All Topics  
Pope Pius XII

 

   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link

 

Pope Pius XII


 
 

Pope Pius XII, born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli, reigned as the 260th popePope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, and, as Successor of Saint Peter, is the head of the Catholic Church....
, the human head of the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church is the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope, the Bishop of Ro...
 and sovereignMonarch

A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state....
 of Vatican CityVatican City

Vatican City formally State of the Vatican City, or Vatican City State is a sovereign city-state whose terri...
, from March 2, 1939 until his death in 1958.

Before electionPapal conclave

A papal conclave is the process by which the Roman Catholic Church elects the Bishop of Rome who, as he is considered the "S...
 to the papacy, Pacelli served as secretary of the Department of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, papal nuncio and Cardinal Secretary of StateCardinal Secretary of State

The Cardinal Secretary of State presides over the Vatican Secretariat of State, which is the oldest and most important dicas...
, in which he worked to conclude treaties with European and Latin-American nations, most notably the ReichskonkordatReichskonkordat

The Reichskonkordat is the concordat between the Holy See and the German Reich, signed in 1933....
with GermanyGermany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in central Europe....
. His leadership of the Catholic Church during World War II remains the subject of continued historical controversy.

After the war, Pius XII contributed to the rebuilding of EuropeEurope

Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth....
, and advocated peace and reconciliation, including lenient policies toward vanquished nations and the unification of Europe.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Pope Pius XII'
Start a new discussion about 'Pope Pius XII'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum






Timeline

1876   Born

1917   The Nuncio Eugenio Pacelli, the future Pope Pius XII, is consecrated Archbishop by Pope Benedict XVL'Osservatore Romano, Weekly Edition in English, 12/19 August 1998, page 9

1939   Cardinal Pacelli elected Pope and takes the name Pius XII

1950   Pope Pius XII defines a new dogma of Roman Catholicism: that God assumed Mary's body into Heaven after her death.

1958   Pope Pius XII declares Saint Clare the patron saint of television

1958   Died






Quotations


What the Vatican did will be indelibly and eternally engraved in our hearts. Priests and even high prelates did things that will forever be an honor to Catholicism.

Israel Zolli, former Chief Rabbi of Rome, 1948.

If the pope had spoken out, Hitler would probably have massacred more than six million Jews and perhaps ten times ten million Catholics, if he had the power to do so.

Rabbi Marcus Melchior, Holocaust survivor and Chief Rabbi of Denmark, 1950.

With special gratitude we remember all he has done for the persecuted Jews during one of the darkest periods in their entire history.

Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Jewish Congress, message of condolence to the Vatican, sent 1958.

The Catholic Church, under the pontificate of Pope Pius XII was instrumental in saving at least 700,000, but probably as many as 860,000, Jews from certain death at Nazi hands.

Pinchas E. Lapide, Three Popes and the Jews (1967).

Hitler distrusted the Holy See because it hid Jews. The Germans considered the Pope as an enemy.

Jewish historian Richard Breitman, professor at American University in Washington, D.C. Statement made in Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera" on June 29 2000.

No rebuke has come to Nazism from Pope Pius XI and his successor, Pope Pius XII.

- Rabbi Louis Finkelstein, chancellor, Jewish Theological Seminary of America in the New York Times, March, 1940.





Encyclopedia



Pope Pius XII, born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli, reigned as the 260th popePope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, and, as Successor of Saint Peter, is the head of the Catholic Church....
, the human head of the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church is the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope, the Bishop of Ro...
 and sovereignMonarch

A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state....
 of Vatican CityVatican City

Vatican City formally State of the Vatican City, or Vatican City State is a sovereign city-state whose terri...
, from March 2, 1939 until his death in 1958.

Before electionPapal conclave

A papal conclave is the process by which the Roman Catholic Church elects the Bishop of Rome who, as he is considered the "S...
 to the papacy, Pacelli served as secretary of the Department of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, papal nuncio and Cardinal Secretary of StateCardinal Secretary of State

The Cardinal Secretary of State presides over the Vatican Secretariat of State, which is the oldest and most important dicas...
, in which he worked to conclude treaties with European and Latin-American nations, most notably the ReichskonkordatReichskonkordat

The Reichskonkordat is the concordat between the Holy See and the German Reich, signed in 1933....
with GermanyGermany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in central Europe....
. His leadership of the Catholic Church during World War II remains the subject of continued historical controversy.

After the war, Pius XII contributed to the rebuilding of EuropeEurope

Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth....
, and advocated peace and reconciliation, including lenient policies toward vanquished nations and the unification of Europe. The Church, flourishing in the WestWest

West is most commonly a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography....
, experienced severe persecution and mass deportations of CatholicCatholic

Catholic - derived, through Latin, from the Greek adjective , meaning "general", "universal" - when used as a specifical...
 clergyFacts About Clergy

Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion....
 in the EastEast

East is most commonly a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography....
. In light of his protests, and his involvement in the ItalianItaly

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European country....
 elections of 1948, he became known as a staunch but pragmatic opponent of CommunismCommunism

Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a future classless, stateless social organization, based upon common owners...
. He signed thirty concordatConcordat

Until 1980, a concordat was an agreement between the Pope and a government or sovereign on religious matters....
s and diplomatic treaties.

