Pietro Gasparri facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids His Eminence Pietro Gasparri GCTE
Cardinal Secretary of State
Pietro Gasparri
Enthroned	13 October 1914
Reign ended	7 February 1930
Predecessor	Domenico Ferrata
Successor	Eugenio Pacelli
Other posts	Cardinal-Priest of San Lorenzo in Lucina (1915–1934)
Orders
Ordination	31 March 1877
Consecration	6 March 1898 by François-Marie-Benjamin Richard
Created Cardinal	16 December 1907
Rank	Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Birth name	Pietro Gasparri
Born	(1852-05-05)5 May 1852 Ussita, Papal States
Died	18 November 1934(1934-11-18) (aged 82) Rome, Kingdom of Italy
Buried	Ussita
Nationality	Italian
Denomination	Catholicism
Parents	Bernardino Gasparri and Giovanna Sili
Previous post	Apostolic Delegate to Peru (1898–1901) Titular Archbishop of Caesarea (1898–1907) Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs (1901–1904) Cardinal-Priest of San Bernardo alle Terme (1907–1915) Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals (1914–1915) Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church (1916–1934) Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs (1925–1930)
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Pietro Gasparri (born May 5, 1852 – died November 18, 1934) was an important leader in the Roman Catholic Church. He was a cardinal, a diplomat (someone who handles relations between countries), and a key figure in the Roman Curia (the Pope's administration). He is most famous for signing the Lateran Pacts, which created Vatican City. He also served as the Cardinal Secretary of State for two Popes, Pope Benedict XV and Pope Pius XI.

Biography

Pietro Gasparri's Early Life

Pietro Gasparri was born on May 5, 1852. His birthplace was Capovallazza di Ussita, a small village in the Apennine Mountains of central Italy. At that time, this area was part of the Papal States.

He was the youngest of ten children. His parents were Bernardino Gasparri and Giovanna Sili, who were shepherds. Pietro was a favorite child, even though he was often weak and sickly. His family enjoyed listening to him read stories about saints.

Becoming a Church Scholar and Diplomat

For many years, Gasparri was a professor at the Catholic University of Paris. He taught Canon Law, which is the set of rules and laws that govern the Catholic Church. He worked there from 1880 to 1898.

After that, he became an Apostolic delegate (a special representative of the Pope) to Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru. He served in these countries from 1898 to 1901. Then, he returned to Rome to work in the Curia.

Codifying Canon Law

In 1904, Pope Pius X asked Gasparri to lead a huge project. The goal was to organize and write down all the laws of the Catholic Church into one clear book. This process is called "codification."

Gasparri spent 13 years working on this project. He gathered and simplified countless old decrees and studies. His hard work resulted in the 1917 Code of Canon Law. This was the first complete legal text in the history of Catholicism. It was used until 1983.

Serving as Secretary of State

Pietro Gasparri became a Cardinal-Priest in 1907. In 1914, he was appointed Cardinal Secretary of State. This is a very important role, like being the Pope's top advisor and foreign minister. He served under Popes Benedict XV and Pius XI.

In 1916, he also became the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. This role involves managing the Church's property and finances.

The 1922 Papal Conclave

In 1922, after Pope Benedict XV died, a new Pope needed to be chosen. This process is called a papal conclave. Gasparri was considered a possible choice for Pope. He was known as a "moderate" who wanted the Church to have more balanced policies with the modern world.

Retirement and Death

By 1928, Gasparri was not in good health. He was suffering from heart disease and diabetes. He offered to resign from his position as Secretary of State. After several weeks, Pope Pius XI accepted his resignation in October 1930.

Pietro Gasparri passed away on November 18, 1934. At the time of his death, he was still leading several important Church commissions.

Canon Law Reform: A Major Achievement

What is Canon Law?

Canon law is the set of rules and regulations that guide the Catholic Church. For centuries, these laws were spread across many different documents. It was hard to find and understand them all.

Creating the 1917 Code

After the First Vatican Council, there was a strong desire to bring all these laws together. Pope Pius X assigned this huge task to Pietro Gasparri. Gasparri was helped by other important figures, including Giacomo della Chiesa (who later became Pope Benedict XV) and Eugenio Pacelli (who later became Pope Pius XII).

Gasparri was very skilled in canon law. He worked to organize, simplify, and update the laws. He put them into a single, easy-to-read code. This new code was called the 1917 Code of Canon Law.

Pope Benedict XV officially announced the new code on May 27, 1917. It became effective on May 19, 1918. This code mostly applied to the Latin Church. It was a huge step forward in the legal history of the Catholic Church.

Papal Diplomacy: Building Relationships

Agreements with European Nations

Under Gasparri's leadership, the Vatican made many diplomatic agreements. These agreements are called "concordats." They are like treaties between the Catholic Church and different governments. Many of these agreements were with new countries that formed after World War I.

For example, concordats were signed with:

Bavaria (part of Germany) in 1924
France in 1925
Czechoslovakia in 1928
Portugal in 1928
Romania in 1932

The Lateran Treaty: A Historic Agreement

Ending the Roman Question

The Lateran Treaty is seen as Pietro Gasparri's greatest achievement. It solved a long-standing disagreement between the Vatican and the Kingdom of Italy. This conflict, known as the "Roman Question," had lasted for 60 years.

The treaty was signed on February 11, 1929. Benito Mussolini signed for Italy. The treaty included three agreements. These agreements were officially approved on June 7, 1929.

Creating Vatican City

The Lateran Treaty officially created Vatican City as an independent state. This meant the Pope had his own country, ensuring his freedom and independence. Francesco Pacelli, a Roman lawyer and brother of Eugenio Pacelli, was a key negotiator for the Vatican.

Relations with Russia and the Soviet Union

Gasparri's time in the Vatican saw big changes in Europe. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Vatican faced a new challenge. The new Soviet government rejected not only the Catholic Church but all religion. This created a very difficult situation for the Church.

Agreements with Lithuania and Estonia

Gasparri also worked to establish good relations with new countries. For example, he helped create a concordat with Lithuania.

Estonia was another country that sought ties with the Vatican. In 1919, Gasparri agreed to diplomatic relations. A concordat was signed in 1922. This agreement guaranteed freedom for the Catholic Church in Estonia. It also allowed for Catholic schools and protected church property.

Relations with Lithuania were a bit more complex. This was partly because of the Polish occupation of Vilnius, a city claimed by both Lithuania and Poland. Despite challenges, a concordat was signed with Lithuania in 1927.

Relations with Poland

In 1918, Pope Benedict XV congratulated the Polish people on gaining their independence. He hoped Poland would continue its history as a Christian nation. In 1919, he appointed Achille Ratti (who later became Pope Pius XI) as the papal nuncio (ambassador) to Poland.

The Concordat with Poland

On February 10, 1925, a concordat was signed between Pietro Gasparri for the Vatican and Stanislaw Grabski for Poland. This agreement had 27 articles. It guaranteed the freedom of the Church and its followers in Poland.

The concordat covered many important points:

Catholic education in schools.
How bishops would be chosen.
The establishment of seminaries (schools for priests).
A permanent nuncio in Warsaw.
Protection of Church property rights.

The agreement stated that the Church would have the full protection of the State. It also said that clergy accused of crimes would be handled by Church authorities if convicted. This concordat helped the Catholic Church in Poland to grow and flourish.

Pope Pius XI (1922-1939) was elected Pope two years after serving as Nuncio to Poland. He worked with Cardinal Gasparri to sign concordats with many countries, including Lithuania and Poland.