Papal Retrospective : Pope Pius XII (1939-1958)

Figure 1
Pope Pius XII
seated in the 17th century Papal throne
designed by the architect Bernini.

On 2nd March, 1939, EUGENIO MARIA GIUSEPPE GIOVANNI PACELLI, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, was elected Pope by all 62 members of the College of Cardinals and took the name Pius XII. Unlike his two immediate predecessors, Benedict XV and Pius XI, the election of Eugenio Pacelli was completely expected, since he had been extremely prominent in Rome and Internationally.

Eugenio Pacelli was born of noble parents in Rome on 2nd March 1876. He was ordained a priest in Rome in 1899, where he continued studies whilst working in the Secretariat of State. He continued in this work, frequently travelling to foreign nations, until he was appointed Nuncio to Germany by Pope Benedict XV in 1917. In 1929, Pope Pius XI elevated Monsignor Pacelli to the Sacred College of Cardinals and nominated him as his Secretary of State.

Pope Pius XII's Pontificate spanned the years of the Second World War and beyond.  An attempt to present a balanced account of his much-maligned life and work can be found here.

He died on 9th October, 1958 at the age of 82 and is buried in the crypt of Saint Peter's Basilica.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

Figure 2 (above)

Cardinal Pacelli at The Liberty Bell during a visit to

the United States in 1936.

Figure 3 (above)

The newly-elected Pius XII addressing the Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel

2nd March 1939.

Figure 4 (above)

Pius XII giving his Urbi et Orbi Blessing from the balcony of Saint Peter's

following his Coronation as Pope in March 1939.

In this photograph, the Pope is wearing the papal Eucharistic vestments.

Over the chasuble, tunic and dalmatic, 

can be seen the striped shoulder cape called the fanon 

and then the pallium placed over this.

He is wearing gloves, as all Bishops did in that period for parts of Mass.

Figure 5 (above)

Vested in the Papal mantum and triple tiara,

Pius XII is carried on the sede gestatoria into Saint Peter's.

This throne had been made for Pope Pius VII.

Figure 6 (above)

Pius XII at the Altar of the Chair in Saint Peter's, 1939.

At this Mass he consecrated several bishops for missionary service.

Figure 7 (above) and Figure 8 (below)

Pius XII offering Low Mass at the High Altar of Saint Peter's Basilica

beneath Bernini's bronze baldacchino.

Figure 9 (above)

The 1946 Consistory in Saint Peter's Basilica

in which Pius XII elevated 32 bishops from around the world

to the College of Cardinals.

This included the Archbishop of Sydney, Norman Thomas Gilroy.

Figure 10 (above)

In the Piazza of Saint Peter's during the Ceremony of Canonisation

of Saint Maria Goretti in 1950.

Figure 11 (above) and Figure 12 (below)

Pius XII at the Opening of the Holy Door in Saint Peter's Basilica

at the beginning of 1950.

Figure 11 : the Pope kneeling in the threshold of the Door

Figure 12 : the Pope knocking on the masonry wall with the ceremonial hammer.

Figure 13 (above)

The famous photograph taken of Pope Pius addressing the Faithful

from the central loggia of Saint Peter's on the occasion of 

the Definition of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1950.

Figure 14 (above)

Coat of Arms of Pius XII.

Figure 15 (above)

The remarkable bronze statue in Saint Peter's of Pope Pius XII. 

AMDG 

Next post : Pope John XXIII.