The relationship between Italy and the Pope was quite complicated, and it could even be said that the two sides remained in a state of hostility.
In 1870, the army of Italy captured Rome, abolished the Papal States, and designated Rome as the capital.
Pope Pius IX declared himself the “Prisoner of the Vatican,” refused to recognize the Kingdom of Italy, the House of Savoy, or the status of Rome as the capital, and forbade Catholics from pledging allegiance to the King of Italy, voting, holding public office, or intermarrying with the royal family.
The conflict had continued to the present day, and Victor Emmanuel III also harbored anti-Church sentiments and a deep dislike of the clergy, believing that the Church was greedy and hypocritical.
In short, there seemed to be no way to resolve the conflict between the two sides.
When Victor Emmanuel III heard that they were planning to move against the Church, he immediately became interested, although he still had some concerns.
“Umberto, the Pope has immense influence; how could he possibly compromise?” “Father, if we want to remove the Church’s influence over secular affairs, we must separate the two sides.” “How do we separate them?” “Legally and judicially.” “How so?” “Legal separation means religion belongs to God, while the secular realm belongs to the King.
You should publicly issue a declaration reaffirming the status of Rome, guaranteeing religious freedom while opposing religious privilege, and establishing equality before the law so that clergy who break the law must also stand trial.
Judicial separation means removing the Church’s authority to interfere in matters such as land, taxation, and the judiciary.” “Umberto, doing this will cause chaos.
After all, eighty percent of the people in Italy are Catholics.” “Father, faith is faith, but that does not mean people can survive on faith alone.
If they dare stir up trouble, we will portray the Pope as a die-hard reactionary who uses the Church to interfere in secular authority, refuses to accept the current order, and attempts to control Italy and other countries.” “Before that, I am going to speak with the Pope.
If we can resolve matters through negotiation, these measures will not be necessary.
In addition, you must authorize me to recognize the sovereignty of a Vatican State.” Victor Emmanuel III was somewhat confused after hearing this.
“Umberto, if we recognize it as a sovereign state, how will the borders be settled?” “Cede the forty-four hectares surrounding the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican to him.” Umberto remembered the approximate area of this country; after all, it was the “holy land” of Catholicism, something most people in later generations knew.
“Will this cause trouble in the future, such as disputes over sovereignty?” Victor Emmanuel III believed the Pope to be a die-hard reactionary who was extremely stubborn about certain matters.
“No, it won’t.
Once Italy becomes fully integrated, the political influence of religion will gradually decline.” Religion was only one means of governing the secular world, but it could not be allowed to dominate it.
“Fine, go and give it a try.” “Father, shouldn’t you be the one to go?” “Seeing him makes me sick.” “…” For two people who had barely met to despise each other to such an extent was rather remarkable.
There was no other choice, so Umberto had to step forward himself.
…
Pius XI was a Pope of strong will, profound scholarship, and strict discipline, and in another timeline had even been described by Mussolini as “a stubborn old man.” To deal with such a person, apart from being even more unreasonable than him, there seemed to be no better method.
Yet Umberto considered himself an elegant person.
Umberto followed a clergyman toward Pius XI’s reception room, and the closer he came, the stronger the religious atmosphere became.
Walking into the reception room, Umberto saw a spirited old man quietly muttering something to himself.
Umberto had no religious faith, but his identity in this life still required him to show the Pope proper respect.
“Your Holiness, as the Crown Prince of the Italian Royal Family, I have come here today especially to request an audience.” Umberto prepared to kneel on one knee.
“There is no need for formalities, Your Highness, please rise.” Pius XI reached out to stop him and gestured for Umbertoto sit nearby.
“Your Highness is occupied with affairs of state; since you have suddenly come to visit me, I assume there is something you wish to discuss?” Pius XI was the Pope and had no need to show Umberto a pleasant expression.
Moreover, the two sides were still technically in a state of hostility.
Italy had seized the territory of the Papal States.
“Your Holiness is deeply perceptive and should already have guessed my purpose.” Umberto cleared his throat slightly.
“I intend to implement land reform and need to purchase land throughout the country.
