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The Legacy of Pius XI

Josef Metzler, O.M.!.

ope Pius XI was born Achille Ratti, May 31, 1857, in Pact and the with , whereby after nearly P Desio near . Growing up in the milieu of the sixty years the "" was finally solved, clarified aspiring industrial middle class of Lombardi, he felt the impact and underlined the 's spiritual role. The religious and of the modern rush for social and economic prosperity.' After pastoral tasks of the papacy manifestly came to the foreground, excelling in his course in the humanities at Milan's state college its temporal and political interests faded into the background, and completing two years in the Milan , at twenty-two and the roman enjoyed as never before a universal moral years of age he entered the Lombard College in . For three esteem.' years he studied church history, theology, and philosophy and received his degree in all three. On December 20, 1879, he was Pius XI and Mission Science ordained priest in the Lateran . Modern scholarly study of missions owes its foundations to Early Years in and Academic Ministry GustavWarneck(1834-1910), who in 1874founded the Allgemeine Missionszeitschrift and in 1896 became the first professor of mis­ In 1882he returned to Milan. After serving for a short time as the sions in Halle. His activities and publications in mission studies administrator of a parish, he was assigned to teach "sacred wielded their influence and became the norm for the founding of eloquence" () and a course in the major semi­ a science of missions. In his 1919 Maximum nary. After teaching for five years, he joined the staff of the illud, Benedict XV had outlined a concept of forma­ Ambrosian and from that time onward was engaged in tion in sacred and profane sciences, and he asked that a center of intensive academic research and writing. He published Guida mission studies be established in the Collegio Urbano in Rome." sommaria perilvisitatore della edelle collezioni Cardinal Willem van Rossum, of the Sacred Congrega­ annesse [Brief Visitor's Guide to the Ambrosian Library and Its tion "de Propaganda Fide" (1918-32),immediately went to work Related Collections] (Milan, 1907) and numerous works on the to establish an academic chair for mission studies. historyof the churchin Milanas well as on CharlesBorromeoand Pius XI took up these ideas right from the outset of his othersubjects.'In 1907he was appointeddirectorofthe Ambrosian pontificate. Adopting the motto " in Regno Christi," Library and also papal domestic . the proclaimed 1925,1929,and 1933Holy Years. His lively When , S.J.,resigned his postin 1911as prefect of concern for missions, and his bent for speedy execution, became the , Pius X appointed Achille Ratti as vice­ evident when he gave orders that a missions exhibit, featuring a prefect; and, in 1914, as prefect. Ratti was uprooted missions library, be organized in the Vatican for the 1925 Holy from his scholarlylibraryroutineon April25,1918,whenBenedict Year." He selected a splendid location for the exhibit, the great XV appointed him to .' This new courtyard of the Pigna, adjacent to the newwing of the museums. ecclesiastico-political and diplomatic task he performed skill­ Vicars and apostolic were asked to send mission books fully and tactfully. Because of his knowledge of languages (Ger­ and maps to the exhibit? man, French, Spanish, English) and his repeated journeys into Close to 30,000 volumes, in all languages, arrived in Rome Germany, , and , he was well prepared for for the Vatican Missionary Exhibition, and experts from all over this new assignment. His apostolic travels and visits took him the world were invited to Rome to assist in its preparation. through the whole of Poland and the Baltic States. After Poland Among them was Robert Streit, O.M.I., already known in achieved politicalindependencein 1919,the popeappointedhim Rome for the publication of the first volumes of the monumental apostolic and titular . However, his additional Bibliotheca Missionum. No one seemed better prepared to orga­ appointment as head commissioner for , East and West nize the library section, which was meant to display the literary put him into diplomatic conflict both with Poland and and scholarly work of Catholic and missiologists. with Germany. The pope freed him from this delicate situation The pope followed Streit's work with special interest. When he by appointing him archbishop of Milan, and he raised him to visited the exhibition for the first time, he went directly to the membership in the on June 13, 1921. His library, where he paused to examine the collections grouped tenure as chief in Milan lasted for only a few months. according to the origin of the volumes. When he came to open Benedict XV died on January 22, 1922, and on February 6, Ratti other pavilions, he stopped again in the libraryto inspect the new emerged from the conclave as Pius XI. collections and documents that had recently arrived. "Whenever Besides the traditional measures taken as pope for the pro­ he would come to the exhibition in the quiet hours," recalls motion of the , his international relationships with states Father Streit, "he would never fail to come to the library to see and peoples are of particular significance. The concluding of the how the work was progressing.liB "The importance," he said on the day of inauguration, "given to the scientific and literary section proclaims that even in holiness, hardships and sacrifices are not sufficient; neither is empiricism, but knowledge is necessary in order that fruit may JosefMetzler,aGerman ofMaryImmaculate, taughtmissionhistoryfor be gathered from these hardships and sacrifices. Just as today in more than thirty years at the Papal University Urbaniana, Rome,and was industry, commerce, and the more material occupations of life archivist of Propaganda Fide. Since 1984 he has been Prefect of the Vatican there is a search for scientific guidelines, so these must not be Archives. lacking in the missionary field."?

