Pius X (GIUSEPPE SARTO, joo-sZp'pa sae to) : b. Riese, 2 June 1835; d. 20 Aug. 1914. He was elected to the papacy by the College of Cardinals, 4 Aug. 1903, after the conclave had been in session five days and assumed the title of Pius X. He was born in a small Vene tian town, of a humble peasant family. His father died 4 March 1842, and his mother, Mar garita Sanson, 2 Feb. 1894, after a life of labor and sacrifices, entailed in rearing her family of nine children, eight of whom were living at the time their brother was made Pope, all in humble circumstances. There were two brothers and seven sisters. When young Sarto became a parish priest his mother was too hum ble to live with him, but his unmarried sisters resided with him at the patriarchal palace in Venice. He made his elementary studies at Castelfranco, a small town not far from Venice and thanks to the interest shown in him by Cardinal Monico, patriarch of Venice, was en abled to continue his education. He was or dained priest 18 Sept. 1858 by special dispensa tion of Pius IX, and was appointed assistant priest at Tombolo, from which place he was transferred in 1867 to Salsano as parish priest. His zeal, piety and well-directed energy led to subsequent appointment to such important ec clesiastical dignities as spiritual director in the seminary, judge of the ecclesiastical tribunal and vicar-general of Treviso. In 1884 he was consecrated bishop of Mantua, in Lombardy, where he remained for nine years. On 12 June 1893, Pope Leo XIII created him cardinal with San Bernardo alle Terme as his titular church and very shortly after this he was made patri arch of Venice, whence, nine years later, he was summoned to Rome to elect a successor to the papal throne, made vacant by Leo's death, and was chosen as that successor, 4 Aug. 1903.
Pius X is a striking example of the bestowal of the highest dignity in the Roman Catholic Church upon one of the lowliest origin, utterly void of ambition, whose career had been marked only by the sincerest piety and indom itable zeal in the practice of his ecclesiastical profession. His elevation is an apotheosis of the parish priest. There could be no more marked contrast than that presented by this Pope and the Pope whom he succeeded. Leo XIII was of aristocratic birth, a scholar, a dip lomat. Pius X had the lowly peasant spirit which characterizes his whole family. He deprecated his elevation to the bishopric of Mantua and was prostrated by his election to the papacy, accepting it only through sense of duty. Although speaking and knowing his own language with classical finish, he was familiar with no other except for a slight knowledge of French and German. He was known through out Italy by his work for societies and for his schools. His ardor for missionary work drew to him the attention of all who were interested in this field. He exacted observance of dis
cipline although he was indifferent to ceremony and the punctilious observance of mere form and conventionalities. He was a staunch advo cate of the Gregorian chant, which is in keeping with his insistence on liturgical observance. In his first encyclical given two months after his accession, the Pope declared that "we have no other program in the Supreme Pontificate but that of restoring all things in Christ (Eph. t, 10), so that 'Christ may be all in all" (Col. iii, 2).
One vigorous measure of Pius X shortly after his elevation to the papacy was to abolish the which three Catholic Powers enjoyed in the election of a Pope. He drew up a docu ment in which excommunication is pronounced ipso-facto against any one who acts as the inter mediary of any power in proposing a veto against any cardinal during a conclave. De spite his unflinching attitude toward all that involves the authority, teaching and dignity of the Church, Pius X was personally friendly toward Queen Margherita, with whom he be came acquainted when bishop of Mantua and toward King Victor Emmanuel and Queen Helena, whom he received at the patriarchate in Venice on their visit to that city.
The Venetians were surprised that the Pope did not assume the title of Benedict, as one of the seven popes who, like himself, were from the province of Venice, was Benedict XI (Boc cassini, 1303-04). This Pontiff was horn at Treviso, with which town Cardinal Sarto had been connected by his labors as priest. Bene dict also, like himself, was of humble origin and of lowly spirit.
Pius X was a handsome man of fine phy sique, with blue eyes and silver hair, a most sincere and lovable face, and possessed a sonorous voice of great volume, something of special value to one who is distinguished by zeal for preaching. The arms of this Pope are an anchor resting on the waters and a radiant star. This and the fact that he was elected on the day of Saint Dominic have recalled the title applied to this Pope by the prophecy of Saint Malachy: "Ignis Ardens* (a blazing fire). The arms of the Dominicans have a dog (Domini Canes) bearing a blazing torch. He displayed great restraint when re lations were broken off with the French govern ment. In 1907 he issued the encyclical "Pas cendi,D condemning Modernism. He advocated increased study of the Bible and the codification of the canon law. In 1910 he issued a decree barring the clergy from the temporal adminis tration of social organizations, as this had often been the foundation of serious annoy ances. He was most energetic in raising funds for the sufferers of the great earthquake of 1907 and secured $1,400,000 for them. Consult 'Life of Pope Pius X,> with preface by Cardi nal Gibbons (New York 1904) ; Pio X' (Padua 1908).