Why did Pope Pius IX reject Giuseppe Garibaldi’s offer to fight Austria in 1848?

In 1848, Giuseppe Garibaldi returned to Italy to participate in the war of independence against Austria and initially offered his services to Pope Pius IX. However, the Pope refused this offer, as he was attempting to maintain a neutral stance regarding the revolutionary activities sweeping Italy at the time.12

While Pius IX had initially instituted liberal reforms and was viewed by some as a potential leader for an Italian federation, he grew increasingly concerned as the democratic movement gained momentum and pushed for more radical changes. By April 1848, the Pope explicitly declared himself a disinterested spectator of the conflict, a position that was widely interpreted as hostility toward the national cause. Furthermore, Garibaldi’s background as a convicted rebel from 1834 likely contributed to the reluctance of established authorities to accept his leadership. Following the rejection, Garibaldi eventually offered his services to Charles Albert, the king of Piedmont-Sardinia, who also rebuffed him.3241