Scenes from the Life of Pope St. Pius V

[Shin]

From various lives of the saint. . . some extracts and summaries. . .

'As a boy, he had a special love for the Mother of God and wished to consecrate himself to God's service. His mother encouraged him prudently, telling him to pray to Our Lady.

When he was twelve years old, this desire became the certainty that he had a vocation to be a priest.

His people were too poor however, to afford him studies, and set him to mind the flocks of sheep.'

[Shin]

One day it is recorded, he happened to meet two Dominican Fathers in the fields, and these fathers struck by the boy's piety and intelligence suggested his studying Latin with them and trying his vocation.

It is also said he was sent to a Dominican school with another boy from his town.  He made remarkable progress, and was allowed to take the habit of the order.

[Shin]

He was twenty four years old when he was ordained a priest.

He was to say his first mass in the parish church at his birthplace of Bosco.

However, when he arrived he found it burnt down to the ground, his home half destroyed.

Rome too had been occupied and sacked in the previous year by imperial troops. Pope Clement VII was Emperor Charles V's prisoner in Castel St. Angelo.

So he said his first mass in Sezze where his parents had taken refuge.

[Shin]

He was elected Prior four times, though he wished to avoid the responsibility.

He precisely fulfilled the Rule.

He would never leave the monastery except on necessary business. And so he said:

'Salt when thrown into the water becomes indistinguishable from it, and religious by God's grace the salt of the earth, easily absorb the spirit of the world when unnecessarily in contact with it.'

Pope St. Pius V

[Shin]

Everywhere at this time there was strife, rebellion and discord. Heresy, open and concealed, was spreading continually.

The Protestant Revolt was spreading into Northern Italy. Pope Paul III decided to reorganize the Roman Inquisition to combat the plague.

After the saint spoke against the Lutheran heresy at the Provincial Chapter of the Dominicans he was chosen for the office of Inquisitor to combat heresy in Como.

[Shin]

'The chief danger was from books being brought into Italy via Switzerland. As well as being sold in shops they were hawked from one country town to another, where simple country townfolk were often taken by the contents cleverly disguised but against Catholic doctrine, faith and morals.

The Inquisitor had to be constantly traveling up and down in order to exercise due vigilance and prevent this activity.

One bookseller who had been warned went on disposing of his wares in secret. When discovered, on having the books confiscated, he appealed to the Vicar Capitular who was administering the vacant diocese.

The latter, from jealousy or resentment of the authority exercised by Rome's envoy persuaded the Canons to stand by the rights of the bookseller.

The Inquisitor's prompt excommunication of the Vicar Capitular stirred up such hostility on all sides that he was obliged to return to Rome, where his drastic and timely action was fully upheld.'

[Shin]

'Sent on a mission to Bergamo, where Lutheranism had been gaining headway with many of the clergy, he was advised to put off his religious habit, lest it endanger him.

He declined, saying he had accepted death in undertaking the mission and could not wish to die in a better cause.'

[Shin]

One of the city of Bergamo's lawyers, wealthy and eminent, whom none dared oppose, was rash enough to sing the praises of Protestants in the presence of the Inquisitor, further claiming that it was harmful for the common good to fight the new doctrines now widely admitted.

The Inquisitor had the lawyer arrested, and then faced a group of dumbfounded and furious townfolk with such a calm and determined defense of his action that he won them over -- all but one person, to whose ears the matter had come: the Bishop of the Diocese, who sided with the lawyer.

The Inquisitor had orders to watch the Bishop who was known to be surrounded by heretics; but the latter, not liking this vigilance, sent an armed force by night to the monastery where the Inquisitor was lodging.

Once again, he contrived to escape and returned to Rome.

[Shin]

Proceedings were instituted against the Bishop who was deposed and exiled.

In the year of Our Lord 1550 Pope Julius appointed him General Commissary of the Roman Inquisition.

In the year of Our Lord 1555 Cardinal Caraffa became Pope Paul IV, and confirmed Michael Ghislieri in his office as well as made him Bishop of Nepi and Sutri. Then he was made Cardinal and General Inquisitor of all Christendom.

Cardinal Alessandrino as he was now known, the name given to him from Alessandria, the nearest city to his birthplace, never changed his simple way of life, which continued to be that of a Dominican monk, and he still wore his rough white habit.

[Shin]

In the year of Our Lord 1559 Paul IV succeeded Pius IV. The final stage of the Council of Trent was concluded under him.

At first Cardinal Alessandrino was sent far away from Rome and  appointed to head a distant diocese Mondovi. But hardly had the Bishop had time to set about much needed reform of the diocese when he was summoned back to Rome, largely at the insistence of Cardinal Boromeo, Archbishop of Milan, who had made his uncle the Pope realize the desirability of having the Inquisitor General near him. His counsels too, were indispensable in bringing the Council of Trent to a close.

Under the protests of long suffering French Catholics, and by proofs brought forwards by the Inquisitor General, Pius IV advised the Cardinals of the Inquisition to proceed against a number of French bishops accused of betraying their teaching office and favoring the Protestants.

... Cardinal Alessandrino advocated certain of the bishops being declared heretics and deprived of their office, others being forbidden to govern their dioceses unless admitting their errors. The Pope approved these sentences, which he hardly could not have without causing serious scandal.

[Shin]

It was in the year of Our Lord 1566 that Cardinal Alessandrino became Pope. The conclave had lasted over three weeks. Out of regard for Cardinal Borromeo he took the name of the latter's uncle, Pius, though it would have been natural for him to take the name of his friend and protector Pope Paul IV.

Informed of certain of the Roman's people's surprise and disappointment at his election -- perhaps some feared his penance might now be imposed upon themselves, or that he had too little experience in government to hold the reins -- Pius is said to have remarked that if joy had been lacking at his election, he hoped there would be regret at his death.

But if at first some of the Romans feared the new Pope's austerities, his action at the outset of his reign made them soon realize how much, by this very life of prayer and self-denial, his great love of God overflowed in works of utmost benefit to others.

The gloomy mood of some of the populace had already begun to change on the day of his coronation, and crowds turned out in big festivity with acclamations of "Long live Pius V!"

[Trueman]

So insightful... I am really happy for finding this community. I am now knowing things I never knew before.

[CyrilSebastian]

               Trueman, Bonjour and Welcome! There is a lot to learn about religion.

[eschator83]

I understand that forum book discussions are frequently difficult.
Few members are usually willing to look at the same book.
Comments are often not constructive, or even well intentioned (on some web sites).
But I too hoped this site would be more active, and I think the idea of discussing lives of Popes (also saints) is excellent.  Would further comment on Pope St Pius V be welcome here?  Would similar comment on the life of a saint be welcome in another section here?

[Shin]

Certainly for folks to ask about, comment and contribute what inspiration they gain from these studies and from the other posts about the saints is welcome.

[CyrilSebastian]

I understand that forum book discussions are frequently difficult.
Few members are usually willing to look at the same book.
Comments are often not constructive, or even well intentioned (on some web sites).
But I too hoped this site would be more active, and I think the idea of discussing lives of Popes (also saints) is excellent.  Would further comment on Pope St Pius V be welcome here?  Would similar comment on the life of a saint be welcome in another section here?

       
 

Eschator, I have begun several threads on various Saints.