The Early Years
Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli was
born in Rome, March 2,1876, to Filippo and Virginia (nee Graziosi) Pacelli. Eugenio was their second son and the third of their four children. He was baptized two days
later, according to the records at the Church of
Saints Celso and Giuliano. He was baptized by his
uncle, Monsignor Giuseppe Pacelli. His godparents
were his maternal uncle Filippo Graziosi and paternal aunt Teresa Pacelli.
Filippo and Virginia Pacelli, Eugenio's parents
 | Eugenio enjoyed a childhood
in deeply religious surroundings. In the apartment where they lived,
there was a shrine of the Madonna with a prie-dieu
where he would kneel and pray. This residence was near the
kindergarten and elementary school conducted by
the Sisters of Divine Providence. At age four Eugenio
was enrolled in this school. In 1939, when a bust of
Pius XII was unveiled at the school and the newly-elected Pope took the opportunity to praise his loving
mother and the devoted and gifted nuns for instilling
in him the “first principles of Christian piety.” |
| Eugenio at age 7 |
|
After kindergarten and elementary school,
Eugenio began his studies at the Ennio Quirino
Visconti Lyceum.
Throughout his life, he had a phenomenal memory, not just in Italian but in any one of the many
languages at his command. He had no difficulty
learning Latin. As an altar boy, Eugenio willingly
accepted the challenge of getting up early for the
first Mass of the day.
Pacelli had many hobbies. He was a natural for
dramatics. His teachers recognized his ability to speak
and captivate an audience. Summers were spent at
their family home in Onano, where he liked to ride his
horse. He was also a good swimmer in Lake Bolzena
and he was swift and tireless as a canoeist. As a hiker
he had the reputation of being unbeatable. His collection of coins and stamps was admired by his friends.
From an early age he maintained an ardent interest in
Archaeology, and carefully searched out and studied
inscriptions of early Christians in the Catacombs.
|  |
| At age 12, Eugenio with classmates |
Eugenio’s education was strict and demanding.
Records show that he was at the top of every class
he attended, and he graduated with highest honors.
His memory was phenomenal, he possessed what
today would be called a photographic memory -
the ability to comprehend and retain pages of any
book he read with great rapidity
After a four-day retreat, Pacelli announced to
his family that he would not follow family tradition
and become a lawyer, but that he intended to
become a priest.
The announcement came as no surprise. The
Pacellis knew that Eugenio had always been a serious, deeply committed and religious young boy
and teenager. In 1894, at the age of 18, he entered
he Capranica Seminary and enrolled at the
Gregorian University.
Eugenio was given permission to live at
home while he continued his courses at the
Sapienza School of Philosophy and Letters, as well
as at the Papal Athenaeum of St. Apollinaris for
Theology. This was an unprecedented dispensation.
He progressed rapidly through his studies and
received his Baccalaureate and Licentiate degrees
summa cum laude. His frail health prevented his participation at the graduation ceremony. He was
ordained a priest on Easter Sunday, April 2, 1899, in
Bishop Francesco Paolo Cassetta’s private chapel.
The next day, Eugenio Pacelli celebrated his first
Mass in the Borghese Chapel of the Basilica of Saint
Mary Major in Rome
