Pope Benedict XV

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Lore & Background

Giacomo della Chiesa was born prematurely at Pegli, a suburb of Genoa, Italy, the third son and sixth child of Marquess Giuseppe della Chiesa and his wife Marchioness Giovanna Filippa Vittoria Maria Migliorati. His father's side produced Pope Callixtus II and claimed descent from Berengar II of Italy; his maternal family produced Pope Innocent VII. Due to his premature birth, Giacomo was left with a limp and completed much of his early education at home. His father insisted on a legal career, and della Chiesa acquired a doctorate in Law on 2 August 1875 from the University of Genoa. He then received reluctant permission to study for the priesthood, entering the Almo Collegio Capranica in Rome. He was ordained a priest by Cardinal Raffaele Monaco La Valletta on 21 December 1878 at the Lateran basilica. From 1878 to 1883 he studied at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, where Mariano Rampolla took note of him and furthered his entry into the Vatican diplomatic service in 1882. He accompanied nuncio Rampolla to Madrid in January 1883. On 18 December 1907, he received episcopal consecration from Pope Pius X himself, who donated his own episcopal ring and crosier. He became Archbishop of Bologna, a diocese of 700,000 persons, 750 priests, and 19 male and 78 female religious institutes. He became a cardinal on 25 May 1914, as Cardinal-Priest of the titulus Santi Quattro Coronati.

Reader's Guide

Pope Benedict XV's significance lies in his leadership during World War I. He immediately declared the neutrality of the Holy See and attempted to mediate peace in 1916 and 1917, but both sides rejected his initiatives—German Protestants rejected any "Papal Peace" as insulting, and French politician Georges Clemenceau regarded the Vatican initiative as anti-French. After diplomatic failures, he focused on humanitarian efforts: attending prisoners of war, exchanging wounded soldiers, and delivering food to needy populations in Europe. In 1917, he promulgated the Code of Canon Law on 27 May, which he had prepared with Eugenio Pacelli (the future Pope Pius XII) and Pietro Gasparri during the pontificate of Pope Pius X. He named Gasparri as his Cardinal Secretary of State and personally consecrated Nuncio Pacelli as Archbishop on 13 May 1917. He revitalized Catholic missions worldwide through the document Maximum illud, asking Catholics throughout the world to participate, earning him the title "Pope of Missions." After the war, he repaired relations with France, which re-established relations with the Vatican in 1921, and permitted Catholic politicians led by Don Luigi Sturzo to participate in Italian politics. His last concern was the emerging persecution of the Catholic Church in Soviet Russia and the famine there after the revolution. He authorized the Feast of Mary, Mediatrix of all Graces. He died on 22 January 1922 after battling pneumonia since the start of that month and was buried in the grottoes of Saint Peter's Basilica.

Did You Know?

• He was born prematurely at Pegli, a suburb of Genoa, Italy, and the premature birth left him with a limp.
• His father's side produced Pope Callixtus II and claimed descent from Berengar II of Italy; his maternal family produced Pope Innocent VII.
• He acquired a doctorate in Law on 2 August 1875 before being permitted to study for the priesthood.
• He was ordained a priest on 21 December 1878 at the Lateran basilica by Cardinal Raffaele Monaco La Valletta.
• He promulgated the Code of Canon Law on 27 May 1917, which he had prepared with Eugenio Pacelli (the future Pope Pius XII) and Pietro Gasparri.