Pius XI

The Pope and the Man

An appealing and readable life of one of the greatest men of the early twentieth century: Pius XI as he appeared on the stage of history, and Pius the man as his closest friends knew and loved him.

Pope Pius XI (born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti: 31 May 1857 - 10 February 1939) reigned as Pope from 6 February 1922 to his death in 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929. He took as his papal motto, “Pax Christi in Regno Christi,” translated “The Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ.”

Pius XI issued numerous encyclicals, and to establish or maintain the position of the Catholic Church, he concluded a record number of concordats, including the Reichskonkordat with Germany. During his pontificate, the longstanding hostility with the Italian government over the status of the papacy and the Church in Italy was successfully resolved in the Lateran Treaty of 1929.

He canonized important saints, including Thomas More, Petrus Canisius, Konrad von Parzham, Andrew Bobola and Don Bosco. He beatified and canonized Thérèse de Lisieux, for whom he held special reverence, and gave equivalent canonization to Albertus Magnus, naming him a Doctor of the Church due to the spiritual power of his writings.

Pius XI created the feast of Christ the King in response to anti-clericalism. He took a strong interest in fostering the participation of lay people throughout the Catholic Church, especially in the Catholic Action movement. The end of his pontificate was dominated by speaking out against Hitler and Mussolini and defending the Catholic Church from intrusions into Catholic life and education.

He died on 10 February 1939 in the Apostolic Palace and is buried in the Papal Grotto of Saint Peter’s Basilica.