 After World War II Pope Pius XII focused on material aid to war @-@ torn Europe , an internal internationalization of the Roman Catholic Church , and the development of its worldwide diplomatic relations . His encyclicals , Evangelii praecones and Fidei donum , issued on 2 June 1951 and 21 April 1957 , respectively , increased the local decision @-@ making of Catholic missions , many of which became independent dioceses . Pius XII demanded recognition of local cultures as fully equal to European culture . Though his language retained old conceptions – Africa , for example , merited special attention since the church there worked ' to forward her work among the heathen multitudes ' - in 1956 he expressed solidarity with the ' non @-@ Europeans who aspire to full political independence . ' Continuing the line of his predecessors , Pius XII supported the establishment of local administration in Church affairs : in 1950 , the hierarchy of Western Africa became independent ; in 1951 , Southern Africa ; and in 1953 , British East Africa . Finland , Burma and French Africa became independent dioceses in 1955 . 
