POPE ST. PIUS X – On this day exactly a century ago…

Pope Saint Pius X – August 4, 1903 – August 20, 1914

Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto – June 2, 1835 – August 20, 1914

 On this day exactly a century ago the holy Giuseppe Cardinal Sarto passed away. Of course most knew him better as Pope Pius X who was born on June 2, 1835 and died at the age of 79 at the outset of World War I from a heart attack. Many believe it was his feeling of helplessness in stopping the terrible conflagration of Catholic Europe that prompted his heart to stop. During his life he did all he could to shore up the holy Faith including trying to safeguard holy Mother Church from the “synthesis of all heresies” Modernism which, unfortunately, raised its ugly head at Vatican 2 with devastating consequences.

Pope St. Pius X – Pope of the Holy Eucharist

   Pope Saint Pius X, holy 257th successor of Peter, is often referred to as the “Pope of the Holy Eucharist” for it was this very saintly Pontiff who decreed that all children over the age of seven would be eligible to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion. Besides advocating frequent reception of the Eucharist, he called for a codification of Canon Law and founded the Biblical Institute of Rome. He also pressed for more Gregorian chant in Church liturgy as opposed to the growing influx of concert-style liturgical music. In addition, he called for a more adequate translation of the Latin Vulgate Bible and issued a Catechism that all Catholic faithful could relate to and understand. St. Pius X was especially attentive to the needs of his fellow priests, rearranging the Psalter of the Liturgy of the Hours while holding the simple parish priest up as a model for all to emulate. The result was a marked increase in vocations and a renewed reverence for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Pius fought relentlessly against the evils of modernism and stood up against the French powers in the volatile issue of Separation of Church and State. In the end, though victorious, he was unable to stem the tide of World War I.

   He was born Giuseppe (Joseph) Melchiorre Sarto into a family of nine children on a small farm in the little village of Riese in the Province of Treviso, Italy near Venice on June 2, 1835 during the pontificate of Pope Gregory XVI. His father Giovanni Battista Sarto, a former postman and yet a cobbler by trade, died when Joseph was very young in 1852. His mother Margarita Sanson Sarto was left to support the entire family through her talents in sewing and selling produce the family raised on the farm. He learned the Faith at an early age from his mother and the private lessons of the parish priest Don Tito Fusaroni. Thus the seeds of a vocation blossomed into full bloom shortly after he entered the seminary in Padua, Italy at the home parish of the village’s patron saint, the beloved Saint Anthony of Padua. At an early age Joseph adopted the traits and virtues of this saint who exemplified love for all and especially for Jesus. Joseph would exemplify the same qualities throughout his lifetime, especially for the Eucharistic Jesus.

   In 1858, while the Blessed Virgin Mary was appearing at Lourdes, he became Father Sarto when he received the Sacrament of Holy Orders at the very early age of 23. His first assignment was as village curate in Tombolo. There he began a night school for all adults, teaching the catechism. From Tombolo his bishop assigned him as parochial vicar in Salzano and then chancellor of the Diocese of Treviso. Here he further studied Canon Law and the works of the Angelic Doctor Saint Thomas Aquinas, specifically the Summa Theologica and, from Thomas’ love for the Blessed Sacrament, Fr. Giuseppe totally fell in love with Our Lord present body and blood, soul and divinity in the Holy Eucharist. In 1867 he was appointed arch-prist of Salzano, a large community in the Treviso See. Here he restored the church and expanded the hospital, the funds coming from his own begging, wealth and labor. He became beloved by the people when he unflinchingly worked day and night to assist the sick during the cholera plague that swept into northern Italy in the early 70’s. His corporal and spiritual works of mercy translated to many conversions and he widened adult education for religious instruction.

   He served his diocese well, becoming chaplain and then spiritual director of the diocesan seminary. In 1878, upon the death of Bishop Zanelli, he was named vicar-capitular. Six years later Pope Leo XIII selected Monsignor Sarto as Bishop of Mantua, a diocese in turmoil. He calmed the seas of dissension and low morale, continuing in his life-long commitment to minister to the poor and the children, all the while rejecting the plush luxury of the Bishop’s mansion to be among his people and work with and for them. Though he was the Bishop, he conducted himself as a humble parish priest and, like a magnet, attracted all to him. He in turn turned that attention to Jesus and His Holy Mother Mary. Bishop Sarto’s devout and sincere care of his flock in Mantua and deep spirituality prompted Leo to consecrate Bishop Joseph the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice in 1893. Cardinal Sarto had to wait a year and a half before because of opposition from the Italian government who demanded the same privileges exercised by the Emperor of Austria. Despite the politics, he waited out the time in prayer and preparation. Many believe Leo, who had numerous visions and received Heavenly messages, knew in his heart and soul that Joseph would eventually succeed him as Pope. Ten years later this would become a reality.

