Pope Pius XII

Venerable Pope

Pius XII
Papacy beganMarch 2, 1939
Papacy endedOctober 9, 1958
PredecessorPius XI
SuccessorJohn XXIII
Personal details
Born
Eugenio Maria Guiseppe Giovanni Pacelli

(1876-03-02)March 2, 1876
Rome, Italy
DiedOctober 9, 1958(1958-10-09) (aged 82)
Castel Gandolfo, Italy
MottoOpus Justitiae Pax (The work of justice shall be peace)
Other popes named Pius

Pope Pius XII (Latin: Pius PP. XII; Italian: Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (March 2, 1876 – October 9, 1958), was an Italian priest of the Roman Catholic Church and the 261st Pope from 1939 to 1958.

Early life

Pacelli was born on 2 March 1876 in Rome, Italy. He studied at the Capranica Seminary and the Pontifical Gregorian University. In 1895, he earned a degree in Theology.

Priest

Pacelli was ordained as a priest on 2 April 1899. In 1904, he was raised to the rank of Monsignor. He worked at the Office of the Congregation of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs.

Bishop

In 1917, Pope Benedict XV appointed him an archbishop and nuncio to Bavaria, Germany.

Cardinal

Pope Pius XI raised Pacelli to the rank of Cardinal in December 1929.

In February 1930, Cardinal Pacelli became the Vatican Secretary of State.

Pope

Cardinal Pacelli was elected Pope on 2 March 1939, which was his 63th birthday.

Pius XII wrote forty-one official papal letters (encylicals).

Pius XII named forty-two new cardinals.

References

The Coat of arms of Pius XII
  1. ↑ "List of Popes," Catholic Encyclopedia (2009); retrieved 2011-11-02.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Pope Pius XII"[permanent dead link], Embryo Project Archived 2011-10-05 at the Wayback Machine (2010); retrieved 2011-11-02.
  3. 1 2 "Cardinal Pacelli Papal Secretary," New York Times. February 11, 1930; retrieved 2011-11-9.

Other websites

Media related to Pius XII at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by
Pius XI		 Pope
1939–1958		 Succeeded by
John XXIII