Only a remarkably sturdy constitution could have withstood the series of painful breakdowns which sapped the strength of Pope Pius XI for almost three years. His early love for mountain climbing and his simple manner of living kept him in excellent health until he was well into his seventies. But for the last three years the sick man of Europe has kept devout Catholics, as well as reporters and radio commentators, awake many a night as he spectacularly battled death.
In 1936 he was attacked by arteriosclerosis with gangrene of the legs, and lay at the point of death. After his amazing...
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