"O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you." - 1 Timothy 6:20
St. Pius V
Great Quote
"O Lord, increase my sufferings and my patience!" - St. Pius VBiography
St. Pius V was born near Alexandria in 1504 to a poor family where he was taken in by Dominicans and received a good education. After entering the order and teaching theology and philosophy for some time he was made bishop and general inquisitor for the whole Church. He was eventually elected to the papacy in 1566 and died in 1572.Guarding the Deposit
If there was a need of a pope who could reform the Holy See, than those prayers of the faithful were answered by Cardinal Michele Ghislieri who was elected on the suggestion of Cardinal Charles Borromeo and who took the name Pius V. This pontiff's meager upbringing and austere life was just the type of man who needed to occupy the See of Peter now that the Protestant Reformation was taking place. Among his first actions while in office was to clean up surrounding Rome by removing all prostitutes. In light of the fact that Protestantism found its earliest roots in the abuse of money (See Martin Luther's complaints regarding indulgences in his 95 thesis) Pope Pius V showed the world that the Catholic clergy are indeed here to serve others. It is said that "the Romans were impressed by this old man who led the processions barefoot and without the traditional pomp."[1] He wanted to make sure that the Catholic faithful saw their leaders hard at work, so he also ordered more public prayers to be said and increased his own supplications.
In a move much unlike previous popes he asked that all other leaders of other kingdoms eradicate Protestants from their kingdoms. This move showed a disdain for heresy that would place the souls of those being converted to Protestantism in serious danger. In a show of how serious he was he asked that Pietro Carnesecchi, former secretary of Pope Clement VII and heretic, be handed over "After a trial based on his private correspondence on October 1, 1567 Pietro Carnesecchi was beheaded in Castel Sant'Angelo and then his body was burnt. Three years later Aonio Paleario, another Italian humanist, was hanged and burnt in the same spot (he is remembered in the Monument to Giordano Bruno)". [2]
His austere lifestyle and the sacking of heretics were not the only way in which Pope Pius V protected the Deposit of Faith. The world would continue to see how seriously he took the protection of the faith when he excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I against the advice of King Philip II who was fighting Protestantism in the "Low Countries". This move both was a strike against Protestantism, but at the same time made it very unlikely that England would become a Catholic country again.
Finally of significance in his defense of the faith against Protestantism was the Holy League of 1571. It was arranged by Pope Pius V and was meant to protect Catholic states from the Ottoman Turks. It enjoyed a crushing victory over their fleet in the Battle of Lepanto.[3] It was primarily the Turks that Catholic states and princes were needed to fight against, for their control of parts of Europe was causing influence and conversions away from Catholicism.
1. Pius V. New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia Accessed 1 Feb. 2007 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12130a.htm.
2. Ibid.
3. Holy League Wikipedia Encyclopedia Accessed 12 Feb. 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_League_%28Mediterranean%29