Pius XII is one of only two popes (along with Pope Pius IXPope Pius IX

Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from his election in ...
) to have invoked ex cathedraEx Cathedra

Ex Cathedra is a British choir and early music ensemble based in Birmingham in the West Midlands, England....
 papal infallibilityPapal infallibility

In Roman Catholic theology, Papal infallibility is the dogma that the Pope is preserved from error when he solemnly promulga...
 by defining the dogmaDogma

Dogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, ideology or any kind of organization, thought to be author...
 of the Assumption of MaryAssumption of Mary

According to Roman Catholic doctrine and the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, the Blessed Virgin Mary "having completed ...
, as proclaimed in the Apostolic constitutionApostolic constitution

An Apostolic constitution is a very solemn decree issued by the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church....
 Munificentissimus DeusMunificentissimus Deus

Munificentissimus Deus is the name of an Apostolic constitution written by Pope Pius XII....
. The magisteriumMagisterium

Magisterium is a technical ecclesiastical term in Catholicism referring to the teaching ability and authority of the Pope an...
 includes almost 1,000 addresses and radio broadcasts. His forty-one encyclicalsList of Encyclicals of Pope Pius XII

Pope Pius XII wrote forty-six encyclicals, placing him among the most prolific popes....
, include Mystici Corporis, the Church as the Body of Christ; Mediator DeiMediator Dei

Mediator Dei, a papal encyclical was issued by Pope Pius XII in 1947....
 on liturgy reform; Humani GenerisHumani Generis

Humani Generis is a papal encyclical that Pope Pius XII promulgated on the 12th of August 1950....
 on the Church's position on theologyTheology

Theology is reasoned discourse concerning religion, spirituality and God....
 and evolutionFacts About Evolution

In biology, evolution is the change in the heritable traits of a population over successive generations, as determined by sh...
. He eliminated the Italian majority in the College of CardinalsCollege of Cardinals

The Sacred College of Cardinals is the body of all Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church....
 with the Grand ConsistoryPope Pius XII

Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as the 260th pope, the head of the Roman Cathol...
 in 1946. His ongoing canonisation processCongregation for the Causes of Saints

The Congregation for the Causes of Saints is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the complex process which le...
 progressed to the VenerableVenerable

Venerable is a title confered on persons for a number of religious reasons, particularly in the Christian churches....
 stage on September 2, 2000, under Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II , , born Karol Jzef Wojtyla reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from October 16 1978 until his ...
.

Early life


Pacelli was born in RomeRome

Rome is the capital of Italy and of its region, called Latium....
 on March 2, 1876, into a well-off aristocraticAristocracy

The Ancient Greek term aristocracy meant a system of government with "rule by the best"....
 family with a history of ties to the papacy (the "Black NobilityBlack Nobility

The Black Nobility were Italian aristocratic families who sided with the Papacy under Pope Pius IX as opposed to Vittorio Em...
"). His grandfather, Marcantonio Pacelli, was Under-Secretary in the Papal Ministry of Finances and then Secretary of the Interior under Pope Pius IX from 1851 to 1870 and founded the Vatican's newspaper, L'Osservatore RomanoL'Osservatore Romano

L'Osservatore Romano is the Vatican's newspaper, and its title translates to The Roman Observer....
in 1861; his cousin, Ernesto PacelliErnesto Pacelli

Ernesto PacelliNew York Times....
, was a key financial advisor to Pope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIII

Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci , was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, having succeede...
; his father, Filippo Pacelli, was the dean of the Sacra Rota RomanaSacra Rota Romana Summary

The Sacra Rota Romana or Sacred Roman Rota is the normal appellate tribunal of the Holy See and the second highest ecc...
; and his brother, Francesco Pacelli, became a layLaity

In religious organizations, the laity comprises all lay persons collectively....
 canon lawCanon law

Canon law is the term used for the internal ecclesiastical law which governs various churches, most notably the Roman Cathol...
yer, credited for his role in negotiating the Lateran Treaty in 1929, bringing an end to the Roman QuestionRoman Question

The Roman Question was a political dispute, with far-reaching negative ramifications, between the Italian Government and the...
. At the age of twelve, Eugenio announced his intentions to enter the priesthood instead of becoming a lawyer.

After completing state primary schools, Pacelli received his secondary, classicalClassics

Classics, particularly within the Western university tradition, when used as a singular noun, is the study of the language, ...
 education at the Visconti Institute. In 1894, at the age of eighteen, he entered the Almo Capranica Seminary to begin study for the priesthood and enrolled at the Pontifical Gregorian UniversityPontifical Gregorian University

The Pontifical Gregorian University is a Roman Catholic university in Rome....
 and the Appolinare Institute of Lateran University. From 1895–1896, he studied philosophyPhilosophy

Philosophy is a field of study that includes diverse subfields such as aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, logic, and metaphys...
 at University of Rome La SapienzaUniversity of Rome La Sapienza

University of Rome La Sapienza is the biggest european university and the most ancient university of Rome, Italy....
. In 1899, he received degrees in theologyChristian theology

Christian theology practices theology from a Christian viewpoint or studies Christianity theologically....
 and in utroque iure|civil]] and canon lawCanon law

Canon law is the term used for the internal ecclesiastical law which governs various churches, most notably the Roman Cathol...
). At the seminarySeminary

A seminary or theological college is a specialized and often live-in higher education institution for the purpose of i...
, he received a special dispensation to live at home for health reasons.

Church career

Priest and Monsignor

He was ordainedHoly Orders

Holy Orders in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Assyrian, Old Catholic, an...
 a priestPriest

A priest or priestess is a person having the authority, or power , to perform and administer religious rites....
 on EasterEaster Overview

Easter, also known as Pascha , the Feast of the Resurrection, the Sunday of the Resurrection, or Resurr...
 Sunday, April 2 1899 by Bishop Francesco di Paola CassettaFrancesco di Paola Cassetta

Francesco di Paola Cassetta was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church....
 — the vice-regent of Rome and a family friend — and received his first assignment as a curateCurate

From the Latin curatus, a curate is a person who is invested with the care, or cure, of souls of a parish....
 at Chiesa Nuova, where he had served as an altar boyAltar server

An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a religious service....
. In 1901, he entered the Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical AffairsCongregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs

The Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affiars was a congregation of the Roman Curia, erected in 1793 by Pope P...
, a sub-office of the Vatican Secretariat of StateSecretariat of State (Vatican)

The Secretariat of State is the oldest dicastery in the Roman Curia, the government of the Roman Catholic Church....
, where he became a minutante, at the recommendation of Cardinal VannutelliVincenzo Cardinal Vannutelli

Vincenzo Cardinal Vannutelli was an Italian prelate, Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church for over forty years. ...
, another family friend.

