Pietro Gasparri (1852 – 1934) was a signatory of the Lateran Pacts (the Lateran Treaty). He served as Cardinal Secretary of State to both Benedict XV (1914 – 1922) and to Pius XI (1922 – 1939) until 1930.

He played a significant role not only as a diplomat but also as the codifier of Canon Law. He spent thirteen years in seclusion creating the first definitive legal text in the history of Catholicism.