62 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH At the close of the Missionary Exhibition, which the pope number of catechists too ought to be increased. The encyclical compared to "a vast book," Pius XIexpressed the desire that this concludes with some practical advice concerning the external "book" might always be open in Rome, "where the real center of organizationof thechurchin missionlandsand the development propulsion and diffusion of all the missions is ... where it will be of schools of higher learning. everavailable to all." Thuswasfounded theMissionaryMuseum Pius Xl's missionary program thus embraced the whole at the Lateran (now in the Vatican Museum). With the same work of the evangelization of peoples, including the faithful of purpose in mind, he also decided that the literary section of the the established churches and the new churches. The pope re­ exhibition should remain in Rome as the Pontifical Missionary minded all the faithful, especially and , of their Library in order to make it a center for missiological research on duty to collaborate and cooperate effectively in the world's the very site of the offices of Propaganda Fide. Father Robert evangelization, for all are responsible for the missions. Pius XI Streit was named the first head .'? especiallyinsisted thatbishops were responsible for the mission­ That was a decisive step on the way to carrying out the ary activity of the entire church. mission science plans of the pope. Because of the prodding of In spite of the centuries-old tradition of the church and Benedict XVfrom 1920onward,missionaryscience courseswere repeated reminders from the pontiffs and the and in­ given in the theology of the Athenaeum (today Univer­ structions of Propaganda Fide, the problem of native clergy was sity) Urbanianum of Propaganda Fide. Finally, in 1933 Pius XI far from solved. Pius XI tackled this problem and asked for an established in the same Athenaeum the Institutum Missionale energetic and radical solution. He was aware that the contempo­ Scientificum. The previous year the Jesuits had expanded their rary world was moving at a rapid pace and that if the church Gregorian University in Rome with a faculty of mission sciences. failed to solve the problem of native clergy, it would be . From the very outset Propaganda Fide had struggled The Mission Program of Pius XI against the interference of the colonial powers in mission affairs and had done its best to encourage the development of autono­ The missionary encyclical Rerum Ecclesiae of February 28, 1926,11 mous local churches. Now, after the First World War, the era of is of the greatest importance in Pius Xl's missionary program. In political colonialismwas winding down, even though not all the it are expressed in all its fullness "his broad outlook, his creative powers were convinced of that. Pius XI, a far-seeing man, was energy, the nobility of his heart burning with love for Christ/"" preparingthe future of the church in the new countries thatwere In the modern missionary literature, Rerum Ecclesiae must be nearing their time of independence. numbered among the church's basic documents. "Converting the pagans is an obligation of charity toward God and neighbor Carrying Out the Mission Program and binds all the faithful, especially the clergy and ecclesiastical superiors.r" The pope thus strongly admonished the faithful to Alreadyin1926,theyearthemissionencyclicalappeared, PiusXI be more fruitful in their missionary activity. They were sum­ took the first steps to achieve the missionary aims he had set for moned to moreinsistentandconstantprayerfor missionsandfor himself. HewrotetheapostolicletterAbipsis pontificatus primordiis missionary vocations. The bishops were exhorted to promote onJune 15, 1926, which was addressed to the vicars and prefects apostolic of the missionary church in China." In it the pope condemned missionary involvement in political activities, refer­ Rerum Ecclesiae reflects ring to recent dreadful consequences, and stressed the purely spiritualcharacterof missions. Healsowarnedagainst settingup Pius Xl's whole missionary barriers between the foreign and native . He expressed doctrine and is among the joy that it had been possible in a short while to hand over several mission territories to the Chinese clergy and hinted that soon church's basic documents. some Chinese priests would be ordained bishops. The pope also spoke about the French Protectorate in China. He stressed that if the church tolerated the exercise by foreign powers of a certain missionary vocations and not to fear a lessening of priestly protectorate over the church in a foreign land, it was only vocations for their . The Pontifical Works for the Propa­ inasmuch as it recognized the right of each state to protect its gation of the Faith were recommended. To vicars and prefects citizens all over the world. apostolic, the pope strongly recommended the formation of an The indication of an imminent of Chinese bish­ indigenous clergy and the establishment of new diocesan semi­ opsbroughtgreat joy in the whole Catholic world, butespecially naries. Local priests were not to be employed in subordinate in China. The actual deed was not long in coming. Cardinal van services only but ought to be educated to assume the direction of Rossum informed the pope that a Chinese priest had just been the missions so that the foreign missionaries could devote them­ named to the post of vicar apostolic, with all the episcopal selves to new tasks in other territories. Formation of local clergy dignity. Pius XI was not only pleased but also immediately was indispensable both because indigenous leaders know better declared himself ready to ordain personally the first Chinese the languagesandcustomsof missionareas andbecausetheyrun in the modern era. The episcopal ordination was to take lessdangerof beingexpelledin case of waror internalupheavals. place in the autumn of 1926. The pope then asked that native persons of both sexes be The pope's readiness to ordain personally the first Chinese admitted into the already-existing religious congregations and bishop prompted a flurry of activity both in Rome and in China. that they be helped to found new ones in conformity with local Not one but several Chinese episcopal candidates were to be conditions and with the way native peoples think. The contem­ presented to the pope. plative life must especially be furthered in missions, both be­ TwoChineseprefectsapostolicalreadyin office werenamed cause of its intrinsic value and because it corresponds to the bishops, and three new vicariates apostolic with Chinese ordi­ natural dispositions of various peoples in mission lands. The naries were established. Thereby six Chinese bishops were at

