Benedict XV

Benedict XV became pope three months into World War I and spent his entire pontificate trying to stop it. He called the war a "useless slaughter" and proposed a seven-point peace plan in 1917 that neither the Allies nor the Central Powers would accept. Both sides accused him of favoring the other. He poured Vatican resources into prisoner-of-war relief, refugee aid, and efforts to reunite separated families. After the war, he lifted the ban on Catholic heads of state visiting the Italian government, quietly easing the tension between the Vatican and Italy. He also issued Maximum Illud, a forward-looking document on missionary work that insisted missions should develop local clergy and stop acting as arms of European colonialism.