   Cardinal Sarto made it a priority to focus as much attention as possible on the seminary for here was the seed bed of shepherds. He promoted the use of Gregorian Chant and published widely the idea of social works that had as its core the Social Kingship of Jesus Christ. In 1897 he hosted the International Eucharistic Congress and the blessing of the cornerstone of the new belfry for the great basilica of St. Mark’s on the Square in Venice. His Eminence was already leaving a deep impression on every soul as to his holiness and love for the Church and his flocks.

   On July 20, 1903 Leo passed on to his Heavenly reward and the College of Cardinals convened to elect a new Pope. For many it was their first time since Leo’s pontificate had lasted 25 years and he had created the majority of the new cardinals including Cardinal Sarto who was not selected on the first ballot. That honor went to Cardinal Rampolla but Austria vetoed his election for prior to this time it had been the privilege of certain Catholic nations to veto the election of a Pope. Rampolla’s loss was Sarto’s and the Church’s gain for the Conclave cast their ballots again and, guided by the Holy Ghost, the Conclave elected Giuseppe Cardinal Sarto to the highest office of Holy Mother Church two weeks later on August 4, 1903. He received 55 out of a possible 60 votes. Though many would relish this appointment, Joseph, in true humility, at first declined. He had been deeply saddened by the abuse of veto powers and vowed to rescind these powers and excommunicate anyone who leaked information during a Conclave. This he did shortly after becoming Pope.

    Before becoming the 257th in the line of Peter he went into solitude and, after deep prayer and the urging of his fellow cardinals, he realized it was the Will of God that this simple parish priest should lead Christ’s True Church at the dawn of the 20th Century. Thus, on August 9, 1903 at his Coronation in St. Peter’s Basilica, he chose the name “Pius” in honor of Pope Pius IX who had inspired his priestly life. Soon after being elevated to the Chair of Peter, Pius X set his agenda, announcing to the world as his ideal and motto: “to restore all things in Jesus Christ” – “instaurare omnia in Christo”

   The first goal in this agenda was to promote piety and make Christ more accessible to all in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. It was Pius X who decreed that the Host and Chalice must be elevated during the Consecration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and at the Doxology. He reminded the faithful of the necessity to receive Jesus often in fulfillment of the Pater Noster in which Christ said, “Give us this day our Daily Bread.” Pius felt it was necessary to readdress this issue of frequent reception of Holy Communion since many felt they were unworthy to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament that often and thus stayed away in droves except on various feast days and solemn Sundays. Quite a parallel to today when so many attend the Novus Ordo rite and everyone goes to Communion with little thought of their worthiness before God by approaching Him with a clean heart in the state of Grace. Pius also realized children were more easily being led astray because they were not able to receive the necessary graces or understand what Jesus was asking. Through a thorough knowledge of the sacraments and catechism Pius felt generation after generation would benefit from the reception of and handing down of the “Bread of Life.” Thus, Pius X decreed in Quam Singulari on August 15, 1910 that from this time on all children who had reached the age of reason would be allowed to receive Jesus in Holy Communion. Many times he addressed the passage in Matthew 19: 13, Mark 10: 14, and Luke 18: 16 in which Jesus emphasized, “Suffer the little children to come to Me, and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God.”

   Pius’ zeal for spreading the Doctrines Christ gave us were expanded to other areas of the hierarchy including the “codifying” of the laws which govern the Church. This, of course, was the Code of Canon Law which he reordered in 1904. He worked tirelessly to update Canon Law, personally codifying the regulations on marriage and the study and formation of the clergy. Pius called it “Arddum sane munus” which means it was one of his most difficult tasks. Other liturgical reforms he inaugurated were the Breviary, the Mass, Gregorian Chant and a more involved, active participation of the faithful in the liturgy and pastoral work of the Church. He published a special hymnal of traditional Church hymns in Latin that are still popular today. In addition, he emphasized the Catechism as a chief means of reaching all Catholics and began publication of the Acta Sanctae Sedis in 1904. This journal of the Holy See was established to present important pronouncements by the Holy Father.

