Pius XII (1876-1958) was elected pope of the Roman Catholic Church in 1939. He was one of the most active popes in church history. Pius used his authority to such an extent that he was sometimes criticized within his church for determining too many issues. However, Pius also was widely praised for the broad range of his interests and his brilliance in attacking basic problems of the church.
Pius negotiated with the heads of several European governments to try to prevent World War II (1939-1945) and to end the war as soon as possible. He is credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews from death by the Nazis through secret arrangements. After his death, some people blamed Pius for not having spoken out more forcefully against the Nazi persecution of the Jews. Other people believe that Pius felt further appeals to Adolf Hitler were useless and that such appeals might have increased the Nazi persecution of Jews in Italy and elsewhere.
In the area of church teaching, Pius in 1950 proclaimed the Assumption of the Virgin Mary—that is, that she was taken bodily into heaven. His encyclicals (letters to the entire church) covered a wide range of topics. Divino Afflante Spiritu (1943) opened the way for Catholic Biblical scholarship. Mediator Dei (1947) prepared for the updating of the Catholic Mass in the 1960’s. Pius altered some customs, such as shortening Holy Week ceremonies and relaxing the law of fasting before Holy Communion.
Pius was born in Rome on March 2, 1876. His given and family name was Eugenio Pacelli. He was ordained a priest in 1899 and was named a cardinal in 1929. He served as papal secretary of state from 1930 until his election as pope. Pius died on Oct. 9, 1958.
