 The 1940 shooting of the president of the Catalan government, Lluís Companys, was one of the most notable cases of this early repression.The new Pope Pius XII sent a radio message of congratulation to the Spanish government, clerics and people on April 16, 1939.He referred to the denunciation of his predecessor, Pope Pius XI, who had described past horrors and the need to defend and restore the rights of God and religion.