Pope Pius VI

Lore & Background

Born in Cesena, he was elected Pope in the 1774–1775 conclave. Pius VI condemned the French Revolution and the persecution of the Catholic Church in France. French troops commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the Papal army and occupied the Papal States in 1796. In 1798, upon his refusal to renounce his temporal power, Pius was taken prisoner and transported to France. He died eighteen months later in Valence.

Reader's Guide

Pius VI was a conscientious administrator. He opened the 1775 Jubilee Year, tackled corruption in the Papal States, and improved finances. He ordered the release of Lorenzo Ricci, but Ricci died before the decree arrived. He traveled to Vienna in 1782 to address reforms by Emperor Joseph II, but his mission failed. He condemned the Synod of Pistoia with the bull Auctorem fidei. He erected the first American episcopal see, the Diocese of Baltimore, in November 1789. He elevated 73 cardinals and beatified 39 individuals. He expanded the Pio-Clementine Museum, drained marshes near Città della Pieve, Perugia, and Spoleto, restored the Via Appia, and deepened harbors at Terracina and Porto d'Anzio.

Did You Know?

• Pius VI was the fourth-longest-reigning pope in papal history.
• He was taken prisoner by French troops in 1798 and died in Valence, France.
• He beatified 39 individuals but canonized no saints during his pontificate.
• He added a new sacristy to Saint Peter's Basilica.