Pope Conquers Mount Blanc

Many popes have been attracted by the mountains and each one retreated there for his own reasons. John Paul II went for his long walks, Paul VI to find a simplicity of life, and Pius XI—an experienced mountaineer—was looking for personal growth. In 1890, when mountaineering was just barely becoming a sporting activity no longer reserved for mountain dwellers, Achille Ratti (the future Pope Pius XI, 1857-1939) achieved nothing less than the ascent of Mont Blanc, the second-highest mountain in Europe. The ascent lasted two days, including a night in the Quintino-Sella cabin on the Italian side. During the descent, he opened a new passage to the summit of Mont Blanc. An experienced mountaineer, he made numerous mountain expeditions, including one of the first crossings of the Monte Rosa (the second highest mountain in the Alps, after Mont Blanc, located between Switzerland and Italy) in 1889. The importance he gave to this sport can be seen in the letter Quod sancti of August 20, 1923, addressed by  Pope Piux XI to the Bishop of Annecy, in honor of St. Bernard of Menton, who was proclaimed on that occasion the patron saint of mountaineers: “Indeed, among all the exercises of honest sport, none more than this one—when one avoids imprudence—can be said to be beneficial for the health of the soul as well as of the body. While with hard work and effort to climb where the air is finer and purer, strength is renewed and invigorated, it also happens that, by facing difficulties of all kinds, we become stronger to face the duties of life, even the most demanding ones. Contemplating the immensity and beauty of the spectacles that open before our eyes from the sublime peaks of the Alps, our soul easily rises to God, the author and Lord of nature.”

Pope John Paul II did a pastoral trip to Valle d’Aosta on September 6-7, 1986, as part of the celebrations for the bicentenary of the first scaling of Mont Blanc. On that occasion, the Pope had his first contact with the valley, and from the top of the Brenva glacier, at an altitude of 3,550 metres, he was able to admire the imposing mass of Mont Blanc. From that date on, the Aosta Valley became the favorite destination of John Paul II. In fact, he returned there a good 10 times between 1989 and 2004, a period during which he did not hesitate, when his health allowed it, to put on his skis and go down the slopes of the Italian resorts.