“The Church owns nearly two million hectares of agricultural land, making it one of the primary targets of government acquisition.
Your Holiness is the leader of the faithful, so surely you should also consider the welfare of the general public?” Umberto spoke with a trace of nervousness, feeling a strange sense of authority emanating from the old man before him.
Pius XI smiled and said, “Crown Prince, only a few decades have passed since your Italian Royal Family seized the territory of the Papal States, and now you want to take the Church’s land as well.
What?
Does your Italian Royal Familyintend to declare war on Catholicism?” A knife hidden behind a smile.
“Your Holiness, I am discussing this with sincere intentions; why must you make the matter sound so grave?” Umbertowas somewhat speechless, seeing no willingness to negotiate in the other’s attitude.
“Tens of millions of people in Italylive below the starvation line.
If they all starve to death, who will remain to believe in Catholicism?” “I am sincerely discussing this matter without any malicious intent.” Umberto restrained his temper.
“Crown Prince, please return.
The property of the Church is sacred, and no one is permitted to violate it.” Pius XI sternly refused.
He had nothing more to say to the Italian Royal Family.
“…” Umberto was speechless.
This old man’s personality was simply too stubborn, constantly trying to send people away whenever he disagreed with them.
“Your Holiness, if you refuse outright like this, aren’t you worried that I will adopt measures making it difficult for the Church to operate anywhere in Italy?” Umberto did not care about the old man’s attitude; he still had to say what needed to be said.
“If the Crown Prince is not afraid of Catholics throughout the world, then you are welcome to try.” Pius XI responded without yielding an inch.
“Your Holiness exaggerates; how would I dare make an enemy of the world’s Catholics?” Umberto knew that without showing some sincerity, the other party would have no interest in continuing the discussion.
“As long as you are willing to sell the land, I will support the Vatican becoming a sovereign state, with Your Holiness as the ruler of that country.” “Oh?” Hearing the words “sovereign state,” Pius XI’s eyes flashed.
This meant that the Pope would no longer be a “prisoner,” but would possess independent territory free from interference by the Italian Government.
He also hoped to rebuild an “earthly kingdom of Christ,” end the confrontation with Italy, and open the door to genuine religious independence.
“Crown Prince, what are Italy’s conditions?” “Your Holiness must formally recognize the Kingdom of Italy, recognize Rome as its capital, and renounce all claims to the territory of the former Papal States; the Church must renounce all secular authority within Italy, while the Italian Church will be organized as an archdiocese under bishops appointed by you.” “That will not do.
The Pope has complete authority over the faithful and cannot surrender that authority to the secular government.” “Your Holiness, you should look further into the future.
Once the Vatican becomes a sovereign state, it will become the holy land and center of world Catholicism rather than merely a large religious institution within Rome.
“You are a straightforward person, so I will also speak frankly.
If you refuse, then I will adopt various methods to remove the Church’s influence over secular affairs.
You are well informed and should know what I am capable of.
Under the government I administer, your secular power will reach nowhere in Italy.” “Crown Prince, you can defeat others, but you cannot frighten me.” “Your Holiness, don’t speak too soon.
No matter how much property the Church possesses, it is still located on Italian territory, and I have the authority to regulate it.
Moreover, I can investigate the Church’s illegal occupation of property, or rather, the harm committed against the faithful, and make the results public.” “You!” Pius XI had not expected such a young man to be so ruthless, directly confronting him and even threatening to undermine the Church from within.
Catholicism was a religion, but it was also an enormous organization, and wherever an organization existed, abuses of privilege were bound to appear.
“You cannot frighten me!” Pius XI remained unafraid; at worst, he would deal with each measure as it came.
“Why must you be so stubborn?” Umberto was truly impressed by this old man’s temperament.
“How about this: in addition to the compensation provided by the Ministry of Finance, I will separately compensate you with one hundred million lire in cash as recognition for your support of the Italian Government.” “If you still refuse, then beginning next year, property and land taxes on Church assets in Italy will increase dozens of times.
In addition, the Vatican will become a restricted area, with entry and exit prohibited.” After hearing this, Pius XI frowned.
This young man was far too aggressive and extremely straightforward.
