Answer: The Lateran Treaty of 1929, an agreement between the Kingdom of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel III and the Holy See under Pope Pius XI, was signed by Benito Mussolini for the Italian government and by cardinal secretary of state Pietro Gasparri for the papacy on 11 February 1929 and became effective 7 June 1929. The treaty assured independence from Italy and established the State of Vatican City.

Who was Pope Pius XI? Pope Pius XI, born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in 1939.

Pope Pius XI’s reign was characterized by his constant appeals to end communism, fascism, socialism, and strict secularism, arguing that the Church could not be supportive of political systems that trespassed on human rights and the principal teachings of God. He worked to end the harsh dictatorships of his time in fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union; his attempts were often met with little or no cooperation from those nations’ leaders. One such appeal, called “Divini Redemptoris,” was released in 1937, condemning the cruelty of the Soviet regime.

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Various Stamps Honoring Pope Pius XI
From 1929 to 1933