Born on May 13, 1792, Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferrett, Blessed Pope Pius IX was elected to the papacy on June 16, 1846, and served 32 years till his death on February 7, 1878. Even with the long papacy of Pope St. John Paul II, Blessed Pope Pius IX has the longest reign of any Pope in the history of the Catholic Church.
In his 32 years as the Holy Father, he accomplished many things. He convened the First Vatican Council in 1869. Although it was cut short, the one important Church teaching that came from the council was papal infallibility. He defined and proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on December 8, 1854, in the document, Ineffabilis Deus. He also granted the Byzantine image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help a Marian title and entrusted it to the Redemptorists. Pius IX was also the final pope to rule over the Papal States. In 1870, the nationalist armies of Italy forced the Papal States to be part of the Kingdom of Italy. In the year 2000, Pope St. John Paul II beatified him. To learn more about his life, I would encourage you to go here.
Below are seven of his quotes. I would encourage you to read them and then share them with your family and friends.
“If a future Pope teaches anything contrary to the Catholic Faith, do not follow him.”
“Give me an army that prays the Rosary and I will conquer the world.”
“Because God knows, searches and clearly understands the minds, hearts, thoughts, and nature of all, his supreme kindness and clemency do not permit anyone at all who is not guilty of deliberate sin to suffer eternal punishments.”
“Nothing can ever pass away from the words of Christ, nor can anything be changed in the doctrine which the Catholic Church received from Christ to guard, protect, and preach.”
“Liberal Catholics are the worst enemies of the Church.”
“You are aware indeed, that the goal of this most iniquitous plot is to drive people to overthrow the entire order of human affairs and to draw them over to the wicked theories of this Socialism and Communism, by confusing them with perverted teachings . . . by misapplying the terms “liberty” and “equality” . . . to excite by continuous disturbances workers and others, especially those of the lower class, whom they have deceived by their lies and deluded by the promise of a happier condition.”
“Nothing can ever pass away from the words of Christ, nor can anything be changed in the doctrine which the Catholic Church received from Christ to guard, protect, and preach.”
Blessed Pope Pius IX pray for us.
