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What work did Eugenio Pacelli do in the papal secretariat of state?

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Eugenio Pacelli, who later became Pope Pius XII, had an extensive career within the Vatican secretariat of state. After being appointed to the secretariat in 1901, he worked under Pietro Cardinal Gasparri to help prepare the new codification of canon law.1

In 1914, he was named secretary of the Congregation for Extraordinary Affairs. Following his service as an apostolic nuncio in Germany, he returned to the Vatican and became secretary of state in early 1930, replacing Cardinal Gasparri. In this capacity, he served as a key diplomat for Pius XI, negotiating concordats with various nations, including Baden, Austria, and the Third Reich.1

Additionally, Pacelli acted as the pope’s principal adviser regarding Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. He helped draft the anti-Nazi encyclical Mit brennender Sorge, which condemned racial theories and the mistreatment of individuals based on their race or nationality.1