Pope Pius blesses Romans after liberation of Eternal City.

Pope Pius blesses Romans after liberation of Eternal City. Pope Pius XII makes his first appearance in public following the liberation of Rome by the Allies on June 4, 1944. One day after the freeing of Rome from the Germans, the Holy Father speaks from a balcony of the Basilica of Saint Peter overlooking Saint Peter's Square and blesses a crowd of several hundred thousand Romans massed to hear his wordes. The Pope sais: "Rome yesterday was fearful for the lives of her sons and daughters... She was faced with the dreaded specter of unimaginabel destruction..... Today she sees salvation with new hope and serene confidence".