Puts X.. Pope 1903—, Giuseppe Sato. lie was born at Riese, near Venice• June 2, 1835, in a humble station, his grandfather having leen a soldier in the Papal army under Gregory XVI. Ilis whole life, until his elevation to the Papacy. was passed in Northern Italy. Ile studied at Treviso and at Padua, and was ordained priest in 1858. Ilis faithful performance of his parochial duties won the favor of his superiors and cawed his appointment as chancellor of the diocese in 1875 and viear-capitular two years later. In 1884 Pope Leo X111. named him Bishop of Man tua, and in 1893 created him cardinal and Pa triarch of Venice. His appointment to the patriarchate gave rise to an animated dispute with the Italian Government., which claimed the right, as the successor of the Republic of Venice. to nominate the Patriarch. This claim was denied by the Holy See, and Monsignor Sarto's personal qualities finally gained the approval of the Government. In the administration of his' important diocese he proved himself a strong and competent prelate, reforming a number of abuses which had crept in in the course of time. Ile
won the veneration of all his people. especially by his devotion to the poor and the modesty and sim plicity of his life. He was elected Pope on August 4, 1903, after six fruitless ballots had been taken. by Iifty-five out of sixty-one votes, his two leading competitors having been Cardinals Rampolla (q.v.) and Gotti (q.v.). He entered upon his pontificate with the reputation, not only of it deeply religious man and a wise administra tor, but of a learned scholar and friend of the arts. It was through him that Don Luigi Perosi, the priest composer, was first brought to public attention. The fact of his assuming the name of Pius was taken as an indication that he in tended to maintain the generally conservative policy of Pius IX., and to continue the protest of his two predecessors against the occupation of the Papal States by the Italian Government, despite the fact that his personal relations with the House of Savoy had been uniformly friendly.