Napoleon III, whose French troops maintained order in the Papal States by agreement with the Catholic Church, was outraged. Even he was unable to persuade the Pope - who by this time had personally taken an active interest in Edgardo - to release the child.

Marianna was finally able to see her son in November, nearly five months after the kidnapping. The meetings in Rome, however, were very controlled and she was never left alone with her child.

Trying to combat the rising tide of international protest against the Church's action, the Jesuit journal, Civilta Cattolica, published an account of the Mortaras' efforts to free their son. The journal wanted its readers to believe that Edgardo's parents were motivated more by hostility against the Catholic Church than their desire to regain custody of their young boy. One can only marvel at the Church's incredible lack of sensitivity to the plight of the Mortara family.

Even Sir Moses Montefiore, a world-famous Jew who was also a British knight and member of Parliament, and his wife Judith traveled to Rome to intercede for Edgardo. A wealthy philanthropist, Sir Moses thought he would be successful where others had failed. He, too, failed to win Edgardo's release. By this time, more than eight months had passed since Edgardo had been taken from his home, and he had completed his training at the Catechumens.