In 1904, Pacelli became a papal chamberlain and in 1905 a domestic prelate. From 1904 until 1916, Father Pacelli assisted Cardinal Pietro GasparriPietro Gasparri

Pietro Cardinal Gasparri was Roman Catholic archbishop, diplomat and politician in the Roman Curia....
 in his codification of canon lawCanon law (Catholic Church)

Canon law is the ecclesiastical law of the Roman Catholic Church....
 with the Department of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs. He was also chosen by Pope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIII

Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci , was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, having succeede...
 to deliver condolences on behalf of the Vatican to Edward VII of the United KingdomEdward VII of the United Kingdom

Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King of the Commonwealth Realms, and the Emperor of...
 after the death of Queen VictoriaVictoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India...
. In 1908, he served as a Vatican representative on the International Eucharistic CongressInternational Eucharistic Congress

Eucharistic Congresses are gatherings of clergy and laymen for adoring and evangelising the Holy Eucharist....
 in London, where he met Winston ChurchillFacts About Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC was an English statesman and author, best known as Prime Min...
. In 1911, he represented the Holy See at the coronationCoronation of the British monarch

The Coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth Re...
 of King George VGeorge V of the United Kingdom

George V was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, as a result of his creating it from the British b...
.

In 1908 and 1911, Pacelli turned down professorships in canon law at a Roman university and The Catholic University of AmericaThe Catholic University of America

name= The Catholic University of America...
, respectively. Pacelli became the under-secretary in 1911, adjunct-secretary in 1912 (a position he received under Pope Pius XPope Pius X

Pope Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was Pope from 1903 to 1914, succeeding Pope Leo XIII ....
 and retained under Pope Benedict XVPope Benedict XV

Pope Benedict XV,,November 21, 1854 – January 22, 1922), born Giacomo della Chiesa, reigned as Pope of the Rom...
) and secretary of the Department of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs in 1914 — succeeding Gasparri, who was promoted to Cardinal Secretary of StateCardinal Secretary of State

The Cardinal Secretary of State presides over the Vatican Secretariat of State, which is the oldest and most important dicas...
. As secretary, Pacelli concluded a concordat with SerbiaHistory of Serbia

The first Serbian state, Raka, was founded in 800s by the House of Vlastimirovic; it evolved into the Serbian Kingdom and the Empi...
 four days before Archduke Franz Ferdinand of AustriaArchduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria

Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria-Este was an Archduke of Austria, Prince Imperial of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary ...
 was assassinated in SarajevoSarajevo

Sarajevo is the capital city and largest urban center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with an estimated population of 308,558 ....
. During World War IWorld War I

World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War and "The War to End All Wars" was a global m...
, Pacelli maintained the Vatican's registry of prisoners of warPrisoner of war

A prisoner of war is a combatant who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict....
. In 1915, he travelled to ViennaVienna

Vienna is the capital of Austria, and also one of the nine States of Austria....
 to assist Monsignor Scapinelli — the apostolic nuncioNuncio

Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin Nuntius, meaning any envoy....
 to Vienna — in his negotiations with Franz Joseph I of AustriaFranz Joseph I of Austria

Francis Joseph I of the Habsburg Dynasty was Emperor of Austria, Apostolic King of Hungary and King of Bohemia from 1848 u...
 regarding Italy.

Archbishop and Papal Nuncio


Pope Benedict XVPope Benedict XV Summary

Pope Benedict XV,,November 21, 1854 – January 22, 1922), born Giacomo della Chiesa, reigned as Pope of the Rom...
 appointed Pacelli as papal nuncio to BavariaBavaria

The Free State of Bavaria  , with an area of 70,553 km and 12.4 million inhabitants, forms the southernmost state...
 on April 23, 1917, consecrating him as titularTitular bishop

A titular bishop is a bishop of the Catholic Church who is not in charge of a diocese....
 Bishop of SardisSee of Sardis

The See of Sardis was an episcopal see in Sardis....
 and immediately elevating him to archbishopArchbishop

In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop....
 in the Sistine ChapelSistine Chapel Summary

The Sistine Chapel is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Roman Catholic Pope in the Vatican Cit...
 on May 13, 1917, the very day, Our Lady of FatimaOur Lady of Fatima

Our Lady of Fatima is the title given to the Virgin Mary by Catholics and others who believe that she appeared monthly, for ...
 is believed to have first appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, PortugalPortugal

Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic is located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, and is the w...
. After his consecration, Eugenio Pacelli left for BavariaBavaria

The Free State of Bavaria  , with an area of 70,553 km and 12.4 million inhabitants, forms the southernmost state...
.
The Vatican Peace Initiative
As there was no nuncio to PrussiaPrussia

Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating in Brandenburg, an area which for centuries had substantial influen...
 or GermanyGermany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in central Europe....
 at the time, Pacelli was, for all practical purposes, the nuncio to all of the German Empire. Once in Munich, he conveyed the papal initiative to end the War to German authorities. He met with King Ludwig IIILudwig III of Bavaria

Ludwig III, King of Bavaria, was the last King of Bavaria from 1913 to 1918....
 on May 29, and later with Kaiser Wilhelm II. and Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg, who replied positively to the Papal initiative. Pacelli saw “for the first time a real prospect for peace”. However, Bethmann-Hollweg was forced to resign and the German High Command, hoping for a military victory, delayed the German reply until September 20. Pacelli was “extraordinarily disappointed and depressed”, since the German note did not include the concessions promised earlier. For the remainder of the war, he concentrated on Benedict’s humanitarian efforts.

