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Pio Nono; a Study in European Politics and Religion in the Nineteenth Century
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
376 pages, Paperback
First published June 19, 2013
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May 4, 2026
This book was first published in 1954. Until the publication of de Mattei’s new English language study of Pius IX in 2004, this was one of the main book length resources for English speakers on Pius IX.
The book’s expertise is mainly its political coverage, especially the various disagreements and outright conflicts between Pius IX and Piedmont and with the characters of Mazzini, Cavour, etc. When it comes to explaining the Syllabus of Errors, the author views it as very much a statement of Pius’ attitudes towards Piedmont. Some of its condemnations may well have more universal implications, but it was Pius’ experiences of the outrages of Piedmont that coloured his thinking and his language. When Piedmont was seizing Church assets and forcibly closing monasteries, while simultaneously lauding the idea of a “free Church in a free state” it is not difficult to see why Pius IX would find (that kind of) Religious Freedom to be an absurdity. Nor is it difficult to see why Pius IX was so intransigently averse to the ideas of liberty and progress, when they were the very motto of Piedmont as it repressed the Church (p.269).
Another aspect which I think the book covered well, was the situation in England and the restoration of the English Hierarchy. By 1850 there was about a million Catholics in England. The author explains how Pius IX reviewed the information and determined to go ahead with reinstating bishops and dioceses. A small detail which the author brings out is that Pius IX prayed about his decision and celebrated mass for it, each day for three days before making a final decision (p.144). That brings out both how seriously Pius took it, but also how he integrated his spirituality into his decision making, clearly and visibly praying about issues .
The book was more disappointing in its lack of reference to Jewish issues. Pius IX maintained the Jewish ghetto in Rome, and it was only opened after Rome fell to the risorgimento. That doesn’t even merit a mention in the book. And perhaps most astonishingly of all, the Mortara affair is ignored. That was the situation where a Jewish 6 year old was baptised and then kidnapped by Pius IX to be raised in the Vatican as it was unacceptable to leave a baptised child in a Jewish family. That affair scandalised Europe, and still to this day it is a controversial issue. So why wasn’t it discussed in the book? Was it because the book is deliberately avoiding anything that could reflect (too) negatively upon Pius IX ?
Overall, there is useful information in the book, but it is not a book that I would recommend for modern readers. The gaps do not give a properly rounded picture of Pius IX and, the more recent 2004 book essentially replaces this book as a significant resource for English speakers.
The book’s expertise is mainly its political coverage, especially the various disagreements and outright conflicts between Pius IX and Piedmont and with the characters of Mazzini, Cavour, etc. When it comes to explaining the Syllabus of Errors, the author views it as very much a statement of Pius’ attitudes towards Piedmont. Some of its condemnations may well have more universal implications, but it was Pius’ experiences of the outrages of Piedmont that coloured his thinking and his language. When Piedmont was seizing Church assets and forcibly closing monasteries, while simultaneously lauding the idea of a “free Church in a free state” it is not difficult to see why Pius IX would find (that kind of) Religious Freedom to be an absurdity. Nor is it difficult to see why Pius IX was so intransigently averse to the ideas of liberty and progress, when they were the very motto of Piedmont as it repressed the Church (p.269).
Another aspect which I think the book covered well, was the situation in England and the restoration of the English Hierarchy. By 1850 there was about a million Catholics in England. The author explains how Pius IX reviewed the information and determined to go ahead with reinstating bishops and dioceses. A small detail which the author brings out is that Pius IX prayed about his decision and celebrated mass for it, each day for three days before making a final decision (p.144). That brings out both how seriously Pius took it, but also how he integrated his spirituality into his decision making, clearly and visibly praying about issues .
The book was more disappointing in its lack of reference to Jewish issues. Pius IX maintained the Jewish ghetto in Rome, and it was only opened after Rome fell to the risorgimento. That doesn’t even merit a mention in the book. And perhaps most astonishingly of all, the Mortara affair is ignored. That was the situation where a Jewish 6 year old was baptised and then kidnapped by Pius IX to be raised in the Vatican as it was unacceptable to leave a baptised child in a Jewish family. That affair scandalised Europe, and still to this day it is a controversial issue. So why wasn’t it discussed in the book? Was it because the book is deliberately avoiding anything that could reflect (too) negatively upon Pius IX ?
Overall, there is useful information in the book, but it is not a book that I would recommend for modern readers. The gaps do not give a properly rounded picture of Pius IX and, the more recent 2004 book essentially replaces this book as a significant resource for English speakers.
Displaying 1 of 1 review