Editing Pope Pius XI (section)

== Early life and career ==
[[File:The Papal Parentage.JPG|thumb|The parents of Pius XI|left]]
Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti was born in [[Desio]], in the [[province of Milan]], in 1857, the son of the owner of a [[silk]] factory.<ref>D'Orazi, 15–19.</ref> His parents were Francesco Antonio [[Ratti family|Ratti]] (1823–1881) and his wife Angela Teresa née Galli-Cova (1832–1918);<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, aka Pope Pius XI |url=https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/9Q4D-6Y4 |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=www.familysearch.org}}</ref> his siblings were Carlo (1853–1906), Fermo (1854–1929),<ref>{{Cite news|title=POPE'S BROTHER DIES.; Count Fermo Ratti, Ill Two Days, Succumbs Suddenly.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1930/01/01/archives/popes-brother-dies-count-fermo-ratti-ill-two-days-succumbs-suddenly.html|date=1 January 1930|access-date=31 March 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]|page=29}}</ref> Edoardo (1855–1896), Camilla (1860–1946),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maria Camilla Ratti |url=https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/9Q4D-XKT |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=www.familysearch.org}}</ref> and Cipriano. He was ordained a priest in 1879 and was selected for a life of academic studies within the Church. He obtained three doctorates (in [[Doctor of Philosophy|philosophy]], [[Doctor of Canon Law|canon law]], and [[Doctor of Sacred Theology|theology]]) at the [[Gregorian University]] in [[Rome]], and from 1882 to 1888 was a professor at a seminary in [[Padua]]. His scholarly speciality was as an expert [[paleographer]], a student of ancient and medieval Church manuscripts. In 1888, he was transferred from seminary teaching to the [[Biblioteca Ambrosiana|Ambrosian Library]] in [[Milan]], where he worked until 1911.<ref>D'Orazi, 14–24.</ref>
[[File:Papst_Pius_XI._als_Priester_JS_(cropped).jpg|thumb|The young Ratti as a newly ordained priest]]
During this time, Ratti edited and published an edition of the [[Ambrosian rite|Ambrosian]] [[Missal]] (the rite of Mass used in a wide territory in northern Italy, coinciding above all with the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan|diocese of Milan]]). He also engaged in research and writing on the life and works of the reforming Archbishop of Milan, [[Charles Borromeo]]. Ratti became head of the Ambrosian Library in 1907 and undertook a thorough programme of restoration and reclassification of its collections. In his spare time, he was an avid [[mountaineer]], reaching the summits of [[Monte Rosa]], the [[Matterhorn]], [[Mont Blanc]], and [[Presolana]]. A scholar-athlete pope was not seen again until [[John Paul II]]. In 1911, Ratti was appointed by [[Pope Pius X]] Vice-Prefect of the [[Vatican Library]], and in 1914 was promoted to Prefect.<ref>D'Orazi, 27.</ref>

