Saint of the Day - Pope St. Pius V

“O Lord, increase my sufferings and my patience!”  So goes the famous quote from today’s Saint of the Day, Pope St. Pius V.  St. Pius V is responsible for something that has been the topic of much interest in the Church in last few years, and he has many relevant things to say to us today.

 

The future saint was born Antonio Ghislieri in Bosco, Italy in 1504 of a poor family (in an age when becoming Pope often depended on coming from a powerful family.)  Having had some rudimentary education, he entered the Dominican Order.  There his intelligence was recognized and he received a good education.  The young novice also embraced the ascetic life of the Order.  Ordained a priest in 1528, he was sent to the University at Pavia, where he as lecturer.  He was strong, orthodox supporter of the Church and the papacy.  Over the next two decades, he also served as Prior of several Dominican abbeys.  In a time when monastic discipline was often relaxed Abbe Ghislieri insisted on the most stringent ascetic practices.  Based on this, he was appointed inquisitor at Como.  He then went to Rome and was sent on several inquisitorial missions.  In recognition of his ability, knowledge and zeal, Pope Paul IV made him a bishop and later created him cardinal.

 

Paul’s successor, Pius IV, saw things differently and he, and the stubborn Cardinal Ghislieri soon clashed.  In fact, the Cardinal was getting ready to leave Rome, when Pius IV suddenly died in December of 1565.  Meeting in conclave, the College of Cardinals (acting on what was said to be the suggestion of (later) St. Charles Borromeo) elected Ghislieri Pope.  He took the name Pius V.

 

He had a lot on his plate.  The Council of Trent, called in response to the Protestant Reformation, had concluded only a few years previously (although as Cardinal Ghislieri, Pius had been a participant), and the program it produced had to be implemented.  One of the most significant decisions of the Council realized under Pius was the uniformity of the Mass, resulting in the 1570 Edition of the Roman Missal.  Pius made it the standard form throughout the Church (excepting only local rites in place before 1370.)  This form of the mass (which was known as the Pius V Mass) endured for over four hundred years, until the new form of the Mass decreed by Paul VI in 1970.  After the implementation of the Paul VI Mass, the Pius V Mass become known as the Tridentine Mass, and its use was widely proscribed (although as Benedict XVI pointed out, it was never prohibited.)  Blessed John Paul II allowed the use of the Tridentine Mass under certain restrictions during his pontificate.  In 2007, Benedict XVI issued Summorum Pontificum, which almost completely removed restrictions on the PiusV/Tridentine Mass.

As with any late Renaissance pope, Pius was heavily involved in politics, not only in safeguarding the Papal States, but as key player in the struggle between Protestant and Catholic Europe.  Pius was the prime mover behind the Holy League (and alliance of the Catholic states of Europe) and it was out-numbered League that won the miraculous Battle of Lepanto on October 5, 1571, turning back the Turkish invasion.  In honor of this victory, Pius instituted the celebration of Our Lady of Victory.

 

For those of you who have seen some of the recent movies about Elizabeth I of England, Pius is portrayed as the evil old pope, who sends out assassins to kill the Virgin Mary.  Pius didn't personally send out assassins (but he didn't discourage them either), but something far more reaching, he excommunicated Elizabeth (technically he acknowledged that Elizabeth had excommunicated herself - but the repercussions in a Europe that took religion very seriously were heavy.)

 

The Church, in the Council of Trent, recognized that the abuses and corruption of some of the Renaissance popes had contributed to the reformation.  Given his own inclination towards an austere life and his zeal as the guardian of the Deposit of Faith, Pius took these reforms seriously, streamlining the Vatican’s governance, reducing the opulence of the Papal Court, stamping out nepotism, and providing rigorous training for the priesthood.

With his many accomplishments and tumultuous events of which he was a part, you might think Pius had a long reign, but it was actually a little over six years.  He died in 1572.  He was canonized on May 22, 1712 by Pope Clement XI.

One more piece of Pius lore - Ever wonder why the Pope wears white?  It goes back to good old austere St. Pius V.  When elected pope, he refused to relinquish he plain white Dominican robes, and the popes have been wearing white ever since.

The days when the Church could enforce orthodoxy with physical force are thankfully over.  There are many who point to these excesses as reason enough to dismiss popes like Pius, and by extension, the whole teaching of the Church.  But Pius not only provided discipline, he provided clarity.  He helped reform the Church by bringing its physical life more in line with its teaching, and he made that teaching clear so that there was no ambiguity about what it meant to be a Catholic.  Such clarity is supremely helpful to the soul who is seeking to follow Christ.  Unfortunately, there are many today who find such clarity inconvenient for professional or public reasons.  Too often we see Catholics in all professions (including religious ones) publicly ignore or denounce Catholic teaching, or distort its meaning for political or personal reasons.  Pope St. Pius V, is powerful intercessor in praying for these people and for own fidelity to the Deposit of Faith.

As the writer, Florence King, once noted, “If you’re a Catholic and think you don’t have to follow the pope’s teaching; congratulations, you’re a Protestant.”