Lentorama 2010: Two Millennia of Pointy Hats

Day 40: Pius XI (1922-39)

Pius' election was a bit of a surprise, as he was more focused on scholarship and research, with relatively little experience serving in positions more common among candidates for pope (he did serve as a papal nuncio to Poland and as archbishop of Milan).

Pius managed to settle the question of the church's landholdings in Rome when he signed the Lateran Treaty with Italy in 1929. This gave the pope control of Vatican City, making him the absolute ruler of the world's smallest independent state.

Pius also used his intellectual gifts in further writing and teaching on social issues, mostly in line with the writings of Leo XIII and Rerum Novarum. In all of his work in social areas, Pius focused on the moral aspects of social welfare, which continued the tendency to support the working poor. Pius believed in an economic policy favoring cooperation and solidarity, principles that were found in much of his writing on the topic. He did not particularly support and one form of government, arguing that as long as religious practice wasn't impeded, the particular form of government was not an issue. That being said, at the end of his reign he argued forcefully against communism and National Socialism. He was also an opponent of Mussolini, and he founded the feast of Christ the King to counter Il Duce's growing dictatorship.

He was somewhat less accepting when it came to relations within the church, as he maintained a strict orthodoxy. His acceptance of modern theological thought only came if it squared with church teaching, and his focus on ecumenism was strictly with bringing back those churches that were in close agreement with Catholic theology, happily ignoring the less compatible Protestant sects.

Pius undertook a number of diplomatic missions outside of Italy, including the signing of various concordats, work with Mexico, Spain and the Soviet Union to combat a rise in the murder of priests, and writings specifically condemning racism. He was also a strong supporter of scientific research.

Pius would suffer two heart attacks in November 1938, and would see his health steadily decline in the following months. He died in February 1939 after a third heart attack.

(OK, not sure how this worked, but I seem to have hit 40 days on the day after the end of Lent. I also appear to be one day short, as when I worked this out I should have ended with a pope from the latter half of the 20th century. Why do these things never quite work out for me?)