After the war, during the short-lived Bavarian Soviet RepublicBavarian Soviet Republic

The Bavarian Soviet Republic, also known as the Munich Soviet Republic, was a short-lived revolutionary government in ...
 in 1919 Pacelli was one of the few foreign diplomats to remain in MunichMunich Summary

colspan="2" bgcolor="BBDDFF" | Munich|-bgcolor="#FFFFFF"...
. According to Pascalina Lehnert, who was personally there at the time, Pacelli calmly faced down a small group of SpartacistSpartacist League

The Spartacist League was a left-wing Marxist revolutionary movement organized in Germany during and just after the politica...
 revolutionaries, who had entered the nunciature by force in order to take his car. Pacelli told them to leave the extraterritorial building, to which they responded, "only with your car". Pacelli, who had previously ordered to disconnect the starter, permitted the car to be towed away, after he was informed that the Bavarian government had promised to return the vehicle at once. Several versions of this incident and alleged later incidents are much more colorful, but, according to the relator in the beatification process in the Vatican, "mostly based on imagination" The popular view may also overlook his cordial relations with socialist politicians like Friedrich EbertFriedrich Ebert

Friedrich Ebert was a German politician, who served as the 9th Chancellor of Germany and its first president during the Weim...
 and Philipp ScheidemannPhilipp Scheidemann

Philipp Scheidemann was a German Social Democratic politician, who proclaimed the Republic on 9 November 1918, and who becam...
, and his prolonged secret negotiations with the Soviet UnionSoviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , more commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a Communist state that existed...
 (see below). “Pacelli is simply too intelligent to be irritated by something like this” opined the Bavarian representative at the Vatican.

On the night of Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was Chancellor of Germany from 1933, and Fhrer of Germany from 1934 until his death....
's Beer Hall PutschBeer Hall Putsch

The Beer Hall Putsch was a failed coup d'tat which occurred in the evening of Thursday, November 8 to the early afternoo...
, Franz MattFranz Matt Overview

Franz Matt was the only member of the Bavarian State cabinet not present at the Beer Hall Putsch....
, the only member of the Bavarian cabinetCabinet

A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch....
 not present at the Bürgerbräu Keller, was having dinner with Pacelli and Michael Cardinal von FaulhaberFacts About Michael Cardinal von Faulhaber

His Eminence Michael Cardinal von Faulhaber was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Munich for 35 years, from 1917 to his death...
. The American diplomat Robert MurphyRobert Murphy

There are several notable personalities named Robert Murphy or Bob Murphy:...
, then in Munich, writes that "all the foreign representatives at Munich, including Nuncio Pacelli, were convinced that Hitler's political career had ended ignominiously in 1924. When I ventured to remind His Holiness of this bit of history (in 1945), he laughed and said: 'I know what you mean - papal infallibilityPapal infallibility

In Roman Catholic theology, Papal infallibility is the dogma that the Pope is preserved from error when he solemnly promulga...
, Don't forget, I was only a monsignor then'."

The First Nuncio in Berlin
Several years after he was appointed Nuncio to Germany, and after completion of a concordat with Bavaria, the nunciature was moved to BerlinBerlin

Berlin is the capital city and a state of Germany....
. June 23 1920 and 1925 respectively. Many of Pacelli's Munich staff would stay with him for the rest of his life, including his advisor Robert LeiberRobert Leiber

Robert Leiber , close advisor to Pope Pius XII, a Jesuit priest from Germany was Professor for Church History at the Gregori...
 and Sister Pascalina Lehnert — housekeeper, friend, and adviser to Pacelli for 41 years.

In Berlin, Pacelli was doyen or Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and active in diplomatic and many social activities. There he met notables like Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein

Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist....
, Adolf von HarnackAdolf von Harnack

Adolf von Harnack, was a German theologian and foremost church historian....
, Gustav StresemannGustav Stresemann

Gustav Stresemann was a German liberal politician and statesman who served as Chancellor and Foreign Secretary during the We...
, Clemens August Graf von Galen, and Konrad Cardinal von Preysing, the later two he elevated to cardinalCardinal (Catholicism)

A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official in the Roman Catholic Church, a member of the College of Cardinals, ranking b...
 in 1946. He worked with the German priest Ludwig KaasLudwig Kaas

Prelate Ludwig Kaas was a Roman Catholic priest, and a prominent German politician during the Weimar Republic....
, who was known for his expertise in Church-state relations and was politically active in the Centre PartyCentre Party (Germany)

The German Centre Party, often called the Catholic Centre Party, was a Catholic political party in Germany during the ...
.. While in Germany, he enjoyed working as a pastor. He traveled to all regions, attended KatholikentagKatholikentag

Katholikentag is a festival-like gathering in German-speaking countries organized by the Catholic laity....
 (national gatherings of the faithful), and delivered some 50 sermons and speeches to the German people.

Negotiations with the Soviet Union (1925-1927)
In post-war Germany, Pacelli worked mainly on clarifying the relations between Church and State (see below). But in the absence of a papal nuncio in Moscow, Pacelli worked also on diplomatic arrangements between the Vatican and the Soviet Union. He negotiated food shipments for Russia, where the Church was persecuted. He met with Soviet representatives including Foreign Minister Georgi Chicherin, who rejected any kind of religious education, the ordination of priests and bishops, but offered agreements without the points vital to the Vatican. “An enormously sophisticated conversation between two highly intelligent men like Pacelli and Chicherin, who seemed not to dislike each other.” wrote one participant. Despite Vatican pessimism and a lack of visible progress, Pacelli continued the secret negotiations, until Pope Pius XIPope Pius XI

Pope Pius XI,,, born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, reigned as Pope from February 6, 1922 and as sovereign of Vatican...
 ordered them to be discontinued in 1927.

Pacelli and the Weimar Republic

Pacelli supported the Weimar CoalitionWeimar Coalition

The Weimar Coalition is the name given to the coalition of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, the German Democ...
 with Social Democrats and liberal parties. Although he had cordial relations with representatives of the Centre Party such as Marx and Kaas, he did not involve the Centre in his dealings with the German government.
Pacelli supported German diplomatic activity aimed at rejection of punitive measures from victorious former enemies. He blocked French attempts for an ecclesiastical separation of the SaarSaar

Saar can mean:*Saar, Bahrain, a town in Bahrain...
 region, supported the appointment of a papal administrator for Danzig and aided the reintegration of priests expelled from PolandPoland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country located in Central Europe....
..
Pacelli was critical of German policy regarding financial reparations, which he considered unimaginative and lacking a sense of reality. He regretted the return of William, German Crown Prince from exile as destabilizing. After repeated German acts of sabotage against the French occupation forces in the Ruhr valley in 1923, German media reported a conflict between Pacelli and the German authorities. The Vatican denounced these acts against the French in the RuhrRuhr

The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany having its source at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet near the to...
.

