ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY
Saints celebrated on the 7th of February
BLESSED PIUS IX., POPE
After a rapid ecclesiastical career in which he became a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church at the young age of 41, Giovanni Mastai Ferretti was called by God to the burden of Supreme Pontiff on June 16, 1846, and took the name of Pius IX. He immediately began various reforms of the Pontifical State and the liberals of that time wanted to make of him the leader of the united Italian states against the Austrian Empire; but the Pontiff, faithful to his call to be Father of all peoples, opposed the war while approving of Italy’s independence.
FIRST, IT LOOKED AS IF HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BECOME A PRIEST
Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti was born in Senigallia (Sinigaglia) on May 13, 1792 of the Count Girolamo Mastai of Cesena and Caterina Solazzi. He studied firstly at the Scolopi of Volterra, then, having interrupted his studies for affairs to be tended to in Naples, he took them up again in Rome with his uncle. Being affected by epilepsy, it was believed that he could not approach Holy Orders; however, having happily overcome this difficulty, he was ordained a priest on April 19, 1819.
APOSTOLATE AMONG THE YOUTH
From his youth he engaged in the apostolate among the youth of the Institution Tata Giovanni in Rome to which he always remained attached in his heart. In 1823-25 he assisted as auditor to Msgr Giovanni Muzi, the Apostolic Delegate for the Republics of Chile and Peru. Upon his return from this mission he was made Rector of St Mary’s in Via Lata, director of the Institution of St Michael and, on June 3, 1827, he was consecrated Bishop of Spoleto. In 1833 Gregory XVI transferred him to Imola and at the same time made him titular Cardinal of Ss Peter and Marcellinus.
PRE-EMINENT PASTORAL GIFTS
In the Conclave which followed the death of Gregory XVI from June 15-16, 1846, one of the briefest in recorded history, Cardinal Mastai was elected Pope and chose the name of Pius IX. The qualities which attracted the attention of the electors to him were principally the pre-eminent pastoral gifts which he had demonstrated and his knowledge of the needs of the Pontifical State. Pius IX selected the young Prelate Giovanni Corboli-Bussi, Bishop of Urbino and Secretary of the Conclave, as his principal collaborator who, together with Cardinal Pasquale Gizzi, named Secretary of State, became his right arm.
HE ORDERED THE ABOLITION OF THE SEGREGATION OF THE JEWISH GHETTO
Already, in the first months of his Pontificate, he lightened the condition of the Hebrews in Rome by ordering the abolition of the segregation of the ghetto. He immediately set to work in remedying the evils afflicting the Pontifical State by instituting a special Congregation of State to look into some of the more urgent affairs: the railroads, the order of finances, of courts and of the military.
AMNESTY TO THE CONDEMNED AND REPATRIATION OF EXILES
At the same time he began a series of reforms which made him very well liked by the people: indeed he granted wide amnesty to condemned politicians and repatriation to exiles through a simple declaration of faithful submission to the public authorities. This amnesty, published in the historic ‘Proclama’, gave rise to frantic demonstrations of joy towards Pius IX which seemed to be unending. With the Edict of March 15, 1847, he mitigated the censure of the printed word, yet, in spite of this, he left many liberals who would have liked to have seen the abolition of all restrictions disappointed. With the ‘motu proprio’ of June 18 he instituted the Counsel of Ministers, while on July 5 he instituted the civic guard at Rome and gave normative dispositions for the same in other cities of the Pontifical State.
He also promoted a trade Alliance among the pre-united Italian States which represented the most important political-diplomatic attempt of the time on a federal level towards realising a united Italy.
AFTER THE REVOLUTIONARY ACTIONS 1848
On March 14, 1848, after the revolutionary actions which impacted all of Europe right from the beginning of that year, Pope Pius IX granted the Constitutions (The Fundamental Statutes for the Temporal Government of the Ecclesiastical States) which set up two legislative Houses and opened the Institutions to the laity as well (both in the legislative and executive orders).
STRONG PRESSURE WAS PLACED UPON THE PONTIFF
At the end of the same month on the occasion of the Five Days of Milan where the Italian States began to rebel against the Austrian Empire, strong pressure was placed upon the Pontiff to follow the example of the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the King of Naples who had sent their own troops to the frontlines against the Austrians. Pius IX only allowed the constitution of a band of volunteers with the exclusive mission of protecting the State borders along the Kingdom of Lombardy and Venice. Despite the Pope’s intentions, the formation of this troop dedicated to the war against Austria placed the Pontifical State in favour of the cause of Italian independence.
A COURAGEOUS STAND AS HEAD OF THE CHURCH
As a result of this, however, on April 29, 1848, Pius IX, with the Papal Allocution and the Consistory of Cardinals, made evident the particular position of the Pope who, as head of the universal Church and at the same time head of the Italian State, could not place himself in war against a Catholic kingdom: ‘Faithful to the obligations of our supreme apostolate, We embrace all Lands, all peoples and Nations in an instinctive sentiment of paternal affection.’ His determined defence of Italian independence had little worth in a despatch to the Austrian Emperor; for not a few, unfortunately, he was simply a traitor.”
This article was published entitled “Hagiography; Bl. Pius IX, Part I” in “De Vita Contemplativa” (Monthly Magazine for Monasteries), Year VII – Number 9 September 2013)
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