=== Nuncio to Poland and expulsion ===
{{Main|Pope Pius XI and Poland}}
[[File:Achille Ratti Alps.jpg|thumb|left|Ratti (centre) circa 1900 in the Alps on a tour.]]
[[File:Achille-Ratti 1919.jpg|left|thumb|Achille Ratti in 1919]]
In 1918, [[Pope Benedict XV]] (1914–1922) appointed Ratti to what was in effect a diplomatic post, as [[apostolic visitor]] (an unofficial papal representative) in [[Kingdom of Poland (1917–1918)|Poland]]. In the aftermath of World War I, a Polish state was restored, though the process was in practice incomplete, since the territory was still under the effective control of [[German Empire|Germany]] and [[Austria-Hungary]]. In October 1918, Benedict was the first head of state to congratulate the Polish people on the occasion of the restoration of their independence.<ref name="Schmidlin III, 306">Schmidlin III, 306.</ref> In March 1919, he appointed ten new bishops and on 6 June 1919 reappointed Ratti, this time to the rank of [[papal nuncio]] and on 3 July appointed him a [[titular bishop|titular archbishop]].<ref name="Schmidlin III, 306" /> Ratti was consecrated as a [[bishop]] on 28 October 1919.
[[File:Pius XI leaning.jpg|150px|thumb|left |Achille Ratti, shortly after his consecration as bishop]]According to German theologian [[:de:Joseph Schmidlin|Joseph Schmidlin]]'s ''Papstgeschichte der Neuesten Zeit'', Benedict and Ratti repeatedly cautioned Polish authorities against persecuting Lithuanian and [[Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|Ruthenian]] clergy.<ref name="Schmidlin III, 307">Schmidlin III, 307.</ref> During the Bolshevik advance against [[Warsaw]] during the [[Polish-Soviet War]], Benedict asked for worldwide public prayers for Poland, while Ratti was the only foreign diplomat who refused to flee Warsaw when the [[Red Army]] was approaching the city in August 1920.<ref>Fontenelle, 34–44.</ref> On 11 June 1921, Benedict asked Ratti to deliver his message to the Polish episcopate, warning against political misuses of spiritual power, urging peaceful coexistence with neighboring peoples, and saying that "love of country has its limits in justice and obligations".<ref>AAS 1921, 566.</ref>

Ratti intended to work for [[Second Polish Republic|Poland]] by building bridges to men of goodwill in the [[Soviet Union]], even to shedding his blood for Russia.<ref name="Stehle 25">Stehle, 25.</ref> But Benedict needed Ratti as a diplomat, not a martyr, and forbade his traveling to the USSR despite his being the official papal delegate for Russia.<ref name="Stehle 25" /> The nuncio's continued contacts with Russians did not generate much sympathy for him within Poland at the time. After Benedict sent Ratti to [[Silesia]] to forestall potential political agitation within the Polish Catholic clergy,<ref name="Schmidlin III, 307" /> Ratti was asked to leave Poland. On 20 November, when German Cardinal [[Adolf Bertram]] announced a papal ban on all political activities of clergymen, calls for Ratti's expulsion climaxed.<ref name="Schmidlin IV, 15" /> Ratti was asked to leave. "While he tried honestly to show himself as a friend of Poland, Warsaw forced his departure, after his neutrality in [[1921 Upper Silesia plebiscite|Silesian voting]] was questioned"<ref>Stehle, 26.</ref> by Germans and Poles. Nationalistic Germans objected to the Polish nuncio supervising local elections, and patriotic Poles were upset because he curtailed political action among the clergy.<ref name="Schmidlin IV, 15">Schmidlin IV, 15.</ref>
[[File:Achille Kardinal Ratti (spätere Papst Pius XI.), 1921 JS.jpg|left|thumb|Cardinal Achille Ratti in 1921]]
=== Elevation to the papacy ===
{{Main|1922 papal conclave}}
[[File:Primera bendicion pio XI.jpg|thumb|Pius XI makes his first public appearance as pope in 1922. The coat of arms on the banner is that of [[Pope Pius IX]].]]
In the [[Papal consistory|consistory]] of 3 June 1921, Benedict XV created three new cardinals, including Ratti, who was appointed [[Archbishop of Milan]] simultaneously. Benedict told them, "Well, today I gave you the red hat, but soon it will be white for one of you."<ref name="Fontenelle 40">Fontenelle, 40.</ref> After the Vatican celebration, Ratti went to the Benedictine monastery at [[Monte Cassino]] for a retreat to prepare spiritually for his new role. He accompanied Milanese pilgrims to [[Our Lady of Lourdes|Lourdes]] in August 1921.<ref name="Fontenelle 40" /> Ratti received a tumultuous welcome on a visit to his home town of [[Desio]], and was enthroned in Milan on 8 September. On 22 January 1922, Benedict XV died unexpectedly of [[pneumonia]].<ref>Fontenelle, 44.</ref>

