Pope St. Pius X (Latin: Pius PP. X) (June
2, 1835—August 20, 1914),
born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Catholic Roman Pontiff, reigning from
1903 to 1914, succeeding Pope Leo
XIII (1878–1903). He was the first Pope since Pope Pius
V (1566–72) to be canonized.
Early life and ministry
Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto was born June 2, 1835 in
Riese, province of Treviso (Veneto), Italy. He was the second born of ten children of Giovanni Battista Sarto
(1792–1852) and Margarita Sanson (1813–1894). He was baptized June 3 1835. Giuseppe's childhood was one of poverty, being the son of the village postman. Though poor, his parents
valued education, and Giuseppe walked 6 kilometers to school each day.
At a young age, Giuseppe studied Latin with his village priest, and went on to study at the
gymnasium of Castelfranco Veneto. "In
1850 he received the tonsure from the Bishop of Treviso, and was
given a scholarship [from] the Diocese of Treviso" to attend the Seminary of Padua, "where he
finished his classical, philosophical, and theological studies with distinction" [1].
On September 18, 1858, Giuseppe Sarto was ordained a priest, and became chaplain at
Tombolo. While there, Father Sarto expanded his knowledge of theology, studying both Saint Thomas Aquinas and Canon law, while carrying out most of the functions of the parish pastor, who was quite ill. In 1867, he was named Arch-Priest of
Salzano. Here he restored the Church and expanded the hospital, the funds coming from his own
begging, wealth and labor. He became popular with the people when he worked to assist the sick during the cholera plague that swept into northern Italy in the early 1870s.
In 1875 he was made Canon (or Chancellor) of the
Cathedral and Diocese of Treviso, holding offices such as spiritual director, rector of the
Treviso seminary, and examiner of the clergy. As Chancellor he made it possible for public
school students to receive religious instruction.
In 1878 Bishop Zanelli died, leaving the Bishopric of Treviso
vacant. Following Zanelli's death, the canons of cathedral chapters (of which Monsignor Sarto was one) inherited the episcopal
jurisdiction as corporate body, and were chiefly responsible for the election of a Vicar-Capitular who would take over the
responsibilities of Treviso until a new bishop was named. In 1879,
Sarto was elected to the position, which he served in from December of that year to June of 1880.
After 1880, Sarto taught dogmatic theology and moral theology at the seminary in Treviso.
Bishop of Mantua
Six years after being elected to the position of Vicar-Capitular of Treviso, and four after leaving that post, Giuseppe Sarto
was, on November 10 1884, raised to the episcopate as Bishop of Mantua.
Sarto was motivated to Improve the seminary at Mantua, particularly in bringing it more in line with the doctrines and methods
of Thomas Aquinas. He also promoted the use of Gregorian Chant. He is noted to have provided free copies of Summa
Theologiae to the poorer students at the seminary. On June 19 1891, he began serving as assistant at the Pontifical Throne.
Cardinal and Patriarch
Pope Leo XIII made him a cardinal in a
secret consistory on June 12 1893. He was named Cardinal-Priest of Saint Bernardo alle Terme. Three days after
this, Cardinal Sarto was publicly named Patriarch of Venice. This caused difficulty,
however, as the government of the reunified Italy claimed the right to nominate the Patriarch
based on its previous alleged exercise by the Emperor of Austria. The poor relations
between the Roman Curia and the Italian civil government since the annexation of the
Papal States in 1870 placed additional strain on the
appointment. The number of vacant sees soon grew to thirty. Sarto was finally permitted to
assume the position of Patriarch in 1894.
As Cardinal and Patriarch, Sarto steered clear of political involvement, allocating his time for social works and
strengthening parochial banks. However, in his first pastoral letter to the Venetians,
Cardinal Sarto argued that in matters pertaining to the Pope, "There should be no questions, no subtleties, no opposing of
personal rights to his rights, but only obedience."
