Pope Saint Pius V – 30 April – Saint Of The Day
Pope Saint Pius V. An important figure in the Council of Trent and the Counter-Remormation. A zealous Church leader. It’s said that he saved Christianity during his six years of Papacy.
Pope Pius V, OP (1504–1572), born Antonio Ghislieri, was head of the Catholic Church. He is mostly known for his role in the Council of Trent, the Counter-Reformation, and the standardization of the Roman Rite.
Antonio was born in the city of Bosco in the Duchy of Milan (today it’s in Piedmont). At the age of 14 he entered a Dominican Order. He was ordained a priest at the age of 24 and when he reached 52 he was made Bishop. His Papacy began when he was 62 and lasted for six years.
Pope Pius V was a pretty zealous Catholic leader. Regardless of ranks and dignity, the pope cared for the purity of the church. While still a cardinal, Ghislieri gained a reputation for putting orthodoxy before personalities, prosecuting eight (!) French bishops for heresy. He also stood firm against nepotism (granting a privilege or a position to relatives or friends), rebuking his predecessor Pope Pius IV to his face (!!) when he wanted to make a 13-year-old member of his family a cardinal and subsidize a nephew from the papal treasury.
Symbols of Pope St Pius V in visual arts: Dominican habit – Papal vestments – Papal tiara – Crucifix – Book
