orig. Giacomo Della Chiesa
born Nov. 21, 1854, Pegli, Kingdom of Sardinia
died Jan. 22, 1922, Rome, Italy
Pope (1914–22).
Ordained a priest in 1878, he entered the papal diplomatic service. He was made archbishop of Bologna in 1907 and cardinal in 1914. Elected pope a month after the outbreak of World War I, he tried to follow a policy of strict neutrality and concentrated the church's efforts on relief. He later made positive efforts toward reestablishing peace, though his principal attempt in 1917 to mediate the war was unsuccessful.
Benedict XV, 1921
UPI