Papal Election
-
Pope Pius X wearing the Papal Tiara of Gregory XVI
On July 20 1903, Leo XIII died, and at the end of that month
the conclave convened to elect his successor. According to historians, the favorite was
the late Pope's secretary of state, Cardinal Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro. On the first
ballot, Cardinal Rampolla received 24 votes, Cardinal Gotti had 17 votes, and Cardinal Sarto 5 votes. On the second ballot,
Rampolla had gained 5 votes, as did Sarto. The next day, it seemed that Rampolla would be elected. However, the veto against Rampolla's nomination, by Polish Cardinal Jan Puzyna
from Cracow in the name of Emperor Francis Joseph (1848–1916) of Austria-Hungary, was proclaimed. Many among the conclave, including Rampolla, protested the veto, and it
was even suggested that he be elected Pope despite the veto.
However, the third vote had already begun, and thus the conclave had to continue with the voting, which resulted in no clear
winner, though it did indicate that many of the conclave wished to turn their support to Sarto, who had 21 votes upon counting.
The fourth vote showed Rampolla with 30 votes and Sarto with 24. It seemed clear that the cardinals were moving toward Cardinal
Sarto.
On the following morning, the fifth vote of the conclave was taken, and the count had Rampolla with 10 votes, Gotti with 2
votes, and Sarto with 50 votes [Source]. Thus, on 4 August 1903, Cardinal Sarto was elected to the 257th Pontificate. This marked
the last time a veto would be exercised by a Catholic monarch in the proceedings of the
conclave.
At first, it is reported, Sarto declined the nomination, feeling unworthy. Additionally, he had been deeply saddened by the
use of the Austro-Hungarian veto and vowed to rescind these powers and excommunicate anyone who leaked information during a conclave. With the cardinals asking him to
reconsider, it is further reported, he went into solitude, and took the position after deep prayer and the urging of his fellow
cardinals.
In accepting the Papacy, Sarto took as his Papal name Pius X, out of respect for his recent predecessors of the same name,
particularly Pope Pius IX (1846–78), who had fought against theological liberals and for
papal supremacy. Pius X's traditional coronation took place on the following Sunday,
9 August 1903.
Pius X's pontificate
Styles of
Pope Pius X |
 |
| Reference style |
His Holiness |
| Spoken style |
Your Holiness |
| Religious style |
Holy Father |
| Posthumous style |
Saint |
The pontificate of Pius X was noted for its conservative theology and reforms in liturgy and church law. In what became his
motto, the Pope stated in 1903 that his papacy will undertake Instaurare Omnia in Christo, or "to restore all things in
Christ." In his first encyclical (E Supremi Apostolatus, October 4, 1903), he stated that his overriding policy as follows: "We champion
the authority of God. His authority and Commandments should be recognized,
deferred to, and respected."
The Tra le sollicitudine of 1903 and the Restoration of Gregorian Chant
Within three months of his coronation, Pius X published his motu proprio
Tra le sollicitudine (possibly co-written by his friend Lorenzo Perosi). Classical and Baroque compositions had long been favoured over Gregorian Chant
in ecclesiastical music. The Pope announced a return to earlier musical styles, championed by Don Perosi. Since 1898, Perosi had been Director of the Sistine Chapel Choir, a title which Pius X upgraded to "Perpetual Director." The Pope's choice of
Dom Joseph Pothier to supervise the new editions of chant led to the official adoption of
the Solesmes edition of Gregorian chant.
Church Administration
Pius X reformed the Roman curia with the constitution Sapienti Consilio, and
specified new rules enforcing a bishop's oversight of seminaries in the encyclical Pieni L'Animo. He established regional
seminaries (closing some smaller ones), and promulgated a new plan of seminary study. He also barred clergy from administering
social organizations.
Pius X reversed the accommodating approach of Leo XIII towards secular governments, appointing Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val as Secretary of State. When the President of France Émile Loubet visited Italian monarch Victor Emmanuel III (1900–46), Pius X, still refusing to accept the annexation of the Papal
territories by Italy, reproached the French president for this visit and refused to meet him. This led to a diplomatic break with
France, and in 1905 France issued a Law of Separation, which
separated church and state, and which the Pope denounced. The effect of
this separation was the Church’s loss of its government funding in France. Eventually, France expelled the Jesuits and broke off diplomatic relations with the Vatican.
The Pope adopted a similar position toward secular governments in other parts of the world: in Portugal, Ireland, Poland, Ethiopia, and a number of other states with large Catholic populations. His actions and statements against
international relations with Italy angered the secular powers of these countries, as well as a few others, like England and Russia.