April 1993 63 hand for the solemn in Rome on October 28, 1926. Pius XI emphasized that these decisions should be given due Pius XI had chosen this date because he himself had received publicity throughout the whole of China. The result, as antici- episcopal ordination on October 28 in 1919.15 pated and desired by the pope, was that one after the other of the This event caused a sensation across the world. Celso vicars apostolic in China reported to Rome that Christians were Costantini, the apostolic delegate to China who had come to no longer attributing any religious significance to the Chinese Rome with these bishops, compared it to an electric current that rites. Therefore, they asked, could the same measures allowed in aroused the missions in China to new life and a new direction. be granted in other areas as well? Such requests A year later in Rome, on October 3D, 1927, on the feast of were granted. Finally, on December 8, 1939, the pope authorized , Pius XI ordained the first Japanese bishop; and Propaganda Fide to provide the following principles for the onJune II, 1933, the first Vietnamese bishop. He would also have whole of China: liked to ordain the first bishops from Africa in the modern era. This privilege, however, was reserved for his successor. 1. Catholics are allowed to take part in expressions of honor In the mid-1930s Pius XI addressed another exceptionally made before images and plaques of Confucius in Confucian important item, namely, the of the Christian mes- memorial places or in schools. sage. This was 'particularly urgent in C~i~a in order to counter 2. It is permissible in Catholic schools to put up the picture of Confucius, or a plaque bearing his name, and to greet it with a bow of one's head. 3. Catholic teachers and students, who are ordered thereto, may Ordination of the first take part in public ceremonies in honor of Confucius, insofar as such ceremonies can be considered purely civil. Chinese bishops was 4. Bowing the head and other civil signs of honor before the dead likened to an electric or their images or tombplates bearing only the inscription of current that aroused the name are allowed and permissible.'? missions to new life. Conclusion

