Pope St. Pius X (1903-1914)

Pius X (1903-1914) was born Giuseppe Sarto. In 1903 he was Patriarch of Venice. There was a feeling among the cardinals that a pope was needed who would attend to the internal life of the Church, and Pius’ record pointed in this direction. He was the first pope in nearly 300 years who wasn’t from the nobility, and the first pope in over a century who worked as a parish priest. The 1917 Code of Canon Law was largely Pius’ work, even though he didn’t live to see its finish. He lowered the age for first communion in the decree Quam Singulari (1910), encouraged frequent reception of the Eucharist in Sacra Tridentina Synodus (1905), and encouraged the revival of Gregorian chant in the motu proprio Tra le sollecitudini (1903). He reformed the breviary, making it longer but simpler, in the constitution Divino Afflatu (1911). He reduced the number of Vatican congregations from 37 to 11 in the apostolic constitution Sapienti Consilio (1908). He removed the U.S. from mission status in 1908. He condemned Modernism in Pascendi Dominici Gregis (1907).
(Drawing by Pat McNamara, 1992)