Pope Benedict XV, born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his death in January 1922. His pontificate was largely overshadowed by World War I and its political, social, and humanitarian consequences in Europe.
Benedict XV in 1915
The birthplace of Giacomo della Chiesa in Pegli
Giacomo in 1866 at the age of twelve
Pope Pius X consecrates his future successor Pope Benedict XV as Archbishop Giacomo della Chiesa in the Vatican on 22 December 1907.
Luigi Sturzo was an Italian Catholic priest and prominent politician. He was known in his lifetime as a Christian socialist and is considered one of the fathers of the Christian democratic platform. He was also the founder of the Luigi Sturzo Institute in 1951. Sturzo was one of the founders of the Italian People's Party (PPI) in 1919 but was forced into exile in 1924 with the rise of Italian fascism, and later in 1943 Christian Democracy, although he was never a party member. In exile in London and later New York City, he published over 400 articles critical of fascism. Sturzo's cause for canonization opened on 23 March 2002 and he is titled as a Servant of God.
Undated photograph
Sturzo in 1919
1925 Autochrome by Georges Chevalier
Sturzo on 18 November 1950