When he returned to Rome in 1929, praise was heaped by Catholics and Protestants alike on Pacelli, who by now had become more popular than any German cardinal or bishop, which he had largely excluded from his negotiations and dealings with the German government.

Cardinal Secretary of State and Camerlengo

Pacelli was made a cardinal on 16 December, 1929 by Pope Pius XIPope Pius XI

Pope Pius XI,,, born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, reigned as Pope from February 6, 1922 and as sovereign of Vatican...
, and within a few months, on 7 February 1930, Pius XI appointed him Cardinal Secretary of StateCardinal Secretary of State

The Cardinal Secretary of State presides over the Vatican Secretariat of State, which is the oldest and most important dicas...
. In 1935, Cardinal Pacelli was named Camerlengo of the Roman ChurchCamerlengo

The title Camerlengo refers to an official of the Papal court, referring either to the Chamberlain of the Roman Church, ...
.

As Cardinal Secretary of State, Pacelli signed concordats with a number of countries and states, including BadenBaden

Baden is a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the right bank of the Rhine....
 (1932), AustriaAustria

Austria is a landlocked country in central Europe....
 (1933), GermanyGermany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in central Europe....
 (1933), YugoslaviaKingdom of Yugoslavia

Kraljevina JugoslavijaKingdom of Yugoslavia...
 (1935) and PortugalPortugal

Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic is located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, and is the w...
 (1940). The Lateran treatiesLateran treaties

The Lateran treaties are three agreements made in 1929 between the kingdom of Italy and the papacy....
 with ItalyItaly

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European country....
 (1929) were concluded before Pacelli became secretary of state. Such concordats allowed the Catholic Church to organize youth groups, make ecclesiastical appointments, run schools, hospitals, and charities, or even conduct religious services. They also ensured that canon law would be recognized within some spheres (e.g. church decrees of nullityNullity (conflict)

In Conflict of Laws, the issue of nullity in Family Law inspires a wide response among the laws of different states as to th...
 in the area of marriageMarriage

A marriage is a relationship between or among individuals, usually recognized by civil authority and/or bound by the religio...
).

He made many diplomatic visits throughout Europe and the Americas, including an extensive visit to the United StatesUnited States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., and America, is...
 in 1936 where he met with Charles CoughlinCharles Coughlin

Father Charles Edward Coughlin was a Canadian-born Roman Catholic priest at Royal Oak, Michigan's National Shrine of the Lit...
 and Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as the 32nd President of the United States and was elected to four terms in office....
, who appointed a personal envoy — who did not require Senate confirmation — to the Holy SeeHoly See

The Holy See is the episcopal see of Rome....
 in December 1939, re-establishing a diplomatic tradition that had been broken since 1870 when the pope lost temporal powerTemporal power

The temporal power of the Popes is the political and governmental activity of the Popes of the Roman Catholic Church, as dis...
.

Pacelli presided as Papal LegatePapal legate

A Papal Legate -from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus- is a personal representative of the Pope to the nations, or r...
 over the International Eucharistic CongressInternational Eucharistic Congress

Eucharistic Congresses are gatherings of clergy and laymen for adoring and evangelising the Holy Eucharist....
 in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires

|-| || AR-C|-| Chief of govt. || Jorge Telerman...
, ArgentinaArgentina Summary

Argentina is a country in southern South America....
 on October 10–14, 1934, and in BudapestBudapest

Budapest is the capital city of Hungary and the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial and transpo...
 on May 25–30, 1938.

Some historians have argued that Pacelli, as Cardinal Secretary of State, dissuaded Pope Pius XIPope Pius XI

Pope Pius XI,,, born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, reigned as Pope from February 6, 1922 and as sovereign of Vatican...
 — who was nearing death at the time — from condemning KristallnachtFacts About Kristallnacht

Kristallnacht was a pogrom against Jews throughout Germany and parts of Austria on November 9–10, 1938....
in November 1938, when he was informed of it by the papal nuncio in Berlin. Likewise the prepared encyclical Humani Generis UnitasFacts About Humani generis unitas

Humani generis unitas was a planned encyclical of Pope Pius XI before his death on February 10, 1939, which condemned a...
("On the Unity of Human Society"), which was ready in September 1938 but, according to the two publishers of the encyclical and other sources, not forwarded to the Vatican by the Jesuit General Wlodimir LedochowskiWlodimir Ledochowski

Wlodimir Ledochowski, S.J. was the twenty-sixth Superior-General of the Society of Jesus....
. It contained an open and clear condemnation of colonialismColonialism

See colony and colonisation for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism....
, racismRacism

Racism is a belief in the moral or biological superiority of one race or ethnic group over another or others....
 and antisemitism but also strong accusations against Jews and elements of anti-Judaism. Some historians have argued that Pacelli learned about its existence only after the death of Pius XI did not promulgate it as pope. He did however use parts of it in his inaugural encyclical Summi PontificatusSummi Pontificatus

Summi Pontificatus is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII published on October 20, 1939....
, which he titled "On the Unity of Human Society."

His various positions on Church and policy issues during his tenure as Cardinal Secretary of State were made public by the Vatican in 1939. Most noteworthy among the fifty speeches is his review of church and state issues in Budapest 1938.

Reichskonkordat


The Reichskonkordat was an integral part of four concordats Pacelli concluded on behalf of the Vatican with German States. The state concordats were necessary, because the German federalist Weimar constitution gave the states authority in the area of education and culture, which were of main concern to Vatican policy. As Bavarian Nuncio, Pacelli negotiated successfully with the Bavarian authorities in 1925. He expected the concordat with Catholic Bavaria to be the model for the rest of Germany. Prussia showed interest in negotiations only after the Bavarian concordat. However, Pacelli obtained less favorable conditions for the Church in the Prussian concordat of 1929, which excluded educational issues. A concordat with the German state of Baden was completed by Pacelli in 1932, after he had moved to Rome. There he also negotiated a concordat with Austria in 1933. A total of 16 concordats and treaties with European states had been concluded in the ten year period 1922-1932.

