1939 conclave
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A conclave was held on 1 and 2 March 1939 to elect a new pope to succeed Pius XI, who had died on 10 February. All 62 members of the College of Cardinals attended. On the third ballot, the conclave el
Illustration of the burning of ballots
Pope Pius XII on the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica following his election
Pius XII, 1953
William Henry O'Connell
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William Henry O'Connell was an American Catholic prelate who served as archbishop of Boston in Massachusetts from 1907 until his death in 1944, and was made a cardinal in 1911. He previously served as
O'Connell in 1913
Painting by Albert Bernhard Uhle