St. Peter’s Basilica of Vatican is a place of pilgimage and a tourist attraction. It is the most prominent Catholic church in the world. Still, as many sacral object it contains numerous pieces of art. All sculptures and all mosaics (which seem looking from distance as paintings, but in reality they are mosaics) have their meaning. Many of them depict popes and saints that are historical figures. As I was sightseeing and making photos in the Basilica, I red many of the descriptions but not beeing acquainted with the Catholic Church history I was not able to associate figures that I saw with their role in history. Below, the statue of Pope Pius XII from Vatican Basilica, whose Papacy was marked by warfare but also the preservation of the Catholic Chruch as a political entity.
Pope Pius XII, born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (1876–1958), served as the head of the Catholic Church from 1939 until his death in 1958. His pontificate was notable for its duration and the tumultuous period it encompassed, including rise of Benito Musolini, World War II and the early stages of the Cold War.
Prior to his papacy, as Cardinal Secretary of State, Pacelli was involved in the negotiations of the Lateran Pacts of 1929 under Pope Pius XI with that time Italian Prime Minister Benito Musolini. These agreements, established the independence of Vatican City and resolved longstanding disputes between the Church and the Italian state. Italy agreed to give the Holy See financial compensation for the loss of the Papal States. This compensation included a lump sum and an annuity to the Holy See, acknowledging the Church’s loss of property and sovereignty since 1870. In return, the Holy See recognized the Kingdom of Italy’s sovereignty over the territory of Rome and the former Papal States, thus formally ending decades of dispute. The pacts included the Concordat, which regulated relations between the Catholic Church and the Italian state. It acknowledged Roman Catholicism as the state religion of Italy and outlined the rights of the Church and the clergy in Italy, including matters related to religious education and the tax status of the Church.
Still as the Secretary of State, and later as the Pope, Pius XII faced the challenge of dealing with Mussolini’s Fascist policies, which included actions that were antithetical to Catholic teachings, such as the regime’s involvement in World War II and its adoption of racial laws.
Pius XII’s wartime policy remains a subject of considerable historical analysis and debate, with opinions varying based on interpretations of his actions and inactions, the context of the war, and the available archival evidence. His approach was characterized by diplomatic caution and a focus on humanitarian efforts, but has been critisized for its perceived lack of vocal opposition to the warfare atrocities. The Vatican, under Pius XII, had to navigate these issues, balancing moral considerations with the practicalities of maintaining the political stance of Holy See newly defined as a political state midst of the facist Italy. This silence has been interpreted by some as passive complicity or a failure of moral leadership. Others argue that a public denunciation could have worsened the situation for both Catholics and Jews in Nazi-occupied territories.