Pits IX.. Pope 1846-7S, Count Giovanni Maria. Mastai-Ferretti. He was born at Sinigaglia, May 13, 1792, and intended to enter the Papal Guards. ha symptoms of an epileptic tendency caused hint to abandon a military life. He took holy orders, and became Archbishop of Spoleto in 1827, Bishop of Imola, in 1832, and cardinal in 1840. He was elevated to the Papal chair on June 16, 1846, two weeks after the death of Greg ory XVI, Pius IX. took hold of the reins of government in the pontifical dominions. imbued with a sense of the evils, political, economic. and social, under which his semi-mediawal realm had been laboring. and with a patriotic desire to raise Italy from her political degradation. He entered at once on a course of reforms, resolving to extirpate all abuses of administration in his State, to secularize the local administration, and to extend the rights of self-government. His first steps were to dismiss his Swiss guards and to grant a general amnesty. The latter measure unfortunately had the effect of bringing together a body of men whom exile had embittered against the existing state of things. The Pope extended his innovations to every department of the ad ministration. not sparing the ecclesiastical insti tutions and the clergy. At the same time he ex erted himself strenuously to improve the economic condition of his people, and to promote their in tellectual progress. His subjects were permitted to make their voice beard in public assemblies and in the press. His policy awakened enthu siasm among the friends of progress throughout Europe, Protestants and Jews. as well as Roman Catholics. Pius IX. was inspired with the dream of a free Italy, and .sought to realize the ideal set forth by Gioberti of a federated Italy under the moral primacy of the Pope. But the pro graunne which he embraced was far from satis fying the demands of the revolutionary party represented by Mazzini and his followers. and Austria was ready to combat with force of arms a policy which threatened to subvert her do minion in Italy.
In April. 1847. the Pope announced the insti tution of a consuna, an advisory body consisting of deputies from the pro% Mei:. When it assem bled in Pins 1X. that lie had created a niontlipicee of radical demands, vehe mently set forth and backed by the populace. whip]; he wa.• utterly unable to satisfy. A few months later the February Revolution of 1S48 the Orleanist monarchy in Franee. and the Papal States were borne along on the flood of revolution which swept over Europe. Pills 1X. foreed. 'almte yet unprepared for it. to grant a regular constitution to his subjects,. which was promulgated on March 14. 1848. It was an anomalous creation, providing for a triple machinery of legislation—a consisto•y of car dinals. an advisory council appointed by the Pope, and a Parliament of two chambers. A few days after this event Lombardy and Venice rose against the Austrians, and Charles Albert, King of Sardinia, embarked upon a war for the libera tion of Italy. Pius IX. was dragged against his will into a struggle with the Rouse of Hapsburg, which was to prove utterly futile. On June 11th
the Papal forces were compelled to surrender to the Austrians at Vicenza. On July 25th the King of Sardinia :net with disaster at Custozza. The revolutionary elements now obtained complete mastery in Rome. On November 15th the Pope's Prime .Minister, Count 'Rossi, was assassinated as lie was about to open the sessiou of the Parlia ment. Violent demonstrations took place daily to compel the Pope's assent to measures which he repudiated. Ile ut first confined himself in the Quirinal, and on November 24th tied se eretly from Rome. taking refuge in the Neapoli tan fortress of Gaeta. A republic was proclaimed in Rome in February, 1849. Pius IX. from his exile addressed a remonstrance to the various sovereigns. In April a French expedition, sent to restore the Papal authority, landed at Chita veechia, which surrendered on duly 2d, after a month's siege. The Pope's government was re established. and in 1850 he again entered upon the administration. Ile now deelared that, in view of the unsettled condition of Italy and the failure of many of his early measures of im provement. he could not proceed with the reforms which he had contemplated. With Cardinal An tonelli as Secretary of State, the course of the Papal Government became intensely reactionary. In 18flO, after the war for the unification of Italy, the Romagna, the Alarehes. and Umbria were annexed to the dominions of Victor Emmanuel, but Pius persistently refused to cede any portion or to enter into any compromise.
IT is ecelesiast ieal administration continued very active, and proceeded upon the strongest assump tion of the right of independent action on the part of the Church. Ile reiistablished the hierarchy in England, sanctioned the establish ment in Ireland of a Catholic university, and condemned the principles upon which the Queen's colleges in that country were He eoneluded with Austria a concordat much more favorable to Church authority than the existing ecclesiastical laws bad permitted. (See CON CORDAT.) In 1854 he issued a decree propound ing as a doctrine of the Church the dogma of the immaculate Conception (q.v.) of the blessed Virgin Mary. The most important event of his pontificate was the of the Vatican Council (q.v.), at which bishops from all parts of the Catholic world assembled, in December, 1869. This was the first Church council since that of Trent had crystallized Roman Catholic dogma and practice to meet the Reformation attack. It was adjourned in July, 1870, after it had proclaimed the decree of the infal libility (q.v.) of the Pope when on a subject of faith or morals he issues a decree ex cathedra to the universal Church. Soon after the adjourn the Italian army occupied Rome, which was made the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Pius relleWell with all solemnity his oft-repeated protest, and, refusing all proposals of avemn modation, from that date declared himself a captive in the Vatican, to which he strictly con fined himself until his death, February 7, 1878. Consult: Pongeois, 11 istoire de Pie IX. (Paris, 1877-80 ; and hires by Maguire (London. 1878) and Shea (New York, 1878).