Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti was born in Desio, in the province of Milan, in 1857, the son of an owner of a silk factory. His parents were Francesco and Teresa; his siblings were Carlo (1853–1906), Fermo (1854–1929), … See more

The pontificate of Pius XI coincided with the early aftermath of the First World War. The old European monarchies had been largely swept away and a new and precarious order … See more

The Fascist government in Italy abstained from copying Germany's racial and anti-Semitic laws and regulations until 1938 when Italy introduced anti-Semitic legislation. The Pope publicly asked Italy to abstain from adopting a demeaning racist legislation, … See more

Pius XI's first encyclical as pope was directly related to his aim of Christianising all aspects of increasingly secular societies. See more

In his management of the Church's internal affairs, Pius XI mostly continued the policies of his predecessor. Like Benedict XV, … See more

Pius XI accepted the Reunion Movement of Mar Ivanios along with four other members of the Malankara Orthodox Church in 1930. As … See more

Pius XI was seen as a blunt-spoken and no-nonsense man, qualities he shared with Pope Pius X. He was passionate about science and was fascinated with the power of radio, … See more