Who was Pope Pius IX? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Italian Celebrities Born In May

Also Known As: Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti

Died At Age: 85

Family:

father: Jerome Ferretti

mother: Catherine Solazzi

Born Country: Italy

Saints Italian Men

Died on: February 7, 1878

place of death: Apostolic Palace, Vatican City

Cause of Death: Epilepsy

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1

What were the major accomplishments of Pope Pius IX during his papacy?

Pope Pius IX is best known for defining the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, convening the First Vatican Council, and issuing the Syllabus of Errors.
2

How did Pope Pius IX impact the relationship between the Catholic Church and the modern world?

Pope Pius IX was known for his conservative views and opposition to the forces of modernity, leading to conflicts with secular authorities and the rise of anti-clerical movements.
3

What was the significance of the Papal States during the pontificate of Pope Pius IX?

Pope Pius IX's reign saw the collapse of the Papal States, which were territories in Italy governed by the pope, leading to the loss of temporal power for the papacy.
4

How did Pope Pius IX's views on religious freedom and the separation of church and state influence his legacy?

Pope Pius IX's strong opposition to religious freedom and his belief in the temporal power of the papacy have had a lasting impact on the relationship between the Catholic Church and secular authorities.
5

What role did Pope Pius IX play in the development of modern Catholic doctrine and theology?

Pope Pius IX's papacy marked a period of significant doctrinal development, including the definition of papal infallibility and the promotion of traditional Catholic teachings in response to modern challenges.

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Childhood & Early Life

Pope Pius IX was born as Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti on 13 May 1792, in Senigallia, Marche, Italy. His father, Girolamo dei conti Ferretti, belonged to a noble family.

He attended the Piarist College in Italy. As a young student, he was engaged to be married to the daughter of the Bishop of Kilmore, Miss Foster. However, the marriage didn’t take place.

In 1814, as a theology student, Mastai Ferretti met Pope Pius VII after the latter’s return from French captivity. The following year, he joined the Noble Guard; however, he was soon terminated after an epileptic seizure.

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Religious Career

On 10 April 1819, Mastai Ferretti was ordained a priest. Between 1823 and 1825, he served as an auditor in South America and strived hard to map out the significant roles the Catholic Church would play in the recently formed republics.

Following his return to Rome, he was appointed the chief of a hospital where he worked from 1825 to 1827.

In 1827, at the age of 35, he became the archbishop of Spoleto. A year later, Mastai Ferretti was promoted to the post of diocese of Imola.

In 1840, he was made the cardinal-priest of Santi Marcellino e Pietro. During this time, he was considered a liberal as he supported administrative reforms in the Papal States.

Mastai Ferretti was officially crowned as Pope Pius IX on 21 June 1846.

The Revolutions Of 1848

The revolutions began in Sicily in 1848 and eventually the entire Europe suffered. During these revolutions, Pope Pius IX faced both liberal and nationalist demands.

The pope was compelled to establish a two-chamber parliament. He appointed ministries to save Rome from the revolt. However, none of them managed to control the situation.

After Pope Pius IX fled to the Kingdom of Naples in November, elections were held in his absence. On February 9, 1849, a “Temporal Power” was declared along with the formation of a democratic republic. The pope eventually returned to his place in April 1850.

Later Events

After his return to Rome, Pope Pius IX became convinced that the actual danger to the Catholic Church lay in the secular ideas. After 1860, he became fully convinced that the notion of the ‘free church’ was just a trap.

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The pope later began taking measures to destroy liberalism in the church.

On December 8, 1864, he issued the famous syllabus, ‘Syllabus of Errors,’ in which he listed 80 ‘principal errors of our times’. While a few questioned the negative aspects of this syllabus, most of the people accepted it as it was created by the pope.

The First Vatican Council

Pope Pius IX decisively acted on the ancient disagreement between the Franciscans and Dominicans regarding the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

His decision in favor of the Franciscan view that was formulated as an infallible dogma raised the question of whether such decisions could be made without consulting the bishops.

The First Vatican Council was opened on December 8, 1869, to discuss the matter. The pope intervened to change the procedure of the council the following year.

A major topic of discussion was papal infallibility. The decision came in the pope’s favor and the infallibility was restricted to only those times when the pope made proclamations ex cathedra.

Other Achievements

Pius IX celebrated numerous jubilees during his time, including Council of Trent’s 300th anniversary. On 29 June 1867, he invited 20,000 priests and 512 bishops on the event of Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter’s 1800th death anniversary.

He created 122 new cardinals when the number was limited to 70. He also canonized 52 saints, including Nicholas Pieck, Josaphat Kuntsevych, and the Martyrs of Japan.

During his pontificate, the pope made three new Doctors of the Church - Alphonsus Liguori, Francis de Sales, and Hilary of Poitiers.

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Papal States under Pope Pius IX

Until 1870, Pius IX also ruled as the ‘king’ of the Papal States. Several ministers were appointed, including those for internal affairs, commerce, war, and justice.

The financial management was predominantly in the hands of lay persons. Economic policies of the pope were met with criticism because much of his priority went to agriculture and forestry.

He made efforts to improve trade and manufacturing by giving papal prizes to the manufactures of materials destined for export.

In 1851, the pope formed a ministry of education and added agriculture science, geology, archaeology, botany, and astronomy to the study areas.

At the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Pius IX had established the Jewish ghetto in Rome with other liberal measures. However, after returning from exile in 1850, he issued anti-liberal measures and re-instituted the ghetto.

In 1858, under his order, a six-year-old Jewish boy who had reportedly been baptized by a Christian girl, was taken away from his parents.

Facts About Pope Pius IX

Pope Pius IX was one of the longest-reigning elected Popes in history, having served for over 32 years.

He was known for his dedication to promoting the cult of the Virgin Mary and for his strong devotion to the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

Pope Pius IX was the first Pope to be photographed, with the earliest surviving photograph of a Pope being of him.

He declared the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854, affirming the belief that Mary was conceived without original sin.

Pope Pius IX was a patron of the arts and commissioned many beautiful works of art during his pontificate.

End of the Papal States

After defeating the papal army in a series of battles, Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia conquered all the papal lands except Latium with Rome.

On 20 September 1870, Rome was also invaded and Italy eventually approved the Law of Guarantees which denied the pope of his sovereignty over the territory. However, he was granted the authority to send and receive ambassadors. The pope rejected this offer and refused to recognize the new kingdom.

Death, Beatification, & Legacy

Pope Pius IX died on 7 February 1878, at the age of 85. His death marked the end of the second-longest reign in papal history after Saint Peter who had reigned for 37 years.

The process for his beatification began on 11 February 1907. Pius IX was eventually declared to be “Venerable” in July 1985. He was later beatified on 3 September 2000.

It is said that it was Pius IX who took the initial steps toward modern papacy.

Pope Pius IX Biography

You wanted to know

What were the major accomplishments of Pope Pius IX during his papacy?

How did Pope Pius IX impact the relationship between the Catholic Church and the modern world?

What was the significance of the Papal States during the pontificate of Pope Pius IX?

How did Pope Pius IX's views on religious freedom and the separation of church and state influence his legacy?

What role did Pope Pius IX play in the development of modern Catholic doctrine and theology?