Well, since a staff member at the Seattle Aquarium told me the 2+6 figure, and several Web sites give either 2+6 or 6+2, I would say it is NOT "generally agreed."
Correct. During WWII the USA of course did not have diplomatic ties with Italy. After a bomb attack on Rome the mayor (or was it governor?) asked the pope if he could do anything to get the USA not to bomb Rome again, and the pope had an envoy contact the Knights, who in turn pleaded the case with USA officials. No more bombs fell on Rome.