Pope Saint Pius X, 1835 – 1914

Feastday 21st August

Born 1835

Died 1914

Son of Giambattista Sarto, a village cobbler, and Margherita Sanson. Lived an impoverished childhood as one of eight children. Baptized on 3 June 1835. Confirmed on 1 September 1848. Felt a calling to the priesthood from his youth. Studied at the seminary of Padua, and was known as an exceptional student. Ordained by Blessed Giovanni Antonio Farina on 18 September 1858. Chaplain at Tombolo from 1858 to 1867. Archpriest of Salzano from 1867 to 1875. Canon of the Treviso cathedral chapter in 1875. Rector of the Treviso seminary and its spiritual director for nine years. Primicerius of the cathedral in 1879. Chancellor of the diocese of Treviso. Vicar capitular from December 1879 to June 1880. Bishop of Mantua, Italy on 10 November 1884. Assistant at the Pontifical Throne on 19 June 1891. Created cardinal-priest of Saint Bernardo alle Terme on 12 June 1893. Patriarch of Venice on 15 June 1893. Chosen 257th pope, taking the name Pius X. Issued decrees on early (age 7 instead of 12 or 14 as previously) and frequent Communion. Destroyed the last vestiges of Jansenism by advocating frequent and even daily Communion. Reformed the liturgy, promoted clear and simple homilies, and brought Gregorian chant back to services. Revised the Breviary, and teaching of the Catechism. Fought Modernism, which he denounced as "the summation of all heresies". Reorganized the Roman curia, the administrative elements of the Church. Worked against the modern antagonism of the state against the Church. Initiated the codification of canon law. Promoting Bible reading by all the faithful. Supported foreign missions. His will read: "I was born poor; I lived poor; I wish to die poor." ¹

1. Taken from the Patron Saints Index at http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintp06.htm

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“What I have seen is terrifying! Will I be the one, or will it be a successor? What is certain is that the Pope will leave Rome and, in leaving the Vatican, he will have to pass over the dead bodies of his priests!…Do not tell anyone this while I am alive….” ¹

“I saw one of my successors taking to flight over the bodies of his brethren. He will take refuge in disguise somewhere and after a short retirement he will die a cruel death. The present wickedness of the world is only the beginning of the sorrows which must take place before the end of the world…” ²

“Respect for God has disappeared from human hearts. They wish to efface even God's memory. This perversity is nothing less than the beginning of the last days of the world….” ³

“We hold that you are not ignorant thereof what an outrageous combat is everywhere going on in our time. In truth the heathens and self-conceited nations are rebelling against their Creator. The cry of Gods enemies is ‘Depart from us.’ In most people respect for God has disappeared both in public and private life. They even go so far as to attempt to obliterate even the memory of God. When we consider these facts you must really feel that such wickedness is only the beginning of those evils which are to come before the end of the world and that the son of perdition of whom the apostles speak is already among us…” ⁴

“There is good reason to fear lest this great perversity may be as it were a foretaste, and perhaps the beginning of those evils which are reserved for the last days; and that there may be already in the world the ‘son of perdition’ of whom the apostle speaks (2 thess. 2:3)…such, in truth, is the audacity and the wrath employed everywhere in persecuting religion, in combating the dogmas of the faith, in brazen effort to uproot and destroy all relations between man and the divinity! While, on the other hand, and this according to the same apostle is the distinguishing mark of antichrist, man has with infinite temerity put himself in the place of god, raising himself above all that is called god; in such wise that although he cannot utterly extinguish in himself all knowledge of god, he has contemned god's majesty and, as it were, made of the universe a temple wherein he himself is to be adored. “He sitteth in the temple of god, showing himself as if he were god” (II. Thessalonians 2:2).” ⁵

References

1. Pope Pius X made this announcement during his Audience for the General Chapter of the Franciscan order in 1909 after falling into a trance, where he was motionless and silent for several moments

2. Yves Dupont, Catholic Prophecy (Tan Books and Publishers 1970) p 22

3. Rev R. Gerald. Culleton The Prophets and Our Times (Tan Books and Publishers 1941) p 216

4. ibid

5. Pope St Pius X E. Supremi Apostolatus On the Restoration of All Things in Christ 4th October 1903