: Through the world of golf (he often played with Mussolini's son-in-law). Paragraph A Why was he nicknamed the Scarlet Pimpernel?

Answer: Because Italy had signed the Lateran Treaty (1929), which granted Vatican City sovereign independence, preventing German troops from legally entering its walls to arrest fugitives. Location: Paragraph 2, sentence 1.

As World War II raged across Europe, the Vatican found itself in a precarious position. The Holy See, under the leadership of Pope Pius XII, was committed to maintaining neutrality in the conflict, while also providing aid to those in need. However, this neutrality was repeatedly tested by the Nazi regime, which sought to exploit the Vatican's diplomatic channels for its own purposes.

“Kappler went so far as to order a white line painted at the edge of Vatican territory, instructing his troops to ‘shoot the priest the moment he steps over that line, no matter the consequences.’”

The academic reading passage titled is a frequent feature in IELTS exams. It chronicles the gripping true story of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, an Irish Catholic priest who saved thousands of Allied soldiers and Jews in Rome during World War II.