The Papal Conclave of 1939 was convened on the eve of World War II , in connection with the death of Pope Pius XI on February 10 of the same year in the Apostolic Palace. The Conclave , in order to elect Pius XI's successor, began work on March 1 and ended the day after March 2 , after three ballots. The Cardinals elected Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, then the Camelot and the Vatican Secretary of State, as the new Pope. He accepted the election and took the papal name Pius XII .
 coat of arms of the period of Sede Vacante | |
| Time and place | |
|---|---|
March 1 - 2, 1939 | |
| Principal dignitaries of the College of Cardinals | |
| dean | Genaro Granito Pinyatelli di Belmonte |
| vice dean | Donato Sbarretti |
| cameralngo | Eugenio Pacelli |
| protopresbyter | William Henry O'Connell |
| protodeacon | Camillo Caccia Dominioni |
| secretary | Vincenzo Santoro |
| Elections | |
| of voting | 3 |
| Chosen Dad | |
| Eugenio Pacelli (Accepted name: Pius XII ) | |
Content
Conclave on the eve of World War II
As in the case of Pius X , when he died in 1914 , Pius XI was a rather stubborn man, a purely business pope , and then the cardinals , all sixty-two who participated in the Conclave, gathered in the Sistine Chapel , decided that they needed skillful and a careful diplomat who could lead them through the impending war.
Among the likely contenders for the papacy were August Hlond - Archbishop of Gniezno - Poznan , Karl Joseph Schulte - Archbishop of Cologne , curial Cardinal Eugène Tisserant , Ildefonso Schuster - Archbishop of Milan , Adeodato Giovanni Piazza - Venice patriarch , Maurilio Fossati - Archbishop of Turin and the camerlengo and Cardinal-State Secretary Eugenio Pacelli . [1] The prospect of the non-Italian pope (the last of which, until this moment, was Pope Adrian VI in 1522 ) was considered better in 1939 than on previous Conclaves. [one]
Cardinal Pacelli received 35 votes in the first ballot, while other votes went to Luigi Malone , Elia Dalla Costa - Archbishop of Florence , and Jean-Marie-Rodrigue Villeneuve - Archbishop of Quebec . [2] At the second ballot, Pacelli received five more votes, reaching a total of 40. [2]
Pacelli's Choice
The conclave's favorite was Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, Secretary of State of the Vatican and the Camelot of the Roman Catholic Church . During the life of Pius XI, he was called " Dauphin ", "Crown Prince", "Pre-Heir." It was said that Pius XI, as he said, was ready to renounce the papacy if he was sure that it was Pacelli who became pope, since Cardinal Pacelli was papabile . The Conclave, which began on March 2, 1939 , turned out to be one of the shortest. Less than a day later, Cardinal Secretary of State and Cardinal Cameralngo Eugenio Pacelli was chosen by the Pope and took the coronation name of Pius XII , in honor of his predecessor.
Forecasts
One thing is clear, in the conditions of an imminent war, the cardinals decided on a brilliant and clever diplomat who was supposed to lead the church ship of their brewing storm as an experienced helmsman. Indeed, Pacelli had a huge diplomatic career, nuncio in Bavaria and Germany , the secretary of state of the Vatican . When he was secretary of state, the new dad traveled a lot and established many useful and good connections.
1939 Conclave Details
| Duration | 2 days |
|---|---|
| Number of ballots | 3 |
| Electors | 62 |
| Africa | 0 |
| Latin America | 2 |
| North America | four |
| Asia | one |
| Europe | 55 |
| Oceania | 0 |
| Italians | 35 |
| DIED DAD | PIP XI (1922-1939) |
| NEW DAD | PIP XII (1939-1958) |
Goals after election
After his election, Pius XII listed the three goals of the Pope. [3]
- A new translation of the Psalms , read daily as a prayer by monastics and priests , for the clergy to better appreciate the beauty and wealth of the Old Testament . This translation was completed in 1945 .
- The definition of the dogma of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary . This required numerous studies in the history of the Church and consultation with the episcopate throughout the world. The dogma was announced in November 1950 .
- An enlarged archaeological site beneath St. Peter's Basilica in Rome to determine whether St. Peter was actually buried there, or whether the Church was subjected to pious fallacy for more than 1500 years. This was a controversial issue, due to the real possibility of the main obstacle and technical considerations, to excavate under the main altar , close to the columns of the papal altar of Bernini and the main support of the dome of Michelangelo . [4] The first results regarding the tomb of St. Peter were published in 1950 . [four]
Interesting Facts
- The Conclave 1939 was the shortest Conclave of the 20th century , such the August Conclave of 1978 , is ranked second.
- Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, the eventual winner, allegedly voted for Cardinal Federico Tedeschini .
- During the break after the second ballot, Pacelli suffered a fall down the flight of stairs, but only hurt himself. [2]
- Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli was elected Pope Pius XII on his birthday - he turned 63 years old.
See also
- Cardinals electors at the 1939 Conclave
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Death of a Pope TIME Magazine, February 20, 1939
- 2 1 2 3 Habemus Papam TIME Magazine, March 13, 1939
- ↑ Domenico Cardinale Tardini. Pio XII. Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana, 1960. P. 75
- ↑ 1 2 Domenico Cardinale Tardini. Decree. cit. P. 76