|
||
Name:
Pope Pius X
Born: Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto
Preceded by: Leo XIII (1878 - 1903)
Succeeded by: Benedict XV (1914 - 1922)
Roman Catholic Pope #258
Dates:
Born: June 2, 1835 (Italy)
Died: August 20, 1914
Pope: August 4, 1903 - August 20, 1914 (11 years)
Canonized: May 29, 1954
Feast Day: August 21
Biography:
Pius X followed his predecessors' efforts to maintain church authority against the growing
power of secular governments. For example, his policies lead to a breakdown in relationships
with France when that government repudiated the 1801 concordat which had granted the
Vatican particular authority over French clergy. At issue here and in other nations where
similar breakdowns were narrowly averted was the separation of church and state - secular
governments sought to be independent of religion while Pius believed that the Roman
Catholic Church should continue to retain what influence it had.
Pius was not, however, blindly wedded to tradition. He introduced changes and reforms on a number of levels when he thought they would either improve the Church or expand the Church's influence. For the former, he had canon law revised, reformed seminaries and improved the Curia. For the latter, he encouraged Catholics to form political action groups which would incorporate basic Catholic teachings in the pursuit of political goals (but not those which sought to harmonize Catholicism with modern political philosophies, like communism).
Pius' opposition to modern philosophies and political movements garnered him a reputation as being a fundamentally anti-modernist pope. He believed that a wide variety of modern cultural developments were incompatible with Catholic faith, leading him to oppose even democratic reforms and democratic institutions on the basis of the idea that they threatened to give too many rights and privileges to erroneous beliefs and doctrines. He even created a secret network of informers who reported on the activities of priests, scholars and theologians who advocated "dangerous" ideas. Reports from these informers lead to the dismissal of many from their teaching positions.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
-->Popes and the Papacy: History, Doctrines, News About Popes
The pope may be the most visible and famous symbol of the Catholic Church. It is the office of the papacy and the assumed link back to the original apostles that differentiates Roman Catholicism from other Christian denominations. The office of the papacy is rather complicated and, much to the chagrin of believers, comes with a rather checkered past.Pope John Paul II: Biography, History, and Policies
John Paul II has been one of the longest-lived and most influential popes in the history of the Catholic Church. For good or for ill, his policies and personality have helped shape not only the current character of Catholicism but also the direction Catholicism will take for generations to come. Because of that, it's important to take the time to carefully consider what his policies have been and how they have affected Catholics around the world.Electing the Next Pope: Index of Resources on Papal Elections
Every human is mortal, and that includes popes. Some live and reign for extraordinarily long times while others only serve for a few days, but in the end all die and a new pope must be elected. How are papal elections run? A papal election is a process that is shrouded in secrecy; the details of any one election are supposed to be kept hidden, but general information is known.Book Reviews: Roman Catholic Popes, Papacy, History
Who or what is the pope? The title pope stems from the Greek word papas, which simply means "father." Early in Christian history it was used as a formal title expressing affectionate respect for any bishop and sometimes even priests. Today it continues to be used in Eastern Orthodox churches for the patriarch of Alexandria.
