Editing Pope Pius XI (section)

==== Soviet Union ====
{{Main|Holy See–Soviet Union relations}}

Worried by the persecution of Christians in the [[Soviet Union]], Pius XI mandated Berlin nuncio [[Eugenio Pacelli]] to work secretly on diplomatic arrangements between the Vatican and the Soviet Union. Pacelli negotiated food shipments for Russia and met with Soviet representatives, including Foreign Minister [[Georgi Chicherin]], who rejected any kind of religious education and the ordination of priests and bishops but offered agreements without the points vital to the Vatican.<ref>Hansjakob Stehle, Die Ostpolitik des Vatikans, Piper, München, 1975, pp. 139–141.</ref> Despite Vatican pessimism and a lack of visible progress, Pacelli continued the secret negotiations, until Pius XI ordered them discontinued in 1927 because they generated no results and would be dangerous to the Church if made public.

The "harsh persecution short of total annihilation of the clergy, monks, and nuns and other people associated with the Church",{{sfn|Riasanovsky|1963|p=617}} continued well into the 1930s. In addition to executing and exiling many clerics, monks and laymen, the confiscation of Church implements "for victims of famine" and the closing of churches were common.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|1963|p=634}} Yet according to an official report based on the census of 1936, some 55% of Soviet citizens identified themselves openly as religious.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|1963|p=634}}