Editing Pope Pius XI (section)

== Death and burial ==
[[File:Pie XI 6 février 1939.JPG|left|thumb|Pius XI on 6 February 1939, 4 days before his death]]
[[File:Pie XI Funérailles.JPG|thumb|left|The funeral of Pius XI.]]
Pius XI had been ill for some time when, on 25 November 1938, he suffered two heart attacks within several hours. He had serious breathing problems and could not leave his apartment.<ref name="Confalonieri 356">Confalonieri, 356.</ref> He gave his last major pontifical address to the [[Pontifical Academy of Sciences]], which he had founded, speaking without a prepared text on the relation between science and the Catholic religion.<ref>Confalonieri, 358.</ref> Medical specialists reported that heart insufficiency combined with bronchial attacks had hopelessly complicated his already poor prospects.

Pius XI died at 5:31&nbsp;a.m. (Rome time) of a third heart attack on 10 February 1939, at the age of 81. His last words to those near him at the time of his death were spoken with clarity and firmness: "My soul parts from you all in peace."<ref>Confalonieri, 373.</ref> Some believe he was murdered, based on the fact that his primary physician, Francesco Petacci, was the father of [[Claretta Petacci]], Mussolini's mistress.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120710031328/http://jcs.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/12/23/jcs.csr120.short Frank J. Coppa, ''Pope Pius XII: From the Diplomacy of Impartiality to the Silence of the Holocaust''], ''Journal of Church and State'', 23 December 2011.</ref><ref>Saul Friedländer, ''Nazi Germany and the Jews: I. The Years of Persecution, 1933–1939'', New York: Harper-Collins, 1997, p. 277.</ref><ref>[[Harry J. Cargas]], ''Holocaust scholars write to the Vatican'', 1998, {{ISBN|0-313-30487-4}}.</ref><ref>John Cornwell, [[Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII]]. Viking, 1999. {{ISBN|978-0-670-88693-7}}, p.204</ref><ref>[[Newsweek]], Volume 79, 1972, p. 238.</ref> Cardinal [[Eugène Tisserant]] wrote in his diary that the pope had been murdered, a claim that [[Carlo Confalonieri]] later strongly denied.<ref name="Last" />
{{multiple image
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|image1 = Coffin of Pius XI.png
|caption1 = Pius XI's tomb as seen on 4 March 1939.
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|caption2 = The tomb of Pius XI in the grottoes of Saint Peter's Basilica. }}
The Pope's last audible words were reported to have been "peace, peace". Those at his bedside at 4:00 am realized that his end was near, at which stage the sacrist was summoned to administer the final sacrament 11 minutes before the pope's death. The pontiff's confessor Cardinal [[Lorenzo Lauri]] arrived a few seconds too late. After his final words, the pope's lips moved slowly. Rocchi said it was possible to discern that the pope was making an effort to recite a Latin prayer.<ref name="TV">{{Cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68539640|title=DEATH OF POPE PIUS XI. AFTER REIGN OF 17 YEARS Last Words Typified His Life|newspaper=Advocate |date=11 February 1939|pages=1|via=Trove}}</ref> About half a minute before his death, Pius XI raised his right hand weakly and tried making the [[sign of the Cross]] to impart his last blessing to those gathered at his bedside. One of the last things he was reported to have said was "We still had so many things to do". He died among a low murmur of psalms recited by those present. Upon his death, his face was covered by a white veil. Pacelli, in accordance with his duties as [[Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church|Camerlengo]], lifted the veil and gently struck the pope's forehead three times with a small, ceremonial silver hammer, reciting his Christian name (Achille) and pausing for an answer to confirm that the pope had died, before turning to those present and in Latin saying: "Truly the pope is dead."<ref name="TV" />

Upon Pius XI's death, the Anglican [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] [[Cosmo Lang]] paid tribute to his efforts for world peace, calling him a man of "sincere piety" who bore his duties with exceptional "dignity and courage". Others who sent messages of condolences were Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, the former visiting the Vatican to pay his respects. Flags were flown half-staff in Rome, Paris, and Berlin.<ref name="TV" />

Pius XI's body was placed in a wooden coffin, placed in a bronze casket, which was then placed in a lead casket.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Reardon |first=Wendy J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EYbeCQAAQBAJ&q=%22bronze+casket%22+%22Pius+XI%22&pg=PA240 |title=The Deaths of the Popes: Comprehensive Accounts, Including Funerals, Burial Places and Epitaphs |publisher=McFarland |year=2010 |page=240|isbn=978-0-7864-6116-5 }}</ref> The casket was designed by [[Antonio Berti (sculptor)|Antonio Berti]].<ref name="Spike">{{Cite web |last=Spike |first=John T. |date=19 February 2007 |title=The Marinelli Foundry Of Florence – An Overview |url=http://lapieta.com/the-marinelli-foundry.aspx/vescovo-buonarroti-art.aspx}}</ref> Pius XI was buried in the [[List of extant papal tombs|crypt of St. Peter's Basilica]] on 14 February 1939, in the [[Chapel of Saint Sebastian]], close to [[Saint Peter's tomb]].<ref name="Pilot">{{Cite news |date=14 February 1939 |title=PIUS ENTOMBED BENEATH ALTAR OF ST. PETER'S |work=San Pedro News Pilot |volume=11 |issue=293 |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19390214.2.18&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1}}</ref> The day of the funeral was a day of mourning in Italy and Ireland.{{sfn|Kertzer|2014|p=188}}<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3jOLGy127mMC&q=ireland+declares+day+of+mourning+1939&pg=PA141 | title=Ireland and the Vatican: The Politics and Diplomacy of Church-state Relations, 1922-1960 | isbn=978-0-902561-96-0 | last1=Keogh | first1=Dermot | date=1995 | publisher=Cork University Press }}</ref> His tomb was modified in 1944 to be more ornate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Given the high quality of the monumental reliefs that adorn the ramp of the restored entry of the Vatican Museum, executed by the Fonderia Marinelli, the Vatican also commissioned the construction of a new bronze tomb of Pope Pius XI |url=http://www.fonderiamarinelli.it/en/monuments/1931-1940/sepolcro-di-papa-pio-xi/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722234345/http://www.fonderiamarinelli.it/en/monuments/1931-1940/sepolcro-di-papa-pio-xi/ |archive-date=22 July 2015 |access-date=22 July 2015 }}</ref>