In 1908 the papal decree Ne Temere came into effect which
complicated mixed marriages. Marriages not performed by a Roman Catholic priest
were declared legal but religiously invalid, worrying some Protestants that the Church would counsel separation for couples
married in a Protestant church or by civil service.[2]
Priests were given discretion to refuse to perform mixed marriages or lay conditions upon them, commonly including a requirement
that the children be raised Roman Catholic. The decree proved particularly divisive in Ireland,
which has a large Protestant minority, and contributed indirectly to the subsequent
political conflict there.
As secular authority challenged that of the papacy, Pius X became more aggressive. He suspended the Opera dei Congressi, which coordinated the work of Catholic associations in Italy, as well as
condemned Le Sillon, a French social movement that tried to reconcile the Church with
liberal political views. He also opposed trade unions
that were not exclusively Catholic.
Pius X partially lifted decrees forbiding Italian Catholics from voting; however, he never recognized Italy.
Initially Pius maintained his prisoner in the Vatican stance but with the
rise of socialism he began to allow the non expedit to
be relaxed. In 1905 in his encyclical Il Fermo Proposito he allowed Catholics to vote when they were ‘help[ing] the maintenance of social
order’ by voting for deputies who were not socialist.
Liturgical Changes
In his papacy, Pius X worked to increase devotion in the lives of the clergy and
laity, particularly in the Liturgy of the Hours
(which he reformed considerably - see Reform of the Roman Breviary
by Pope Pius X) and the Holy Mass.
In addition to restoring to prominence the Gregorian Chant, he placed a renewed liturgical
emphasis on the Eucharist, saying, "Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven."
To this end, he encouraged frequent reception of Holy Communion. This extended to children, who had reached the "age of
discretion" (about seven years old), as well, though he did not permit a return to the older practice of infant communion. In conjunction, he also emphasized frequent recourse to the Sacrament of Penance in order that Holy Communion would be received worthily.
Pius X's devotion to the Eucharist would eventually earn him the honorific of "Pope of the Blessed Sacrament," by which he is
still known among his devotees.
Anti-Modernism
Pius X's papacy featured vigorous condemnation of what he termed 'modernists' and 'relativists' who endangered the
Catholic faith (see for example his Oath
Against Modernism). This is perhaps the most controversial aspect of his papacy.
Modernism and relativism, in terms of their presence in the Church, were theological trends that tried to assimilate modern
philosophers like Kant into church theology, in much the same way Aristotelian philosophy was united with theology by the scholastics.
Modernists justified this change with the idea that beliefs of the Church have evolved throughout its history and continue to
evolve. Anti-modernists viewed these notions as contrary to the dogmas and traditions of the Catholic Church.
In a decree, entitled Lamentabili sane exitu[3]
(or "A Lamentable Departure Indeed"), issued 3 July 1907, Pius X
formally condemned sixty-five modernist or relativist propositions concerning the nature of the Church, revelation, biblical exegesis, the sacraments, and the divinity of Christ. This was followed by the encyclical
Pascendi Dominici gregis (or "Feeding the Lord's Flock"), which characterized Modernism as the "synthesis of all
heresies." Following these, Pius X ordered that all clerics take the Sacrorum antistitum, an oath against Modernism. He also encouraged the formation and
efforts of Sodalitium Pianum (or League of Pius V), an anti-Modernist network of informants.
Pius X's aggressive stance against modernism caused some disruption within the Church. Although only about forty clerics
refused to take the oath, Catholic scholarship with modernistic tendencies was substantially discouraged. Theologians who wished to pursue lines of inquiry in line with secularism, modernism, or relativism had to
stop, or face conflict with the papacy, and possibly even excommunication.
Other Activities
In addition to the political defense of the Church, liturgical changes, and anti-modernism, the papacy of Pius X saw both the
codification of Canon law and the reorganization of the Roman
Curia. Seminaries and their curricula were reformed.
Pius X beatified ten individuals and canonized
four. Those beatified during his pontificate, were: Blessed Marie Genevieve Meunier (1906),
Blessed Rose Chretien (1906), Saint Valentin Faustino Berri Ochoa
(1906), Blessed Clarus (1907), Blessed Zdislava Berka (1907),
Saint John Bosco (1907), Blessed John van Ruysbroeck
(1908), Blessed Andrew Nam Thung (1909), Saint Agatha Lin (1909), Saint Agnes De
(1909), Saint Joan of Arc (1909), Saint John
Eudes (1909). Those canonized by him were Saint Alexander Sauli (1904), Saint Gerard Majella (1904), Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer (1909), and Saint Joseph Oriol
(1909).
