

Further written guarantees "were demanded" of Prince Philipp, who "solemnly promised never to interfere with the Princess's religious duties or the religious education of the children."

At the same time, King Vittorio Emanuele and Princess Mafalda, informed the Vatican that the "House of Savoy was most proud of its religion and would never tolerate its children becoming Protestants."

[The couple's eldest son, Prince Moritz, was baptized in the Roman Catholic church on August 9, 1926.  At some point, however, he became a Lutheran.  He was married according to the rites of the Lutheran church.]