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Australia and the Popes
Pope Pius XI : 1922-1939
In his analysis of the Catholic History of Australia, Yuri Koszarycz, writes:
"The period from the 1880's to 1950's has been described as the period
of self-congratulatory Catholic Triumphalism"*. If that summation is
correct one of the key places to understanding it must come from the pontificate
of Pope Pius XI which basically spanned the period between the two World Wars.
Born as Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (31 May 1857-10 Feb 1939) Cardinal
Ratti became Pope Pius XI as a compromise candidate in the 14th ballot of an
exhausting conclave on 6 February 1922.
A time of economic depression:
The period spanned by Pius XI's pontificate, 1922-39, is probably best remembered
or characterised by the Great Depression (1929-32 but the effects extended up
to the outbreak of WWII) and the rise of totalitarianism as a significant practical
political force in Germany (Nazism), Russia and Eastern Europe (Communism),
Spain and Italy (Fascism) and with echoes in South and Central America. It was
a period of great uncertainty and not unnaturally many in the world were seeking
certitude through political ideology and leaders with simplistic answers. The
uncertainty is probably reflected in the length of the conclave and the difficulties
experienced by the Cardinals in discerning who might be the best person to lead
the Church at this time in history.
The pontificate of Pius XI is characterised by his efforts to get Catholics
to engage with the world — through initiatives like Catholic Action; a
new vision of Jesus Christ not as humble carpenter or suffering servant but
as "king triumphant" — Pius instituted the Feast of Christ the
King through his encyclical Quas
Primas on 11th December 1925; and his efforts in the realms of politics,
statesmanship and diplomacy to re-establish the Church as a more significant
powerhouse in the world of ideas and shaping the agenda of human civilisation.
In this secular realm of human affairs he was successful in resolving past
diplomatic rifts with France and Italy. The resolution of the rift with the
secular powers in Italy led to the re-establishment of the Vatican as a political
State and the Pope himself being once again accorded recognition as a Head of
State albeit that the Vatican City State was the smallest State on earth.
His endeavours to engage with the ideologies of totalitarianism though were
in the end largely unsuccessful. It would take the Spanish Civil War, the Second
World War, the long Cold War, and the talents of the Polish Pope, John Paul
II, at the end of the Twentieth Century to finally bring some resolution in
human affairs to the scarring of the human spirit caused by these excursions
into totalitarian political theories and ideologies.
(*see full quote in context in the next section at:
http://www.catholicaustralia.com.au/page.php?pg=austchurch-
popes09)
Continued on next page... >>
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The textual material on these pages was sourced from a large number of places all of which can be found through the links on each page. The material was researched, assembled and produced by Brian Coyne for Catholic Australia. The images used in the Flash animations are in the public domain. Other images used are in the public domain or sourced from the webpages to which they are linked.
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