In truth, achieving recognition as an independent sovereign state was already one of the Pope’s major goals.
“Crown Prince, return for now; I need to convene a meeting.” The meaning was obvious: the matter would be decided after internal discussion.
“I await your good news.” Umberto believed the other party would respond soon.
The core of the future Lateran arrangement was that the Kingdom of Italy formally recognized the Vatican as an independent sovereign state, and Umberto was willing to grant that condition.
However, Umberto did not agree to Catholicism becoming the sole state religion, because he believed Italy’s future religious environment needed to remain diversified in order to govern a broader population and prevent any single religious force from becoming too dominant.
In truth, dealing with religion was extremely troublesome: you could not simply fight it, destroy it, or openly provoke it.
…
Two days later, Umberto was invited by Pius XI to return to the Vatican and discuss the details.
Umberto brought the Vice Minister of Justice with him so that the clauses could be drafted directly.
The conference room was filled with relevant Church officials, although the dominant figure was naturally the Pope.
“Crown Prince, we basically agree to the conditions proposed by the Italian Royal Family, but two additional points must be included: first, churches throughout the country must retain a certain amount of land that cannot be violated; second, the construction of churches and the freedom of the clergy cannot be restricted.” Umberto nodded.
This was a situation he and the Vice Minister of Justice had already considered.
“In response to these two points, I also have additions: first, churches cannot retain large landholdings, but they may retain one hectare of land surrounding each church for their own use; second, the freedom of the clergy will not be restricted, but the construction of new churches must receive approval, because there are already more than twenty thousand churches in Italy, which is quite enough.
In the north, there is practically one church every five kilometers, occupying a considerable amount of land.” “Crown Prince, without land, how will the Church survive?” Pius XI could not personally provide living expenses for so many members of the clergy.
Moreover, if Italy succeeded in imposing such a system, other countries might eventually follow.
“Your Holiness need not worry.
Catholic clergy within the Italian Archdiocese will become part of the national public-service system, administered through the Department of Religious Affairs, and will receive salaries.
However, the appointment of bishops within the Italian Archdiocese should require the joint approval of the King of Italy and Your Holiness, otherwise the appointment will not be recognized.
“Of course, the King of Italy and the government promise to guarantee religious freedom as long as religious activities remain within the law.” Pius XI immediately objected, “No.
Allowing the King of Italy to interfere in Church appointments would be no different from allowing the Church to interfere in the secular authority of the Italian Government.” “Fine, I agree to that.” Umberto did not have a particularly strong opinion on the matter anyway; there would be plenty of other methods to restrain political interference later.
With this, the major points of disagreement between the two sides disappeared.
Umberto asked Vice Minister of Justice Antonio Galassi and the Church’s legal representatives to reconcile the clauses and write every provision clearly so as to avoid future conflicts.
On November 30, the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, personally came to the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican and signed the Treaty of the Vatican together with Pope Pius XI.
The core content of the treaty was the mutual recognition of sovereignty and territory.
On that day, Victor Emmanuel III announced that all secular authority belonged to the institutions of the Italian Government, and that clergy and believers who violated the law would be subject to the judicial authority of Italy.
From that moment onward, Italy and the Pope formally separated their secular legal and judicial authority.
The Pope also announced the establishment of Vatican City State on that day, creating an independent earthly center of Catholicism.
At the same time, the Pope announced the establishment of the Italian Archdiocese and renounced all territorial claims and Church landholdings subject to the reform within Italy.
As soon as the proclamation was released, the whole of Italy erupted in astonishment once again.
The Church was one of the country’s largest landowners, yet it had actually agreed to surrender its land.
More importantly, the Italian Royal Family and the Pope had reconciled.
By this point, who would still dare look down upon the young Crown Prince of Italy, the true ruler of the country?
The landlords far away in Sicily wiped the sweat from their brows and congratulated themselves on their wisdom.
The landlords throughout the south patted their chests in relief, grateful that they had at least preserved their families, while the landlords in the north secretly rejoiced that they had not blindly chosen the wrong side.
In short, the major obstacles standing in the way of Italy’s reforms had been swept aside.