At the conclave to choose a new pope, the longest of the 20th century, the [[College of Cardinals]] was divided into two factions, one led by [[Rafael Merry del Val]] favoring the policies and style of Pius X and the other favoring those of Benedict XV led by [[Pietro Gasparri]].{{sfn|Kertzer|2014}}

Gasparri approached Ratti before voting began on the third day and told him he would urge his supporters to switch their votes to Ratti, who was shocked to hear this. When it became clear that neither Gasparri nor del Val could win, the cardinals approached Ratti, thinking him a compromise candidate not identified with either faction. Cardinal [[Gaetano de Lai]] approached Ratti and was believed to have said: "We will vote for Your Eminence if Your Eminence will promise that you will not choose Cardinal Gasparri as your secretary of state". Ratti is said to have responded: "I hope and pray that among so highly deserving cardinals the Holy Spirit selects someone else. If I am chosen, it is indeed Cardinal Gasparri whom I will take to be my secretary of state".{{sfn|Kertzer|2014}}

Ratti was elected on the conclave's 14th ballot on 6 February 1922 and took the name Pius XI, explaining that Pius IX was the pope of his youth and Pius X had appointed him head of the Vatican Library. It was rumored that immediately after the election, he decided to appoint Pietro Gasparri as his [[Cardinal Secretary of State]].{{sfn|Kertzer|2014}} When asked if he accepted his election, Ratti was said to have replied: "In spite of my unworthiness, of which I am deeply aware, I accept". He went on to say that his choice in papal name was because "Pius is a name of peace".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chiesadimilano.it/news/arte-cultura/achille-ratti-cento-anni-fa-la-sua-elezione-a-papa-492751.html|title=Achille Ratti: cento anni fa la sua elezione a Papa|date=3 February 2022|author=Luca Frigerio|publisher=[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan]]|accessdate=7 February 2022}}</ref>

After the dean Cardinal [[Vincenzo Vannutelli]] asked if he assented to the election, Ratti paused in silence for two minutes, according to Cardinal [[Désiré-Joseph Mercier]]. The Hungarian cardinal [[János Csernoch]] later commented: "We made Cardinal Ratti pass through the fourteen stations of the Via Crucis and then we left him alone on Calvary".<ref name="Fisherman">{{Cite book |last=John-Peter Pham |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ahTU3koVfLEC&q=PIUS+XI+CONCLAVE+1922&pg=PA360 |title=Heirs of the Fisherman: Behind the Scenes of Papal Death and Succession |date=2004 | publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-534635-0}}</ref>

As Pius XI's first act as pope, he revived the traditional public blessing from the balcony, ''[[Urbi et Orbi]]'' ("to the city and to the world"), abandoned by his predecessors since the [[Capture of Rome|loss of Rome]] to the Italian state in 1870. This suggested his openness to a rapprochement with the government of Italy.<ref>Fontenelle, 44–56.</ref> Less than a month later, considering that all four cardinals from the Western Hemisphere had been unable to participate in his election, he issued ''[[Cum proxime]]'' to allow the College of Cardinals to delay the start of a conclave for as long as 18 days following the death of a pope.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Trythall |first=Marisa Patrulli |title=Pius XI and America: Proceedings of the Brown University Conference |date=2010 |publisher=Lit Verlag |isbn=978-3-643-90146-0 |editor-last=Gallagher |editor-first=Charles R. |page=28 |chapter=Pius XI and American Pragmatism |editor-last2=Kertzer |editor-first2=David I. |editor-last3=Melloni |editor-first3=Alberto |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CNQOWkFVp1EC&pg=PA28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209090528/https://books.google.com/books?id=CNQOWkFVp1EC&pg=PA28& |archive-date=9 February 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Pope Pius XI |date=1 March 1922 |title=Cum proxime |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/it/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-xi_motu-proprio_19220301_cum-proxime.html |url-status=live |language=it |publisher=Libreria Editrice Vaticana |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228155340/http://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/it/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-xi_motu-proprio_19220301_cum-proxime.html |archive-date=28 December 2017 |access-date=1 November 2017 }}</ref>