CrucisPope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV was born Giacomo della Chiesa on 21 November 1854 at Genoa in Italy, of a noble family, and trained as a diplomat in the papal service before being made Archbishop of Bologna and then, only months before his election, a cardinal. He was chosen pope in September 1914, just as the First World War engulfed Europe, and his entire pontificate was overshadowed by that catastrophe and its aftermath.
He threw the whole weight of the papacy into the cause of peace, striving to remain strictly impartial between the warring nations, condemning the war as "the suicide of civilized Europe," and in 1917 issuing a detailed peace proposal that the belligerents ignored. Frustrated in his efforts to end the fighting, he poured the Church's resources into humanitarian relief, aiding prisoners of war, refugees, and the starving, and helping to reunite families. He also promoted the missions and the new Code of Canon Law. He died in Rome on 22 January 1922.
Selected quotes
“Reconciliation begins not in treaties but in confessionals; the peace of nations is built upon the peace of penitent hearts.”
“Let no Christian repay hatred with hatred; the only chain strong enough to break the cycle of vengeance is forgiveness.”
“Let charity be the bond that unites all Christians, for the world will not believe in a Church whose children are divided.”