The ReichskonkordatReichskonkordat

The Reichskonkordat is the concordat between the Holy See and the German Reich, signed in 1933....
, signed on July 20, 1933, between Germany and the Holy See, while thus a part of an overall Vatican policy, was controversial from its beginning. It remains the most important of Pacelli's concordats. It is debated, not because of its content, which is still valid today, but because of its timing. A national concordat with Germany was one of Pacelli's main objectives as secretary of state, because he had hoped to strengthen the legal position of the Church. Pacelli, who knew German conditions well, emphasized (1) protection for Catholic associations (§31), (2) freedom for education and Catholic schools, and, (3) freedom for publications.

As nuncioNuncio

Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin Nuntius, meaning any envoy....
 during the 1920s, he had made unsuccessful attempts to obtain German agreement for such a treaty, and between 1930 and 1933 he attempted to initiate negotiations with representatives of successive German governments, but the opposition of Protestant and Socialist parties, the instability of national governments and the care of the individual states to guard their autonomy thwarted this aim. In particular, the questions of denominational schools and pastoral work in the armed forces prevented any agreement on the national level, despite talks in the winter of 1932.

Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was Chancellor of Germany from 1933, and Fhrer of Germany from 1934 until his death....
 was appointed Chancellor on 30 January 1933 and sought to gain international respectability and to remove internal opposition by representatives of the Church and the Catholic Centre PartyCentre Party (Germany)

The German Centre Party, often called the Catholic Centre Party, was a Catholic political party in Germany during the ...
. He sent his vice chancellor Franz von PapenFranz von Papen Summary

Franz Joseph Hermann Michael Maria von Papen was a German Catholic statesman and diplomat, who served as Chancellor of Germa...
, a Catholic nobleman and former member of the Centre Party, to Rome to offer negotiations about a Reichskonkordat. On behalf of Cardinal Pacelli, Prelate Ludwig KaasLudwig Kaas

Prelate Ludwig Kaas was a Roman Catholic priest, and a prominent German politician during the Weimar Republic....
, the outgoing chairman of the Centre Party, negotiated first drafts of the terms with Papen. The concordat was finally signed, by Pacelli for the Vatican and von Papen for Germany, on 20 July and ratified on September 10, 1933.

Between 1933 and 1939, Pacelli issued 55 protests of violations of the Reichskonkordat. Most notably, early in 1937, Pacelli asked several German cardinals, including Michael Cardinal von FaulhaberMichael Cardinal von Faulhaber

His Eminence Michael Cardinal von Faulhaber was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Munich for 35 years, from 1917 to his death...
 to help him write a protest of Nazi violations of the Reichskonkordat; this was to become Pius XI's encyclical Mit Brennender SorgeMit Brennender Sorge

Mit brennender Sorge is an encyclical of Pope Pius XI, published on March 10, 1937....
. The encyclical, condemning the view that "exalts raceRacism

Racism is a belief in the moral or biological superiority of one race or ethnic group over another or others....
, or the people, or the StateStatism

Statism is a very loose and often derogatory term that is used to describe:...
, or a particular form of State ... above their standard value and divinizes them to an idolatrous level", was written in GermanGerman language

German is a West Germanic language....
 instead of LatinLatin

Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome....
 and read in German churches on Palm SundayPalm Sunday

Palm Sunday is a moveable feast in the church calendar observed by Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians....
 1937. On June 10 1941 he commented on the problems of the ReichskonkordatReichskonkordat

The Reichskonkordat is the concordat between the Holy See and the German Reich, signed in 1933....
 in a letter to the Bishop of Passau, Bavaria: "The history of the Reichskonkordat shows, that the other side lacked the most basic prerequisites to accept minimal freedoms and rights of the Church, without which the Church simply cannot live and operate, formal agreements notwithstanding".

Papacy

Election and coronation

Pope Pius XI died on February 10, 1939. Several historians have interpreted the conclave to choose his successor as facing a choice between a diplomatic or a spiritual candidate, and they view Pacelli's diplomatic experience, especially with Germany, as one of the deciding factors in his election on March 2, 1939, his 63rd birthday, after only one day of deliberation and three ballots. He was the first cardinal secretary of state to be elected Pope since Clement IXPope Clement IX

Pope Clement IX , born Giulio Rospigliosi, was Pope from 1667 to 1669....
 in 1667. He was also one of only two men known to have served as CamerlengoCamerlengo

The title Camerlengo refers to an official of the Papal court, referring either to the Chamberlain of the Roman Church, ...
 immediately prior to being elected as pope (the other being Pope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIII

Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci , was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, having succeede...
). His coronationPapal Coronation

The Papal Coronation is a ceremony in which a new pope is crowned as head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vati...
 took place March 12, 1939.

Pacelli took the same papal name as his predecessor, a title used exclusively by . He was quoted as saying, "I call myself Pius; my whole life was under Popes with this name, but especially as a sign of gratitude towards Pius XI." On December 15 1937, during his last consistory, Pius XI strongly hinted to the cardinals that he expected Pacelli to be his successor, saying "He is in your midst." He had previously been quoted as saying: "When today the Pope dies, you’ll get another one tomorrow, because the Church continues. It would be a much bigger tragedy, if Cardinal Pacelli dies, because there is only one. I pray every day, God may send another one into one of our seminaries, but as of today, there is only one in this world."

After his election, Pius XII listed three objectives as pontiff.

