1939 papal conclave

Papal conclave
March 1939
Dates and location
1–2 March 1939
Sistine Chapel, Apostolic Palace,
Vatican City
Key officials
DeanGennaro Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte
Sub-deanDonato Sbarretti
CamerlengoEugenio Pacelli
ProtopriestWilliam Henry O'Connell
ProtodeaconCamillo Caccia-Dominioni
SecretaryVincenzo Santoro
Election
Ballots3
Elected pope
Eugenio Pacelli
Name taken: Pius XII
← 1922
1958 →

The papal conclave held on 1 and 2 March 1939 saw Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli elected on the third ballot to succeed Pius XI, who had died on 10 February, as pope. All 62 cardinals took part. Pacelli, who had been camerlengo and secretary of state, took the name Pius XII. The day was his 63rd birthday.

The conclave of 1939 was the shortest of the 20th century.[1] It was also the last to include all living cardinals.

Pacelli was the first Pope born in Rome since Innocent XIII, in 1721, and the first member of the Roman Curia to become Pontiff since Gregory XVI (1831).[2][3] Another Curial cardinal would not be elected Pope until the 2005 papal conclave, who chose the name Benedict XVI.

  1. ^ Allen Jr., John L. (2002). Conclave: The Politics, Personalities, and Process of the Next Papal Election. Doubleday. ISBN 9780385504560. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference nyt19390303 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Padellaro, Nazareno (1957). Portrait of Pius XII. Dutton. p. 7.

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