Pope
(1504-1572)
A DOMINICAN friar from his fifteenth year, Michael Ghislieri, as a simple religious, as inquisitor, as bishop, and as cardinal, was famous for his intrepid defence of the Church's faith and discipline, and for the spotless purity of his own life. His first care as Pope was to reform the Roman court and capital by the strict example of his household and the severe punishment of all offenders. He next endeavored to obtain from the Catholic powers the recognition of the Tridentine decrees, two of which he urgently enforced—the residence of bishops, and the establishment of diocesan seminaries. He revised the Missal and Breviary, and reformed the ecclesiastical music. Nor was he less active in protecting the Church without. We see him at the same time supporting the Catholic King of France against the Huguenot rebels, encouraging Mary Queen of Scots, in the bitterness of her captivity, and excommunicating her rival the usurper Elizabeth, when the best blood of England had flowed upon the scaffold, and the measure of her crimes was full. But it was at Lepanto that the Saint's power was most manifest; there, in October, 1571, by the holy league which he had formed, but still more by his prayers to the great Mother of God, the aged Pontiff crushed the Ottoman forces, and saved Christendom from the Turk and the Moslem religion. Six months later, St. Pius died, having reigned but six years. St. Pius was accustomed to kiss the feet of his crucifix on leaving or entering his room. One day the feet moved away from his lips. Sorrow filled his heart, and he made acts of contrition, fearing that he must have committed some secret offense, but still he could not kiss the feet. It was afterwards found that they had been poisoned by an enemy.
Reflection.—"Thy cross, O Lord, is the source of all blessings, the cause of all graces: by it the faithful find strength in weakness, glory in shame, life in death."—St. Leo.
We need to ask the prayers of this truly 'great' pope, who fought against what was wrong in the world at that time in history, that he help the Church in our time.
Prayer:
O God, Who didst choose Blessed Pius as supreme Pontiff in order to shatter the enemies of Thy Church and to restore the purity of the Sacred Liturgy; grant us his protection so that cleaving to Thy service we may overcome the snares of all our enemies and enjoy perpetual peace. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
In 1570 a new version of the Roman Missal, ordered by the Council of Trent, was published in Rome by command of Pope Pius V. This edition of the Missal had been carefully amended to purify it of all errors that had crept into the Mass books during the course of centuries. This Missal of the roman Rite was made obligatory for use throughout the Latin Church (only such rites as had been in use in certain churches for more than two hundred years were permitted to remain unchanged). Pope St. Pius, in his Bull “Quo Primum” declared that this Missal should remain valid in perpetuity; that nothing should be ever added, omitted, or changed in it; that no priest at any future time could ever be forced to use any other way of saying Mass. “We decree and determine that this Our present Order and Decree is to last in perpetuity and can never be legally revoked or amended. It has merely been disregarded. It cannot be denied that by changing the Roman rite and the language of the Mass, great disorders, doubts, and sorrows have now come upon the Roman Church. The Bull “Quo Primum” ends with the customary words that “if anyone should attempt any action contrary to this Order of Ours, let him know that he has incurred the wrath of Almighty God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.”
In the 60's, those in charge did an end run around this Bull. They created a new rite, complete with new beliefs, new words, new teachings, and, an entirely new mass, which is just like a protestant service in everything except Christ in the Eucharist. Hopefully, their heads can be extracted before that fateful day when they meet their Maker.
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