Death of Pius XII

Pius XII died on 9 October 1958 in Castel Gandolfo, aged 82. Born Eugenio Pacelli, he was pope during the Second World War and the early years of the Cold War. A diplomat who had served as papal nuncio in Germany and as Vatican secretary of state, he signed the 1933 concordat with Nazi Germany. His wartime conduct remains controversial, as defenders say he quietly helped to save many Jews while critics argue he should have spoken out more forcefully against the Holocaust. He defined the dogma of the Assumption of Mary in 1950, and his pontificate saw growth in the Church's global role.

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