   Because the Pope insisted on preaching every Sunday, this was completely filled in four years. Thus, in 1908 it was replaced by the AAS, Acta Apostolicae Sedis – Acts of the Apostolic See – which continues in this form today. Since Pius’ time it has served as the official publication for all decrees and decisions of the Roman Rota, quoting the unabridged version of laws and documents in the Church and is so recognized in Canon Law. Anything printed in this is promulgated and becomes effective in the Church within three months of its release. It has served as an invaluable guide and resource over the decades. Sadly, most of today’s bishops do not adhere to the AAS, most often choosing to ignore them, especially anything that preceded John XXIII, thus creating more confusion and disunity within the Church, especially here in America.

   In his overall efforts to bring all in line with Christ, Pius appointed the Benedictines the responsibility of translating and proposing a more readable text of the Latin Vulgate Bible while not losing or changing any of the true meaning of the words in Sacred Scripture, something that has been totally lost on ICEL in these times. When studying the life and work of this holy Pope we can see that his efforts set the stage for the liturgical renewal that should have been the fruits of Vatican II sixty years later. If only the liturgists would have followed his example and pronouncements, Gregorian Chant would still be very prevalent today as well as all of the other invaluable traditions – beginning with the Catholic and Apostolic Latin Mass of Sts. Peter and Paul that have been shelved in favor of something Pius X condemned.

    For while Pius X worked night and day for the Church he so loved, he was well aware of the enemies of the Church and did all in his power to thwart the evil one from penetrating the sanctuary. He first addressed this in a decree entitled Lamentabili Sane, then followed that up with his no-nonsense encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis on September 8, 1907 which dealt with the condemnation of the evils of modernism. One of the results of this encyclical was the requirement that all priests take the Oath Against Modernism, something that also has been lost on the vast, vast majority of priests and prelates from the lowest to the highest echelons today. Pius spoke out repeatedly against the insidious and subtle attacks of liberals to infiltrate the Church with modernistic theories that watered down the true teachings as well as Christ’s Own words. Pius warned of the dangers of those who offer the argument that the Church is out of touch and needs to modernize in order to relate with today’s culture and society. This holy Pontiff was warning the world of what would occur in less than half a century when one of his successors would, horror of horrors, pronounce and adopt aggiornamento which was exactly what Pius feared but could never have imagined would actually occur. It did.

   One would have thought, hoped and prayed that the Church he so loved would not have been pillaged as badly as it has. Pius adamantly and wisely refused to be persuaded to the false humanistic manifesto, reemphasizing over and over that if it was good enough for Jesus, it was good enough for His Church in the 20th Century. Strangely, John XXIII thought differently. One was Catholic (Pius), the other had abandoned Catholicism. He knew what Christ had set down would be attacked and he also knew that if he and his flock were loyal to Jesus, Christ’s words in Matthew 16: 18 would encourage them to remain faithful.

   Never one to compromise or capitulate when it came to Dogmas, Doctrines and the teachings of Christ and His Church, Pius X had more than a few run-ins with world powers Russia, the United States, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and of course, France. “Diplomacy be damned” was Pius’ watchword if any of these countries promoted liberalism in any way. He sought to cut this evil off at the roots. He had meticulously studied Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum and realized the Communist threat as well as the even more insidious Freemasonry agenda and the clever way they had both crept in. Therefore he sought to prevent any reoccurrence or allow it to infiltrate the Church by educating the faithful to the errors of modernism, communism and nationalism. For this he made more than a few enemies of the Church in countries we have mentioned above. Though he did not die a martyr, he felt like one as the world press attacked him from all angles, yet Pius X stayed the course and would not waver from his convictions and his total dedication to Christ’s holy cause. He cared not for what people thought, but what his Lord and Savior thought, unlike the popes of Vatican II who base their programs on pleasing man and incur the rebukes of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 1: 8-10.

   One of the major crisis of his eleven year pontificate was the issue of separation of Church and State. While this had been one of the cornerstones in the foundation of America (though greatly misunderstood then and even moreso today in accepting religious freedom that makes all other religions equal to the One, True Faith), in France it was quite another story. Throughout the recent centuries there had been much turmoil in the land of the Franks. Just as the French Revolution had by enthroning the goddess of reason in a blasphemous act in the 18th century, as recently as 1870 those who had come to power in France sought to return to those times by usurping most of the Church’s property and requiring Roman Catholic clergy to serve in the army. In addition, the leaders of the French republic had legalized divorce and Catholic children were forced to attend schools where no religious instructions were offered and their Catholicity was discouraged. Sadly it is still happening today in France where they are currently passing out the abortion pill R-UD2 and Muslims are taking over once-solid Catholic churches that have been abandoned because people no longer believe, evident by how they pray (lex orandi, lex credendi).