Pius X published sixteen encyclicals; among them was Vehementer nos on
February 11, 1906, which condemned the 1905 French law on the separation of the State and the
Church. Pius X also confirmed the existence of Limbo in Roman Catholic theology in his
1905 Catechism, saying that the unbaptized "do not have the joy
of God but neither do they suffer... they do not deserve Paradise, but neither do they deserve Hell or Purgatory."[4]
In the Prophecy of St. Malachy, the collection of 112 prophecies about the
Popes, Pius X appears as Ignis Ardens or "Burning Fire."
Death and Burial
In 1913 Pius X suffered a heart attack, and subsequently lived in the shadow of poor health. In
1914, the Pope fell ill on the Feast of the Assumption of
Mary (15 August), an illness from which he would not recover. His condition was
worsened by the events leading to the outbreak of World War I (1914–18), which reportedly
sent the 79 year-old Pope into a state of horror and melancholy. He died on 20 August,
1914, only a few hours after the death of Jesuit leader Franz Xavier
Wernz.
Following his death, Pius X was buried in a simple and unadorned tomb in the crypt below St. Peter's Basilica. Papal physicians had been in the habit of removing organs to aid the
embalming process. Pius X expressly prohibited this, however, and none of his successors have allowed the practice to be
reinstituted.
Canonization
Although Pius X's canonization took place in 1954, the events leading up to it began immediately
with his death. A letter of 24 September 1916 by Monsignor
Leo, Bishop of Nicotera and Tropea, referred to Pius X as "a great Saint and a great Pope." To accommodate the large number of
pilgrims seeking access to his tomb, in excess of what the crypt would hold, "a small metal
cross was set into the floor of the basilica," which read Pius Papa X, "so that the faithful might kneel down directly
above the tomb" [5]. Masses were held near his tomb until
1930.
The statue of Pope Pius X in St. Peter's Basilica
Devotion to Pius X between the two world wars remained high. On 14 February 1923, in honor of the 20th anniversary of his accession to the
papacy, the first moves toward his canonization began with the formal appointment of those
who would carry out his cause. The event was marked by the erecting of a monument in his memory in St. Peter's Basilica. On 19 August 1939, Pope Pius XII (1939–58) delivered a tribute to Pius X at
Castel Gandolfo. On 12 February 1943, a further development of Pius X's cause was achieved, when he was declared to have displayed heroic virtues, gaining therefore the title "Venerable".
On 19 May 1944, Pius X's coffin was exhumed and was taken to the
Chapel of the Holy Crucifix in St. Peter's Basilica for the canonical examination. Upon opening the coffin, it is claimed that
the examiners found the body of Pius X preserved, despite the fact that he had died 30 years before and had made wishes not to be
embalmed. According to Jerome Dai-Gal, "all of the body" of Pius X "was in an excellent state of
conservation" [6]. After the examination and the end of the
apostolic process towards Pius X's cause, Pius XII bestowed the title of Venerable Servant of
God upon Pius X. His body was exposed for 45 days, before being placed back in his tomb.
Following this, the process towards beatification began, and thus investigations by the
Sacred Congregation of Rites (S.C.R.) into miracles performed by intercessory work of Pius X subsequently took place. The S.C.R. would eventually recognize
two miracles. The first involved Sr. Marie-Frangoise Deperras, a nun who had bone cancer and was cured on 7 December 1928 during a novena in which a relic of Pius X was placed on her chest. The second
involved Sr. Benedetta De Maria, who had cancer, and in a novena
started in 1938, she eventually touched a relic and was immediately cured.
