Pope Pius VII
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Servant of God, Pope Pius VII |
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| Bishop of Rome | |
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| Papacy began | 14 March 1800 |
| Papacy ended | 20 August 1823 |
| Predecessor | Pius VI |
| Successor | Leo XII |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 21 September 1765 |
| Consecration | 21 December 1782 by Francesco Saverio de Zelada |
| Created Cardinal | 14 February 1785 by Pius VI |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti |
| Born |
14 August 1742 Cesena, Papal States |
| Died | 20 August 1823 (aged 81) Rome, Papal States |
| Previous post |
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| Motto | Aquila Rapax ("Rapacious eagle") |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Sainthood | |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Title as Saint | Servant of God |
| Attributes |
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| Patronage |
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Papal styles of Pope Pius VII |
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| Reference style | His Holiness |
| Spoken style | Your Holiness |
| Religious style | Holy Father |
| Posthumous style | Servant of God |
Pope Pius VII (14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to his death in 1823. Chiaramonti was also a monk of the Order of Saint Benedict in addition to being a well known theologian and bishop throughout his life.
Chiaramonti was made Bishop of Tivoli in 1782, and resigned that position upon his appointment as Bishop of Imola in 1785. That same year, he was made a cardinal. In 1789, the French Revolution took place, and as a result a series of anti-clerical governments came into power in the country. In 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars, French troops under Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Rome and took as prisoner Pope Pius VI. He was taken as prisoner to France, where he died in 1799. The following year, after a sede vecante period lasting approximately six months, Chiaramonti was elected to the papacy, taking the name Pius VII.
Pius at first attempted to take a cautious approach in dealing with Napoleon. With him he signed the Concordat of 1801, through which he succeeded in guaranteeing religious freedom for Catholics living in France, and was present at his coronation as Emperor of the French in 1804. In 1809, however, during the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon once again invaded the Papal States, resulting in his excommunication. Pius VII was taken prisoner and transported to France. He remained there until 1814 when, after the French were defeated, he was permitted to return to Rome, where he was greeted warmly as a hero and defender of the faith.
Pius lived the remainder of his life in relative peace. His papacy saw a significant growth of the Catholic Church in the United States, where Pius established several new dioceses. Pius VII died in 1823 at age 81.
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