By means of all these historic measures, Pius XI gave testimony the accusation that was a foreign , serving to his conviction that spreading Christ's message and the evan- only to spread and a Western mentality. Inevi- gelizing of peoples was to be the first and highest aim of his tably, the issue of inculturation revived the "Chinese rites" pontificate. Other measures and decisions in regard to this aim question. were also taken; they can only be listed here. The first step in this regard was taken in 1935 in Manchukuo. In the first year of his pontificate, in regard to the three The vicars apostolic of this new state, which had been established hundredth anniversary of the establishing of Propaganda Fide out of five Chinese provinces in 1932 by Japan against China's and the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the will, witnessed a revival of the old Confucius cult. Pondering (French) Society for the Propagation ofthe Faith (Lyons, 1822), he earlier Roman decisions against the Chinese rites which honored took advantage of the occasion to summon all Catholics to Confucius and the ancestors, they alerted Rome about this mat- zealous missionary cooperation along with prayer and sacrifice. ter. In a letter of December 3, 1934, Cardinal Pietro Fumasoni- In the same year he declared that the Society for the Propagation Biondi, prefect of Propaganda Fide since 1933, encouraged them of the Faith, the Society of the (to provide to study this delicate question and to submit concrete criteria that spiritual and material assistance for the clergy in mission coun- would enable Propaganda Fide to come up with practical guide- tries), and the Society of the Holy Childhood (Catholic children lines. helping children in the mission countries) were now pontifical On March 25, 1935, the vicars apostolic submitted the re- quested data. They had consulted local authorities about the contemporary meaning of the Confucius cult. The Manchukuo government's reply was unmistakably clear: it was only a matter Pius XI sought to make the of a civil honor with no religious significance. Thereupon, with spreading of Christ's Pius Xl's authorization, Propoganda Fide addressed the famous letter of May 28,1935, to the bishops of Manchukuo." It contains message the highest aim of the following determinations: Missionaries should take care that his pontificate. the government's declaration regarding the civil character of the Confucius cult become known among the people. It was permis- sible in Catholic schools to display Confucius's picture and to pay him the state-prescribed homage. Because of the danger of societies." By this measure he gave new impulse to the mission- confusion with religious devotion, Christian believers should ary cooperation of the faithful on the home front. not set up altars or burn candles before this image. Material The pope promoted the training of a native clergy and contributions in honor of Confucius, but no "offerings," could be requested foreign mission superiors to prepare native priests to tolerated. Christians could also contribute money for the build- take over the leadership of the church. He expressed his special ing and renovation of Confucian temples if this was included in good will to the native seminarians in the Collegio Urbano in the common taxes levied by the state. It was also permitted that Rome. He provided the college with a new location on the Christians could participate in local burial ceremonies conducted , and in 1931 he established the Ethiopian College in as an expression of honor and gratitude toward the deceased the Vatican. In 1927 the Agenzia Internazionale Fides was founded person. to inform the faithful on the home front about mission activities."

64 INTERNATIONAL BULLETINOFMISSIONARY RESEARCH World Mission Sunday was also established." In 1937 Pius XI ish East and West Africa (1930), and Italian East Africa (1937). laid plans for an exhibit of religious art from missions. Delayed A rich literature on Pius XI as pope of missions underlines by the Second World War, it became a reality only during the among other things the importance of this pope for missions on 1950 Holy Year. the home front, for missionary science and research, and for the An important step in carrying out his mission program was promotion of the spread of the faith in all parts of the world. The also the setting up of apostolic delegations in the mission coun- fact that during his pontificate some 200 new mission sees were tries. They were meant to help bring uniformity into missionary established and that 40 of these were given over to native methods; later they were changed into nunciatures with diplo- ecclesiastical superiors speaks eloquently of the missionary legacy matic status. This happened in China in 1922, where the French of Pius XI. He died on February 10, 1939, after a pontificate of Protectorate was to be terminated, as well as in South Africa seventeen years, which was fruitful for the entire church and (1922), French Indochina (1925), the Belgian Congo (1929), Brit- especially for the Christian world mission.

