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Creation of Cardinals of 20 February 1946...
Creation of Cardinals of 20 February 1946...
Item # 724091
February 21, 1946
THE NEW YORK TIMES, Feb. 21, 1946
* Pope Pius XII - St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican - Rome, Italy
* Consistory for the Creation of Cardinals of 20 February 1946
The front page has a two column heading: "Pope Condemns Imperialism As Menace to World Peace" whjch continues on page 3 with photo showing Pope Pius XII with Cardinal Francis Spellman of New York. Page 2 has the complete text of the pope's message. Lengthy text here.
Complete with 38 pages, rag edition in nice condition.
background: On February 20, 1946, Pope Pius XII convened a historic public consistory at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, the first such ceremony since 1939 due to the disruptions of World War II. In this landmark event he created 32 new cardinals, dramatically increasing the size and international diversity of the College of Cardinals at a moment when the Church was emerging from the devastation of the war. The appointments reflected Pius XII’s effort to underscore the truly global nature of Catholicism: for the first time, prelates from countries such as China (Thomas Tien Ken-sin, S.V.D., who became the first Chinese cardinal), and other nations outside Europe were elevated, signaling a shift away from the historically dominant Italian and European composition of the College. The United States received unprecedented representation with the elevation of Francis Spellman (New York), Edward Mooney (Detroit), Samuel Stritch (Chicago), and others, highlighting the growing importance of the American Church in the postwar world. Because no consistory had been held during the war years, many dioceses had been without cardinalatial representation, making this ceremony both practical and symbolic — it restored the College closer to full strength and demonstrated institutional continuity after years of global upheaval. The event was widely covered in international newspapers as a sign that the Vatican was reasserting its spiritual leadership during the fragile early months of postwar reconstruction in Europe and beyond.
Category: The 20th Century
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