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How did Pope Pius IX change the civil administration of the Papal States?
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Pius IX
Pius IX is the longest-reigning pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. His pontificate lasted from 1846 to 1878.
Upon his accession in 1846, Pope Pius IX initially introduced several significant reforms to the civil administration of the Papal States to address growing demands for modernization. These changes included:12
- Administrative Inclusion: The laity were admitted to the civil administration, marking a shift away from purely clerical governance.1
- Municipal and State Governance: Rome received a municipal government, and a council of state was established.1
- Legal and Civil Reforms: Pius granted an amnesty for political prisoners, established a civil guard, and enacted a new press law that provided some freedom of publication.1
- Infrastructure: Plans were drawn up for railway development within the territories.1
However, these reforms were short-lived in their liberal intent. Following the Revolutions of 1848, which saw the temporary establishment of a Roman Republic, Pius IX returned to Rome in 1850 as a staunch conservative. He subsequently rejected further constitutional government and resisted any restrictions on his temporal power, viewing such political concessions as threats to the spiritual authority of the church.234