World Fairs: from Pius IX to Paul VI

(Vatican Radio) On Friday 1st of May Pope Francis sent a video message to mark the opening of the six month long Milan Expo 2015, a World Fair which has opted for the theme : “Feeding the planet – energy for life”. Among the 140 nations taking part is Vatican City State with its pavilion by the theme: “Not by bread alone. At the Lord’s Table with all Mankind”.

In this video message the Pope spoke as Bishop of Rome on behalf of all the people of God across the world. My voice, he said, is that of the multitude of those who are poverty stricken. I would like to dedicate it to all of these people, Christians and non-Christians whom God loves and for whom He gave His life. He broke the bread, which is the flesh of his Son become Man. He taught us to ask God the Father, ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ The Expo, he added, is a propitious occasion to globalize solidarity. Let us not waste it, but make the very most of it.

In this message Francis also referred to an expression used by Saint John Paul in 1992 on a visit to the United Nation’s ‘Food and Agriculture Organisation’ here in Rome: ‘the paradox of abundance’.

Popes often refer to the teachings of the Roman pontiffs who came before them. A practice which reflects the continuity of Church teaching.

Listen to a  programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick: 

Likewise they follow in the footsteps of their predecessors to the See of Peter even when it comes to World Fairs. Ever since the nineteenth century when Blessed Pope Pius IX sent delegations to London from the Pontifical States even though at the time these delegations were designated simply as from ‘Rome’.

At a glance the delegations participated in many World Fairs, among these the 1851 ‘Great Exhibition of the Works of the Industry of  Nations’. Remarkable is their participation in a later London Fair during which they received an award for the presentation of  all new ‘topographic machine’, first created to trace the reliefs of the catacombs.

But although pontifical delegations took part in these first World Fairs characterized by technological prowess on the heels of the industrial revolution, Blessed Pius IX also injected into them a liturgical and cultural interest.

An interest further developed at a religious, political and social level by the next pope in line, Leo XIII. Let’s recall how he was the first Roman Pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church to pen a social encyclical. It was 1891 and this document by the Latin title of ‘Rerum Novarum’ brought about revolutionary change as it addressed the condition of the working classes and the need to alleviate their “misery and wretchedness”.

And so it was that the social approach expressed in this document by Leo XIII surfaced in a special way during the Paris World Fairs of 1889 and 1900. As these events provided a fertile ground to relay the Church’s stance on issues such as peace, the right to work and rest and the role of woman in civil society.

Moving ahead to the pontificate of Pius XI, so well into the twentieth century, education became a priority on the Holy See’s agenda. But sadly the Paris World Fair of 1937, which took place as the clouds of war gathered over Europe, is best remembered as linked to that era of totalitarian regimes. Something which prompted Pius XI to write two encyclicals two months ahead of the inauguration of the fair in May of that year: one denouncing  communism and the other the Nazi regime.

When Pius XII becomes pope the interest in World Fairs had stepped up both at an economic and cultural level. So much so that by the time of the Jubilee Year of 1950 the Holy See organized its very own fair which focused on sacred art. One attended by some thirty- seven nations.

But perhaps one of the most famous of  the Fairs of the twentieth century took place in New York in 1964. The pope then was Blessed Paul VI, who confirmed his predecessor’s will for Michelangelo’s ‘Pietà’ to be shipped across the ocean so it could be on view in the Vatican Pavilion in time for the occasion.

A year later Paul VI, became the first pope ever to visit the United States making that crossing over the ocean by airplane. You may remember the occasion and his famous plea for peace in French when he spoke at the United Nations headquarters in New York: “Jamais plus la guerre, jamais plus la guerre...” meaning no more war.

But possibly what you don’t know is that on this same day he visited the New York World Fair. It was the 4th of October 1965 and although there is no recording of that event in our Vatican Radio archives there is his brief speech on that occasion:

“We have come to see the beautiful setting for the masterpiece of Michelangelo, the Pietà. It is easy to understand how so many millions of visitors have been attracted by this precious sculpture intended to honour the Blessed Lady and her crucified Son. We are confident that it has moved countless souls and has given inspiration to artists to imitate the genius of this great artist. We have offered Our prayers to Christ, the Good Shepherd, Whose message of peace and concord We have come to proclaim, and We are confident that through the intercession of Our Blessed Lady Our prayers will bear fruit. As We gazed on this moving masterpiece, We could not but think of the religious convictions which moved the young Michelangelo to such heights and to such a magnificent result. We feel that these same religious convictions can move men in a similar way to seek peace and harmony among the peoples of this world.”

So as the Vatican pavilion comes to life in Milan, I’d like to end this feature here with the image Blessed Paul VI conjures up of Michelangelo’s Pietà. Especially as it’s May, a month dedicated to Mary.

I’m Veronica Scarisbrick