He more than once visited England. In June 190o he stayed for a time with his intimate friend, Bishop Casartelli, at Man chester. He studied at the Bodleian in Oxford and at the British Museum and said Mass in Westminster cathedral. In his summer vacations it was his custom to make climbing excursions in the Alps. The Bolletino of the Italian Alpine Club relates how, in 1889, he discovered a new way of ascent by the eastern slope to Monte Rosa, and how on one occasion by his courage and prompti tude he saved the life of his guide. The ascent is commemorated by a monument erected by the club at Macugnaga. In 1908 during the riots at Milan, he was active in pacifying the turbulent ele ments and intervened successfully to save the Capucine convent from destruction during the bombardment.
Cardinal Ferrari had made him his trusted counsellor in the government of the diocese and in 1909 appointed him to a can onry in the cathedral. In 1912 Pius X. called him to Rome, made him vice-prefect of the Vatican library (where he served under Cardinal Gasquet) and at the same time promoted him to a can onry of St. Peter's. On the succession of Benedict XV. he became the familiar friend of the new pope, who, with a keen appreci ation of his qualities singled him out for the diplomatic service and entrusted him with the delicate mission of apostolic visitor to the new republic of Poland. Here his clear judgment and tact and his fluent knowledge of German and Polish enabled him to achieve a marked success in dealing with the complicated claims along the Russian-Polish frontier.
In June 1919 Ratti was made nuncio apostolic in Poland and titular archbishop of Lepanto and on July 3 was consecrated in Warsaw by the archbishop, Mgr. Kakowski. It was a mark of the confidence reposed in him by all classes that he was chosen by the Interallied Commission to act as high ecclesiastical com missioner for the plebiscite of Upper Silesia by agreement of both the Polish and German Governments. During the Bolshevik inva sion, when most of the embassies withdrew from Warsaw, the nuncio remained and carried on his work of conciliation and of succour for the poor in devastated regions. Pope Benedict XV.
sent him the pallium, the Polish Government decorated him with the Order of the White Eagle and the university enrolled him amongst its doctors. On the death of Cardinal Ferrari, Benedict XV., in June, 1921, appointed him archbishop of Milan, and made him a cardinal under the title of S.S. Silvestro and Martino ai Monti. On Sept. 2 he returned from a pilgrimage to Lourdes and on the following day was solemnly enthroned.
Pope Benedict XV. died on Jan. 22, 1922. On Feb. 2 the cardinals entered into conclave and on Feb. 6 Cardinal Ratti was elected pope. He chose the name of Pius XI., and was pro claimed from the balcony of St. Peter's. He received the triple obedience of the cardinals and on Feb. II was crowned in the presence of an enormous concourse in the Basilica. Subsequently the life of Pius XI. may be summed up as one of constant activity, in which his encouragement of all high ideals and good works was marked by staunchness in all matters of principle and the spirit of pacification and conciliation in administration. During 1925,
the year of the jubilee, he was brought, perhaps more than any other pontiff, into personal contact with his spiritual subjects by receiving more than 1,250,000 pilgrims from all parts of the Catholic world. By all he was revered for his learning, his charity, piety and width of sympathy, his courtesy, tact and charm of deportment and, most of all, for his untiring devotion to the duties of his exalted pastorate. (J. Ms.) Pope Pius XI. will go down in history as the supreme pontiff who, with the cordial co-operation of Mussolini—and their re spective advisers—closed the breach between Church and State, known as the Roman Question. (See PAPACY.) The pontiff was said to have devoted over two-and-a-half years of patient and persistent study to the problems that were involved. Examination of the communiques that were available at the time of the sign ing of the treaties between the Holy See and Italy shows that all bore the stamp of the august humility which had always char acterized Pius XI.'s utterances. He is reported to have said, on the day the treaties were signed (Feb. I 1, 1929), that he had asked for the least possible indemnity because he regarded him self as a father negotiating with his children, and, therefore, he had wished to make agreement as easy as possible. Five months later the Vatican concluded an agreement with Mexico which per mitted the church to resume religious services in that country.
Until his death Pius XI. was an uncompromising opponent of communism, which he condemned as the common enemy of all Christians. It was principally his stand on communism, plus the anti-clerical opinions of certain sectors in the Spanish Republican Government, that led him to espouse the cause of the Insurgents under Franco.
Shortly after Hitler became chancellor, the Vatican signed a concordat with Germany intended to protect the property and rights of the church under the Nazi regime. The peace was short lived, however, and Pius repeatedly voiced his displeasure at the neopaganism of the Nazis and their failure to observe the letter of the agreement. Pius' relationships with the Italian Fascist State, on the contrary, were friendly in the main until 1938, when Musso lini announced his new anti-Semitic policy. Pius thereupon as sailed all racial theories as anti-Christian. Practically all the mes sages of the last year of his reign were pleas for the preservation of peace. He died at Vatican city on Feb. 1o, 1939, and was buried four days later in the crypt of St. Peter's.