Church-State relationship : the Congregation of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs and the politics of concordats during the pontificates of Pius X and Benedict XV (1903-1922)

Abstract

This paper will present the effective contribution of the Congregation of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs to the renewal in the Holy See’s relations with States during the pontificates of Pius X and Benedict XV (1903-1922). It will show how this Congregation served as an effective guiding force in establishing policy and resolving diplomatic issues in compliance with its original purpose. On a methodological level, this study will limit itself to a historical and critical assessment of the Congregation’s sessions that discussed new concordats with particular states to reveal how adopted policies contributed to diplomatic renewal. The redefinition of the concept of concordat proved fundamental in creating a space for the Church’s existence in a transformed political context. It is, in fact, in the diplomatic sphere, that Benedict XV’s pontificate registers a decisive turning point in the relationship of the Church to the contemporary world. If by the end of the pontificate of Pius X, the Holy See had relations with only 17 states, by the time of Benedict XV’s death, the number had risen to 27, and these included three world powers: Britain, France and Germany. Even if his cries for peace were left unanswered, the Holy See’s impartiality during the First World War ensured its position as a moral force on the international scene. Therefore, out of the utter devastation of war, not only did a redesigned European map emerge, but also a certain openness towards the Church. The threat posed by Russian Bolshevism and the spirit of revolution in a Europe brought to its knees spiritually and materially, led several governments to understand the importance of maintaining a stable relationship with the Holy See.