The Shepherd of the Seven Hills

The film opens on Roman ruins, which underscore a discussion of the degradation that led to the fall of the Roman Empire. The lives of the early Christian martyrs are explored and a connection is drawn between their heritage and the present-day popes. Newsreel footage shows various pilgrimages to Rome, the installation of the Vatican radio station, featuring the recorded voices of Senator Marconi and Pope Pius XI, the inauguration of the Holy Year 1933 and the Pope greeting a Boy Scout delegation from all over the world. The signing of the Lateran Treaty is shown. This treaty between the Pope and Mussolini, signed on 11 Feb 1929, established the Vatican City and the recognition of the Roman Catholic religion by the Italian government. Following the signing, visits to the Pope by King Victor Emmanuel III, the Queen and Benito Mussolini are seen. The film shows the various rooms in the papal palace, as well as the Swiss Guards, the Vatican gardens and the crowds surrounding St. Peter's after the election of a new Pope. American cardinals Patrick Joseph Hayes, George William Mundelein, Dennis Dougherty and William Henry O'Connell are seen at the dedication of the Knights of Columbus building in Rome.