TEN YEARS OF POPE PIUS X.

New Zealand Tablet, 2 October 1913, Page 19

TEN YEARS OF POPE PIUS X.

Ten years ago to-day (says.'the Sacred Heart Be- ; view of August 9) the coronation of i our Holy Father Pope Pius X. took place in St. Peter's. When the papal crown was : : placed on the * Pontiff's head, the 70,000 people present in the great church could not ■-■■'■. repress exclamations of joy, the choir intoned the hymn of triumph, and the bells of Rome joined in a glad proclamation. Only five days earlier Cardinal Sarto, Patriarch :of Venice, had been elected Pope, and al- : ready he had won the confidence and love of his spiritual children. ' Pius X. is a man of God and of the people ' ■'.-• was the opinion expressed by the Christian -world, and a decade of his wise, beneficent administration has proved how true was that first impression." V vvv On This Memorable Anniversary millions of Catholic hearts go out in love, and gratitude to their Father in Christ, and millions of prayers ascend - that Pius X. may long be spared to his people. Not only Catholics, but.' non-Catholics also,; rejoiced when the Patriarch of Venice was chosen to succeed Leo XIII. It is the testimony of all who know him (said •. the New York Sun of the new Pope), that the Roman hierarchy includes no more exemplary embodiment of piety and loving kindness. ..'.,. . . Pius X. may well be a 'burning flame' in the best sense for the Church. That these felicitations of ten years ago have been justified by the record of Pope Pius X. is the belief • of every faithful Catholic; and it pleases us to find in " last Saturday's Boston Evening Transcript's 'Churchman Afield the following opinions which show that those who view the Holy Father and his doings from outside the fold are constrained to praise the zeal and ability with which he has administered his exalted office On Monday will occur the tenth anniversary of the election to the papal throne of Joseph Sarto, Patriarch of Venice. The decade which has elapsed since then has been one of much importance and significance ■■.; to the Catholic Church. It has been marked by grave dangers and persecutions, by the rise and spread of the heresy : known as ' Modernism' and other troublous events. But it has been remarkable, too, for many important reforms and the numerous luminous encycli©alsvissued by Pope Pius X. The Pope's insight into the present day needs of the Church is generally admitted to.be notable. The outbreaks against the Church in France, in Spain, and Portugal were dealt with in ; a statesmanlike and fearless manner; and churchmen and diplomats alike were lost in admiration and astonishment that the erstwhile humble Bishop should be able to handle the great problems, which beset his reign, in such a masterly manner. According to the friends of the Pope, Modernism was crushed; its doom being sealed when, in September, 1910, the Pope issued ;.■;■ a Motu Proprio entitled 'Recent Manifestations of Modernism,' in which he summed up the Encyclical Pascendi Gregis and, in concluding laid down rules for preachers which reveal The Spirit and the Motive of His Life. :';... He also issued encyclicals on the building up of a pious, learned, and zealous priesthood (this was the first and was written in 1903); on Holy Communion (1905), wherein he granted that children be permitted , to receive the Body and Blood of Christ as soon as they have reached the age of discretion; the Motu Proprio oh Church music (issued -November 22, 1903), by which the Gregorian chant was restored to its proper , place in the liturgy of the Church, while many novelties, J which had crept in from time to time, were abolished in December, 1903, came another Motu Proprio on the Social Question, a syllabus of. nineteen propositions based on the various utterances of his predecessor, Leo XIII. Herein is the attitude of the Catholic Church toward capital and labor adequately defined. The _■■.. encyclicals of Pius X. also touched on the necessity ef renewed efforts to make catechetical instruction for' both children and adults more widespread; reform of

' the ; Breviary; ; movement for the ; codification tof I: the canon law, and several other important topics. ; ' Among the Various Reforms-?; s conceived and partly completed by. Pius X., a special importance belongs to that of the Breviary, the recitation of a certain portion of which every day has been obligatory upon the Roman priesthood;; from ancient times. This reform, though it is of immediate interest only Ito the priesthood, deserves mention— clearly showing the Pope's intention of , requiring from priests a great knowledge of the Psalms and of the Marty logy, of partly reconstructing the liturgy on the basis of the earliest traditions of the Church, and, finally,, of reducing the Martyrology and the Lives of the' Saints to a greater conformity with : the 7 'exigencies s of historical criticism. . . -• ; ;. -,•.-.".~ ::^^ ; .!;:-.; Not the least important of his works is the Biblical Institute, established four J years ago. ' Its object was to guard students against the dangers that come from studying : the Scriptures under improper influences. From the beginning the Institute '■■ has been a pronounced;success,' and now has an excellent staff of professors and over one hundred : students from all parts of the world ; it has the nucleus of a valuable Biblical museum and of a rich Biblical library; it has correspondents throughout the Orient. * ■ '-"■■.'■■". ;~ . _An ;. important reform inaugurated by Pope Pius X. is the revision of the Vulgate, the name commonly given to the Latin version of the Bible authorised by the Catholic Church. This he instituted in the spring of 1907 and entrusted to the Benedictine Fathers under the leadership of that brilliant scholar and distinguished Churchman, Abbot Gasquet. The work is still in progress, and according to the Pope's express orders is being carried out on the most approved modern methods and regardless of expense. • - ,; When he began his reign, as the tenth Pius he selected as his motto, To restore all things in Christ.' And consistently and faithfully has he labored to carry it out. That he has succeeded to an eminent degree-a study of .his* pontificate will show. It has, indeed, been rich in accomplishment and noteworthy for the record of constant increase and development of the Church in all parts of the world. In view of these facts, therefore, it does not seem.too much to say that he will take his place in history as one of ; the great v ;Popes,; while- his encyclicals long will be' regarded as important contributions to the papal letters and of permanent value to the history of the Church. ,■:■; -. f ';"...- ■ "