Pius XI’s encyclical Dilectissima nobis as a reaction to attempts to limit religious freedom in Spain

This article reviews the most import ant topics in the encyclical of Pius Xi titled Dilectissima nobis in which the Pope expresses his opposition to the persecution of the Catholic Church and to attempts to restrict religious freedom in Spain during the 1930s. The Church was regarded as an enemy of the state and of social progress. The first two sections of the article provide the historical background of Spanish anti-clericalism and its increasing hostility to the Church. The third section shows how legislators successfully took away the Church’s ability to function in society. The fourth section discusses the most important topics in the encyclical Dilectissima nobis. In the last section, the author presents the person of Pope Pius XI in the context of his time. He was an enemy of communist ideology, which enslaved man, and a great defender of human dignity