Pius VII had an incredible story. He was a humble Benedictine monk, elected Pope at a conclave in Venice. He reigned from 1800-1823. During that time he was kidnapped by Napoleon and taken prisoner. He was famously crowned with a papier-mâché tiara because Napoleon had taken all the papal tiaras when he seized Rome in order to fund his unending wars. In 2007 Pope Benedict opened Pius VII's cause for canonization.
The reign of Pius VII coincided with terribly difficult years. Before his election in 1789 the French Revolution took place bringing in a wave of anti-clericalism. In 1798, French troops under Napoleon invaded Rome and captured his predecessor Pius VI, bringing him to France as a prisoner where he died in exile in 1799. This was a grave scandal. Pius VII was his successor, elected Pope in Venice in 1800. His entire papacy was taken up with France, although he lived to see Napoleon's downfall in 1815.
Pius VII first attempted a cautious approach with Napoleon. In 1801 he signed a Concordat aimed at guaranteeing religious freedom for Catholics in France. In 1804 he was forced to attend the Coronation of Napoleon at Notre-Dame in Paris. In 1809 Napoleon once again invaded the Papal States, resulting in his excommunication by the Pope. Napoleon then had the Pope taken prisoner and transported him back to France. Pius VII was kept there until 1814 when after the French defeat, he was allowed to return to the Vatican. His sedia remained. Seeing it here in person brings a certain thrill. Hopefully one day Pius VII will be canonized.
