Pope Saint Pius V
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Pope Saint Pius V, born Antonio Ghislieri on January 17, 1504, in Bosco Marengo, was a Dominican friar who became the 225th pope, reigning from 1566 to 1572, and a key figure in the Counter-Reformation. Joining the Dominicans at 14, he rose as an inquisitor and bishop, elected pope in 1566 amid calls for reform. He implemented the Council of Trent, standardized the Tridentine Mass, and excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I, while his rosary devotion—credited for the 1571 Lepanto victory—shaped Catholic practice. Austere and unyielding, he died on May 1, 1572, at 68 in Rome, his reforms enduring despite frail health.
Canonized on May 22, 1712, by Pope Clement XI, Pius V’s feast day, April 30 (shifted from May 5 in 1969), honors his legacy, with his tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore a pilgrimage site. Patron of Valletta, Bosco Marengo, and Catholic reform, his *Roman Catechism* and breviary revisions—detailed in papal bulls—fortified the Church post-Trent. His stern sanctity, marked by white robes and prayer, resonates in Catholic tradition, a shepherd of renewal in a fractured age.
Biography
Birth
Pope Saint Pius V was born Antonio Ghislieri on January 17, 1504, in Bosco Marengo, Duchy of Milan, to Paolo Ghislieri and Domenica Augeria, a poor family. His birth in a rural hamlet came amid Renaissance upheaval. Milan’s dominion framed his early world.
His poverty drove him to the Dominicans, a path from shepherd to pontiff begun at Bosco’s edge.
Early Life
Antonio’s youth was humble; at 14, he joined the Dominicans in Voghera, taking the name Michele. Ordained in 1528, he taught theology, then served as an inquisitor in Pavia and Como, combating heresy with zeal. By 1556, he was Bishop of Nepi, later cardinal, his rigor noted.
His early life shaped a reformer; Rome called in 1566, crowning his rise. Pius’s formative years honed a Dominican pope.
Occupation
Pius’s occupation began as a friar, then inquisitor, bishop, and cardinal, culminating as pope from January 7, 1566, to 1572. He enforced Trent’s decrees—Mass, catechism, clergy reform—issued the 1570 bull *Quo Primum*, and led the Holy League to Lepanto’s triumph. His six-year reign ended in death.
His work was Church renewal, a legacy of discipline closed in 1572. Pius’s occupation was a pontificate of iron and prayer.
Vocation
Pius’s vocation emerged at 14, a call to Dominican life and orthodoxy. As pope in 1566, he fought Protestantism, standardized liturgy, and promoted the rosary—Lepanto’s victory his crown. Exiling dissenters, he lived simply, his white habit a symbol until kidney disease felled him.
His vocation peaked in Rome, dying in 1572 with lasting impact. Pius’s life was a reformer’s crusade for Catholic truth.
Death
Pope Saint Pius V met his end on May 1, 1572, in Rome, dying at 68 of kidney disease in the Vatican Palace. Ill for months, he prayed the rosary to his last, buried in Santa Maria Maggiore—his wish over St. Peter’s. His tomb remains there, intact.
His death sparked veneration, miracles soon claimed. Pius’s passing closed a reign of reform, his sanctity soon revered.
Significant events
- Joined Dominicans, 1518.
- Elected pope, January 7, 1566.
- Issued *Quo Primum* (Tridentine Mass), 1570.
- Lepanto victory, October 7, 1571.
- Died May 1, 1572.
Parishes
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Canonization
Servant of God
The process began post-1572 in Rome, with inquiries into his reforms and holiness, spurred by Lepanto’s fame.
Venerable
Declared Venerable in the 17th century (exact date unclear), his virtue recognized after early cult growth.
Beatification
Beatified on May 1, 1672, by Pope Clement X in Rome, after a 1671 healing of a crippled child via prayers to Pius, verified by Church probe.
Canonization
Canonized on May 22, 1712, by Pope Clement XI in Rome, following a 1711 cure of a woman’s fever after prayers at his tomb, affirming his sanctity.
Miracles
Miracle for beatification
In 1671, a Roman child, crippled from birth, walked after prayers to Pius at Santa Maria Maggiore, deemed miraculous. Approved in 1672, it echoed his steadfast faith, hastening beatification.
Witnessed locally, this miracle boosted his cult, a pope’s intercession.
Miracle for canonization
In 1711, a woman with a deadly fever recovered after prayers at Pius’s tomb, confirmed inexplicable by physicians. Ratified in 1712, it sealed his canonization, reflecting his rosary power.
This cure affirmed his sainthood, completing his veneration path.
Other notable miracles
- Lepanto victory linked to his rosary, 1571 (traditional).
Patronage
Pope Saint Pius V is patron of Valletta (Malta), Bosco Marengo, and Catholic reform.
Feast day
The feast day of Pope Saint Pius V is celebrated on April 30.
Veneration
Pope Saint Pius V is venerated through prayers for reform and victory, centered at Santa Maria Maggiore, where he rests. With tiara or rosary, his cult thrives in Malta and Italy, his April 30 feast recalling Lepanto and Trent. His bulls and Mass endure as his legacy.
Books
Written about the saint
Written by the saint
- *Quo Primum* (papal bull, 1570)
- *Roman Catechism* (oversaw, 1566)