Pope Pius XII

Pope Pius XII (; ), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (March 2, 1876 – October 9, 1958), was an Italian priest of the Roman Catholic Church and the 261st Pope from 1939 to 1958.
Early life.
Pacelli was born on 2 March 1876 in Rome, Italy. He studied at the Capranica Seminary and the Pontifical Gregorian University. In 1895, he earned a degree in Theology.
Priest.
Pacelli was ordained as a priest on 2 April 1899. In 1904, he was raised to the rank of Monsignor. He worked at the Office of the Congregation of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs.
Bishop.
In 1917, Pope Benedict XV appointed him an archbishop and nuncio to Bavaria, Germany.
Cardinal.
Pope Pius XI raised Pacelli to the rank of Cardinal in December 1929.
In February 1930, Cardinal Pacelli became the Vatican Secretary of State.
Pope.
Cardinal Pacelli was elected Pope on 2 March 1939, which was his 63th birthday.
Pius XII wrote forty-one official papal letters (encylicals).
Pius XII named forty-two new cardinals.