  1. A new translation of the psalmsPsalms Summary

    Psalms is a book of the Hebrew Bible, Tanakh or Old Testament....
    , daily recited by the religious and priests, in order for the clergy to better appreciate the beauty and richness of the Old Testament. This translation was completed in 1945
  2. A definition of the of Dogma of the Assumption. This necessitated numerous studies into Church history and consultations with the episcopate worldwide. The dogma was proclaimed in November 1950.
  3. Increased archaeological excavations under St Peter's Basilica in Rome, to determine, whether St. Peter was actually buried there, or whether the Church subjected itself for more than 1500 years to a pious hoax. This was a controversial point, because of the real possibility of a major embarrassment and technical concerns, to conduct excavations under the main altar, close to the Bernini columns of the papal altar and the main support of the MichelangeloFacts About Michelangelo

    Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, pai...
    ’s cupola. The first results regarding the tomb of St. Peter were published in 1950.

Appointments

After his election, he appointed Luigi Cardinal MaglioneLuigi Cardinal Maglione

Luigi Cardinal Maglione was the Cardinal Secretary of State in the Roman Curia from 1939 until 1944....
 to be his successor as Secretary of State. Maglione, a seasoned Vatican diplomat, had reestablished diplomatic relations with Switzerland and was for many years nuncio in Paris, France. Yet, Maglione did not exercise the influence of his predecessor Pacelli, who as Pope continued his close relation with Monsignors Montini (later Pope Paul VIPope Paul VI

Pope Paul VI , , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as s...
) and Domenico Tardini. After the death of Maglione in 1944, Pius left the position open and named Tardini head of its foreign section and Montini head of the internal section. Tardini and Montini continued serving there until 1953, when Pius XII decided to appoint them cardinals, an honor which both turned down. They were then later appointed to be Pro-Secretary with the privilege to wear Episcopal Insignia. Tardini continued to be a close co-worker of the Pope until the death of Pius XII, while Montini became archbishop of Milan, after the death of Alfredo Ildefonso SchusterAlfredo Ildefonso Schuster

Blessed Alfredo Ildefonso Cardinal Schuster after his beatification, was a Benedictine monk and archbishop of Milan during W...
.

Pius XII slowly eroded the Italian monopoly on the Roman Curia; he employed German and Dutch Jesuit advisors, Robert LeiberRobert Leiber

Robert Leiber , close advisor to Pope Pius XII, a Jesuit priest from Germany was Professor for Church History at the Gregori...
, Augustin Bea, and Sebastian TrompSebastian Tromp

Sebastiaan Peter Cornelis Tromp]] - 8 February 1975, Rome), a Dutch Jesuit, was assisting Pope Pius XII in his theological ...
. He also supported the elevation of Americans such as Francis Spellman from a minor to a major role in the Church. After World War II, Pius XII appointed more non-Italians than any Pope before him. Americans included Joseph P Hurley as regent of the nunciature in Belgrade, Gerald P. O'HaraGerald P. O'Hara

Gerald P. O'Hara, American Roman Catholic priest and archbishop, was appointed by Pope Pius XII to be Papal Nuncio in Roman...
 Nuncio to Rumania and Monsignor Aloisius Joseph MuenchAloisius Joseph Muench

Aloisius Joseph Muench was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood on June 8,1916 for...
 as nuncio to Germany. For the first time, numerous young European, Asian and "Americans were trained in various congregations and secretariats within the Vatican for eventual service throughout the world."

Consistories

Only twice in his pontificate did Pius XII hold a consistoryConsistory

Sorry, no overview for this topic
 to create new cardinalsCardinal (Catholicism)

A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official in the Roman Catholic Church, a member of the College of Cardinals, ranking b...
, in contrast to Pius XI, who had done so seventeen times in seventeen years. Pius XII chose not to name new cardinals during World War II, and the number of cardinals shrank to 38, with Cardinal Denis DoughertyDennis Joseph Dougherty

Dennis Joseph Cardinal Dougherty was the 5th Bishop of Buffalo, New York and the Archbishop of Philadelphia and ranking prel...
 being the only living U.S. cardinal. The first occasion on February 18 1946 — which has become known as the "Grand Consistory" — yielded the elevation of a record thirty-two new cardinals, almost 50% of the College of Cardinals and reaching the canonical limit of seventy cardinals. In the 1946 consistory Pius XII, while maintaining the maximum size of the College of Cardinals at 70, named cardinals from China, India, the Middle East and increased the number of Cardinals from the Americas, proportionally lessening the Italian influence

In his second consistory on January 12, 1953, it was expected that his closest co-workers, Monsignore Domenico TardiniDomenico Cardinal Tardini

Domenico Cardinal Tardini was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and a prominent member of the Roman Curia in ...
 and Monsignore MontiniPope Paul VI

Pope Paul VI , , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as s...
 would be elevated& Pius XII informed the assembled cardinals that two persons were originally on the top of his list, but they had turned down the offer, and were rewarded instead with other promotions. The two consistories of 1946 and 1953 brought an end to over five hundred years of Italians constituting a majority of the College of CardinalsCollege of Cardinals

The Sacred College of Cardinals is the body of all Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church....
. With few exceptions, Italian prelates accepted the changes positively; there was no protest movement or open opposition to the internationalization efforts.

Earlier, in 1945, Pius XII had dispensed with the complicated papal conclavePapal conclave Overview

A papal conclave is the process by which the Roman Catholic Church elects the Bishop of Rome who, as he is considered the "S...
 procedures which attempted to ensure secrecy while preventing Cardinals from voting for themselves, compensating for this change by raising the requisite majority from two-thirds to two thirds plus one.

Church Reforms

Liturgy reforms

In his encyclical Mediator DeiMediator Dei

Mediator Dei, a papal encyclical was issued by Pope Pius XII in 1947....
, Pius XII links liturgyLiturgy

A liturgy comprises a prescribed ceremony, according to the traditions of a particular group or event....
 with the last will of ChristChrist

This page is about the title or the 'Divine Person'....
.

