Saturday, August 21, 20th Week in Ordinary Time
MEMORIAL OF ST. PIUS X
Fifth photo from left, top panel: In 1907, Pius X consecrates as bishop the man who would succeed him 7 years later as Benedict XV; and extreme right, Pius X on his deathbed.
ST. PIUS X (Italy, 1835-1914), 257th Pope (1903-1914)
Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis last Wednesday to his predecessor
www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20100818...
Giuseppe Melchior Sarto was the first Pope to be canonized since Pius V (1566-1672). Born to a peasant family in northern Italy, he had extensive pastoral experience as a parish priest, then Bishop of Mantua and Patriarch of Venice. His election as Pope despite the opposition of the Austrian emperor marked the last time that a Catholic monarch ever had any influence on a papal conclave. As Pope, he rejected modernist tendencies in the Church and promoted orthodox theology and traditional Catholic practices, especially daily Mass and Communion, Marian devotion and Gregorian chant. He encouraged personal piety and a lifestyle reflecting Christian values. Two lasting legacies of his Papacy were lowering the age of First Communion to 7, codifying canon law for the first time, and the Catechism of Pius X. He was a smoker and eventually suffered poor health because of it and died of a heart attack. Although he was Pope for only 11 years, his personal holiness was such that post-mortem veneration of him was unprecedented in modern history to that time. Two miracles instead of the usual one each were certified leading to his beatification in 1944 and his canonization in 1954.
Readings for today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/nab/readings/082110.shtml
No papal stories in today's OR. Page 1 items: An Opus Dei prelate writes that every Catholic priest must carry on the lessons of the year for Priests; economic damage from Pakistan's floods now estimated at 43 billion dollars; Iran activates its first nuclear plant; the US brokers resumption of direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, with the support of Egypt and Jordan; and US economic recovery falters with half a million jobs lost last week alone and a steadily growing deficit. In the inside pages, an interview with the Pope's personal physician, Dr. Patrizio Polisca.
The Holy Father has named Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, former Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops,
to represent him at the 1500th anniversary celebration of the shrine of Santa Maria delle Grazie. popularly
known as the Madonna of Mentorella, on August 29. Mentorella is located outside Rome and was visited
by Benedict XVI privately in the first year of his Pontificate. It was a shrine dear to John Paul II, who was
visiting Mentorella when he was called back to the Vatican for the start of the Conclave that would elect
him Pope.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 21/08/2010 16:16]