This episode shifts the focus to Pope Pius IX and the turbulent events that shaped his papacy, setting the stage for the First Vatican Council. Monsignor and Teresa recount Pius IX’s early reputation as a liberal reformer—introducing gas lighting, railroads, and even dismantling the Jewish ghetto gates—before revolutionary uprisings in 1848 turned his world upside down. The discussion follows the shocking assassination of Count Rossi, the Pope’s harrowing escape from Rome disguised in a cassock, and his year-long exile in Gaeta as radical forces seized control of the Papal States. Returning to Rome under French protection, Pius IX rebuilt his government, modernized infrastructure, and championed archaeological discoveries, all while preparing the Church for an era of unprecedented challenges.
