Pope Pius XI

About Pope Pius XI

Pope Pius XI, born Achille Ratti in 1857, served as the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church from 1922 until his death in 1939. His tenure was marked by significant geopolitical maneuvering, most notably the negotiation and signing of the Lateran Treaty in 1929, which resolved the "Roman Question" by establishing Vatican City as an independent sovereign state. Furthermore, he issued the encyclical *Mit brennender Sorge* (With burning concern) in 1937, which was smuggled into Germany and read from pulpits, strongly condemning the Nazi regime's ideology and actions against the Church, solidifying his importance at a crucial juncture in 20th-century history, earning him the #282 rank on the Pantheon index.

Despite this historical weight, his modern internet attention appears relatively modest. In 2025, Pope Pius XI garnered an annualized 442K Wikipedia views, placing his attention gap at approximately 1x—meaning his online visibility roughly matches his historical ranking, unlike some contemporaries. For contrast, he receives significantly fewer views than figures from his own field, such as Judas Iscariot (1.4M views) or John Calvin (723K views), who are ranked less historically important at #674 and #402, respectively. This suggests that while his attention is proportionate to his rank, it is low compared to other religious figures whose narratives may be more frequently revisited online.

There is a notable surge in recent interest, as indicated by a dramatic +124.3% year-over-year change in Wikipedia views, though this momentum seems to be fading slightly, showing a -26% drop between Q1 and Q3 of 2025. This recent spike suggests a contemporary event or academic focus may have briefly driven increased digital curiosity about the Pope who stood up to Hitler.