Notes------1. Josef Schmidlin, Papstgeschichte der neuesten Zeit, vol. 4: Papsttum and 10. Since 1972 Willi Henkel, O.M.L, has been head librarian. In 1979 the Pdpsie im xx. Jahrhundert. Pius XI. (1922-1939) (New York, 1939), pp. Missionary Library was unified with the Urbanian University Li- 5-6. brary, and Henkel became head librarian of both. 2. Ibid., p. 9. 11. (1926), pp. 65-83. 3. Ct. Ottavio Cavalleri, "L' Archivio di Mons. Achille Ratti.Visitatore 12. Johannes Dindinger,O.M.L, in Guida del/e Missioni Cattoliche (Rome, Apostolico eNunzioa Varsavia (1918-1921). Inventario." In Appendice 1934), p. 19. Ie Istruzioni e la Relazione finale (, 1990). 13. Rerum Ecc/esiae (Feb. 26, 1928), par. 5. 4. Karl Bihlmeyer and Hermann Tuchle, Kirchengeschichte, pt. 3: Die 14. Acta Apostolicae Sedis (1926), pp. 303-7. Neuzeit und die neueste Zeit (Paderborn, 1956), p. 493. 15. Ibid., pp. 432-33. 5. Acta Apostolicae Sedis (1919), p. 448. 16. Sylloge praecipuorum documentorum recentium 6. Ct. Josef Metzler, O.M.L,"The Pontifical Missionary Library 'De et S. Congregation is de Propaganda Fide (Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, Propaganda Fide,' " in De Archivis et Bibliothecis Missionibus atque 1939), pp. 479-82. Scientiae Missionum inservientibus (Rome, 1968), pp. 347-60. 17. Acta Apostolicae Sedis (1940), pp. 24-26. For other publications, see 7. "Norrne per l'invio dei libri destinati all'Esposizione Missionaria Bibliotheca Missionum 14, no. 3 (1960): 336-37. Vaticana dell'Anno 1925," Esposizione Missionaria del/'Anno Santo 1925. Bollettino Ufficiale (Rome) I, no. 1 (February 1924): 375. 18. Sylloge, pp. 672-82 ("Romanorum Pontificum"). 8. Robert Streit, O.M.I.,"Papst Pius XI. und die Missionswissenschaft," 19. Ibid., pp. 717-18. Die kaiholischen Missionen (M. Gladbach) 57 (1929): 215. 20. A Sunday dedicated to the idea of mission, with prayers for the 9. Cronistoria del/'Anno Santo 1925 (Rome, 1928), pp. 117-18. success of the missionary effort.

Bibliography

Bierbaum, Max. Das Papsttum: Leben und Werk Pius XI. Cologne, 1937. See Lima Vidal, Joao Evangelista de. "A Obra da Propagacao de Fe e 0 Santo esp. "Die katholische Weltrnission," pp. 125-62. XI." Anais de Propagacdo de Fe (Lisbon) 6 (1935): 246-55. Brou, Alexandre, S.J."L' oeuvre missionnaire de 5.5. Pie XI (1922-1929)." Martindale, Cyril C, S.J. The Call of the Missions. London, 1939. See esp. Etudes Tom. () 201 (1929): 202-15. "Pius XI-Pope of the Missions," pp. 10-20. Bruehl, C. "Pius XI and the Missions." Homiletic and Pastoral Review (New Olichon, Armand. Pie XI et les Missions. Paris, 1928. York) 39 (1939): 1257-67. Ortiz de Urbina, Ignacio. "Pio Xl.Ias Misiones y la Uni6n de las iglesias." Burke, Francis J., 5.]. Pius XI, Pope of the Missions. New York, 1929. Raz6n y Fe () 87 (1929): 42-53. Carminati, Franco. L'Opera di Pio XI per Ie Missioni. Rome, 1929. Peters, Joseph. "Die Neuordnung des Missionshilfswesens durch Pius Curpide,Pablo. "Pio XI, el Pontifice de las Misiones y del Oriente." XI." Die katholischen Missionen (M. Gladbach) 59 (1931): 40-44, 126-31, Illuminare (Vitoria) 9 (1931): 151-57; 10 (1932): 33-37,209-16; 11 (1933): 212-18,246-51,274-79,344-49. 41-45. Pinedo, Ignacio F. de, S.J."Pio XI y las Misiones." EI Siglo de las Misiones Hughes, Philip. Pope Pius the Eleventh. London, 1938. See esp. "The (Bilbao) 21 (1934): 36-39, 65-69. Foreign Missions," pp. 150-62. Streit, Robert, O.M.L "Unser Missionspapst Pius XL" Priester und Mission Lavarenne, J. L'oeuvre missionnaire de Pie XI. Lyons, 1935. (Aachen) 13 (1929): 7-16. Ledrus, Michel,S.]. "La doctrine missionnaire de 5.5. Pie XL" Nouvel/e Tragella, Giovanni Battista, P.LM.E. Pio XI, Papa Missionario. Milan, 1930. Revue Theologique (Paris and Tournai) 56 (1929): 481-94.

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