Pope Pius XII officially approved the two miracles on 11
February 1951; and on 4 March, Pius XII, in his De
Tuto, declared that the Church could proceed in the beatification of the Venerable Pope Pius X. His beatification took place
on 3 June 1951 at St. Peter's before 23 cardinals, hundreds of
bishops and archbishops, and a crowd of 100,000 faithful. During his beatification decree, Pius XII referred to Pius X as "Pope
of the Eucharist", in honor of Pius X's expansion of the rite to children. The Blessed Pius X's feast day was established as
3 September.
Following his beatification, on 17 February 1952, Pius X's
body was transferred from its tomb to the Vatican basilica and placed under the altar of the chapel of the Presentation. The
pontiff's body lies within a glass and bronze-work sarcophagus for the faithful to see.
On 29 May 1954, less than three years after his beatification,
Pius X was canonized, following the S.C.R.'s recognition of two more miracles. The first involved Francesco Belsami, an attorney from Naples who had a fatal pulmonary abscess, who was cured upon placing a picture of the Blessed Pope Pius X
upon his chest. The second miracle involved Sister Maria Ludovica Scorcia, a nun who was
afflicted with a serious neurotropic virus,
and who, upon several novenas, was entirely cured. The Canonization mass was presided over by Pius XII at Saint Peter's Basillica
before a crowd of about 800,000[7] of the faithful and
church officials at St. Peter's Basilica. Pius X became the first Pope to be canonized since the 17th century.
Prayer cards often depict the sanctified Pontiff with instruments of communion. This can be seen in the Prayer to Saint
Pius X.
In addition to being celebrated as the "Pope of the Blessed Sacrament," St. Pius X is also the patron saint of the emigrant
from Treviso, and of Esperantists. He is honored at numerous parishes in Italy,
Germany, Belgium, Canada, and
the United States.
Pius X's feast day was changed from 3 September to 21
August on 14 February 1969 by Pope Paul VI (1963–78) as an obligatory memorial to the sanctity of Pius X in the universal calendar.
Papal Coat of Arms
Coat of Arms of Pope Pius X
The papal arms of Pius X are composed of the traditional elements of all papal
heraldry prior to Pope Benedict XVI: the
shield, the papal tiara, and the keys. The tiara and keys are typical symbols used in the coats
of arms of pontiffs, which symbolize their authority.
The shield of Pius X's coat of arms is charged in two basic parts, as it is per fess. In chief (the top part of the
shield) shows the arms of the Patriarch of Venice, which Pius X was from 1893–1903. It consists of the lion of St. Mark proper and haloed in silver
upon a silver-white background, displaying a book with the inscription of PAX TIBI MARCE, which refers to the motto of Venice
Pax tibi Marce, Evangelista meus, which is Latin for Peace to you, Mark my evangelist. This motto refers to Venice
as the final resting place of Saint Mark. Renditions of this part of Pius X's arms depict the lion either with or without a
sword, and sometimes only one side of the book is written on.
The remainder of the shield displays the arms Pius X took as Bishop of Mantua: an anchor proper cast into a stormy sea (the
blue and silver wavy lines), lit up by a single six-pointed star of gold. These were inspired by Hebrews 6:19, which states that the hope we have is the sure and steadfast anchor of the
soul. Pius X, then Bishop Sarto, stated that "hope is the sole companion of my life, the greatest support in uncertainty, the
strongest power in situations of weakness."
Although not present upon his arms, the only motto attributed to Pope Pius X is the one for which he is best remembered:
instaurare omnia in Christo (Latin for "To restore all things in Christ"). These words were the last he spoke before he
died.
See also
References
- F.A. Forbes, Pope St. Pius X, London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd 1918 (revised 1954)
- J.O. Smit & G. dal Gal. Beato Pio X, Amsterdam: N.V. Drukkerij De Tijd 1951 (translated by J.H. van der Veldt as
St. Pius X Pope, Boston, Mass.: Daughters of St. Paul 1965)
- G.A. Bavoux, Le porteur de lumière, Paris: Pygmalion 1996
- ^ http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12137a.htm
- ^ http://www.umanitoba.ca/colleges/st_pauls/ccha/Back%20Issues/CCHA1981/Moir.html
- ^ http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius10/p10lamen.htm
- ^ http://www.religioustolerance.org/limbo2.htm
- ^ http://www.angelusonline.org/Article304-thread-order1-threshold0.phtml
- ^ http://www.angelusonline.org/Article304-thread-order1-threshold0.phtml
- ^ http://www.museosanpiox.it/international/eng/engpio_x8.html
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