"But it is His will, that the worship He instituted and practiced during His life on earth shall continue ever afterwards without intermission. For he has not left mankind an orphanOrphan

An orphan is a person, who has lost one or both parents, often through death....
. He still offers us the support of His powerful, unfailing intercession, acting as our "advocate with the Father." He aids us likewise through His Church, where He is present indefectibly as the ages run their course: through the Church which He constituted "the pillar of truth" and dispenser of grace, and which by His sacrifice on the cross, He founded, consecrated and confirmed forever. "


The Church has, therefore, according to Pius XII, a common aim with Christ himself, teaching all men the truth, and, offering to God a pleasing and acceptable sacrifice. This way, the Church re-establishes the unity between the CreatorCreator

Creator may refer to:* Creator deity, a deity responsible for creating the universe...
 and His creatureCreature

The term creature is a colloquial word for animal, and is sometimes used to mean monster....
s. The sacrifice of the altar, being Christ's own actions, convey and dispense divine grace from Christ to the members of the Mystical Body.

Liturgy requires participation of the faithful. Pius XII rejects as sterile the widespread Catholic practices of private and interior devotions by individuals during Holy Mass. They separate the faithful "from the sacrifice of the altar, and from the stream of vital energy that flows from Head to members." Catholic worship offers to God a joint profession of Catholic faith and a continuous exercise of hope and charity.

The numerous Liturgy reforms of Pius XII show two characteristics. Renewal and the rediscovery of old liturgical traditions, such as the reintroduction of the Easter VigilEaster Vigil Summary

The Easter Vigil, also called the Great Vigil of Easter, is a service held in many Christian churches as the first off...
, and, a more structured atmosphere within the Church buildings. The use of vernacularVernacular

Vernacular refers to the native language of a country or locality....
 language, favoured by Pius XII, was hotly debated at his time. He increased non-Latin services, especially in countries with expanding Catholic mission activities. The location of the Blessed Sacrament within the Church was to be always at the main altar in the centre of the Church. The Church should display religious objects, but not be overloaded with secondary objects or even KitschFacts About Kitsch

Kitsch is a German term that has been used to categorize art that is considered an inferior copy of an existing style....
. Modern sacred art should be reverential and reflect the spirit of our time. Priests are permitted to officiate marriages without Holy Mass. They also may also officiate confirmations in certain instances.

Canon Law Reforms

Decentralized authority and increased the independence of the United Churches were aimed at in the Canon LawCanon law

Canon law is the term used for the internal ecclesiastical law which governs various churches, most notably the Roman Cathol...
/Corpis Iuris Canonici (CIC) reform. In its new constitutions, Eastern Patriarchs were made almost independent from Rome (CIC Orientalis, 1957) Eastern marriage law (CIC Orientalis, 1949), civil law (CIC Orientalis, 1950), laws governing religious associations (CIC Orientalis, 1952) property law (CIC Orientalis ,1952) and other laws. These reforms and writings of Pius XII were intended to establish Eastern Orientals as equal parts of the mystical body of Christ, as explained in the encyclicalEncyclical

An encyclical was a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Christian church....
 Mystici Corporis.

Priests and Religious

With the Apostolic constitutionApostolic constitution

An Apostolic constitution is a very solemn decree issued by the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church....
 Sedis Sapientiae, Pius XII added social sciencesSocial sciences

The social sciences are groups of academic disciplines that study the human aspects of the world....
, sociologySociology

Sociology is the study of society and human social action....
, psychologyPsychology

Psychology is an academic and applied field involving the study of the human mind, brain, and behavior....
 and social psychologySocial psychology

Social psychology is the study of how individuals perceive, influence, and relate to others....
, to the pastoral training of future priests. Pius XII emphasised the need to systematically analyze the psychological condition of candidates to the priesthoodPriesthood

A priesthood is a body of priests, shamans, or oracles who are thought to have special religious authority or function....
 to ensure that they are capable of a life of virginityVirginity

Virginity is a term used to describe what a person has when he or she has not yet engaged in sexual intercourse....
 and service. Pius XII added one year to the theological formation of future priests. He also included a "pastoral year", an introduction into the practice of Parish work.

The call to constant interior reform and Christian heroism is a central part of the message of Pius XII to all Religious. This means to be above average, to be a living example of Christian virtue. As the secular world has fallen back into HedonismHedonism

Hedonism describes any way of thinking that gives pleasure a central role....
, the Catholic alternative is the sanctificationSanctification

Sanctification or in its verb form, sanctify, literally means to set apart for special use or purpose, that is to make...
 especially of PriestPriest

A priest or priestess is a person having the authority, or power , to perform and administer religious rites....
s and Religious. The strict norms governing their lives are meant to make them models of Christian perfection for lay people, he writes in Menti NostraeMenti Nostrae Overview

Menti Nostrae is an Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Pius XII on the sanctity of priestly life, given in Rome at St....
. Bishops are encouraged to look at model saints like Boniface, and Pope Pius X. Priests were encouraged to be living examples of the love of Christ and his sacrifice.

Theology

Pius XII explained the Catholic faith in 41 encyclicals and almost 1000 messages and speeches during his long pontificate. Mediator DeiMediator Dei

Mediator Dei, a papal encyclical was issued by Pope Pius XII in 1947....
 clarified membership and participation in the Church. The encyclical Divino Afflante SpirituDivino Afflante Spiritu

Divino Afflante Spiritu was an encyclical letter issued by Pope Pius XII on September 30, 1943....
 opened the doors for biblical research. But his magisterium was far larger and is difficult to summarize. In numerous speeches Catholic teaching is related to various aspects of life, educationEducation

Education is the process by which an individual is encouraged and enabled to develop fully his or her innate potential; it m...
, medicineMedicine

Medicine is the branch of health science and the sector of public life concerned with maintaining or restoring human health ...
, politicsPolitics Summary

Politics is the process by which groups make decisions....
, warWar

War is a conflict involving the organized use of weapons and physical force by states or other large-scale groups....
 and peacePeace

Peace is commonly understood to mean the absence of hostilities. Other definitions include freedom from disputes, harmon...
, the life of saints, MaryMary

Mary is a popular female given name....
, the mother of GodGod

God is the deity believed by monotheists to be the supreme reality....
, things eternal and contemporary. Theologically, Pius XII specified the nature of the teaching authority of the Church. He also gave a new freedom to engage in theological in