   Leo XIII, who was admired for his patience, had negotiated with the French leaders to keep the government from totally usurping all Catholic freedoms. However, in 1901 the French leaders went back on the agreements they had made with Leo and a full-blown attack against the Church broke out in France again. Thousands of churches, schools, seminaries and convents were confiscated by the State and then converted into public buildings. Many of the clergy and religious were ordered either out of the country or to work in France in secular style. It was a sad fulfillment of what Our Lady had foretold at Rue de Bac and more specifically at La Salette. Just as the Church flourished during the early persecutions, so also during this time of great verbal and mental persecution the Church grew in France for the people were drawn closer to their embattled parish priests or curates who continued to disburse the sacraments and tend to their flocks despite the threats and punishments imposed by the government. As a result of this combined with Our Lady’s appearances at Rue de Bac, La Salette, Lourdes, Pontmain, Pellevoisin and Bayeux all in France, the people were strengthened in their resolve to foster the faith. Out of this a deeper love for Holy Mother Church evolved among the faithful.

   Though these times were fruitful in perseverance, many had stayed away from the Church out of fear of reprisal by the French government. This pressure continued until 1904 when Pius decided enough is enough. He vehemently protested the French Republic’s treatment of the Church, refusing to agree to a concordat between France and the Church. He demanded a total separation of Church and State. With the French Republic’s coffers hurting and the people close to rebellion, remembering the French Revolution over a century before, they relented and agreed that the state would not fund anything in the Church. In his encyclical Notre charge apostolique of August 15, 1910 he ordered the Sillonists to place their organizations under the authority of the bishops. By agreeing to this the French government also agreed that the state would have no say in Church matters, thus freeing the bishops, clergy and all the faithful once again to focus freely on total allegiance to Rome. It was a victory for Pius and one the Mother of God had promised at numerous French apparition sites during the nineteenth century if the people were faithful and prayed. Through the Providence of God the French people were strengthened in grace while the French government were forced to avert their full attention to the mounting tension in Europe.

   On the world scene, Pius X knew in his heart that war was on the horizon. As Pope of the people of the world, he loved all. But all did not love each other as was evident from the growing distrust of multiple nations and the emergence of the bi-polar system of alignment powers. On one side was Great Britain, France and Russia as the Allied Powers; on the other Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria combined a solid eastern Europe bloc to become the Central Powers. Austria-Hungary was separated in land mass from Bulgaria by Romania on the east and Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia on the west. The latter had been administered by the Austro-Hungarian Empire since the time of the Hapsburgs, but in 1908 Bosnia was also annexed by the Triple Alliance, renaming the area Bosnia-Herzegovina. This annexation revived the fires of nationalism between Croat, Serb and Muslim. It was a mistake the Central Powers would eventually regret. Though the factions of Bosnia had always fought bitterly among themselves – just as they did in the last decade of the 20th century – they would have no part of outsiders. Kosovo illustrated this. This unity destroyed the unity of the Central Powers and in 1912 the unlikely alliance of Croat-Serb-Muslim formed the Balkan States in an effort to halt the influence of the Central Powers to the north and to expel the Turks from Macedonia to the south. After successfully fending off foreign influence, the Croats, Serbs and Muslims returned to internal feuding which inadvertently allowed the Serbs and Greeks to annex most of Macedonia and weakened their position of strength with the growing influence of the Central Powers.

   Pius X warned over and over, admonishing all to “come together for the love of Jesus, for Jesus and with Jesus Who is present in all men.” However, as we all know, his words went unheeded and on June 28, 1914 the Archduke Franz Ferdinand – nephew of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I, and the next in line to succeed the Austrian ruler – was assassinated by Bosnian terrorists in the city of Sarajevo. Ironic, isn’t it, that this city has been so strategic over the years in provoking war? As we also know, this murder provoked the outbreak of the First World War. Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina were once again annexed by Austria-Hungary and forced into alignment with the Central Powers against their will. The one bait Austria-Hungary held over them: that Serbia had been recruited by Russia to fight on the side of the Allied Powers. Even today the resentment between Serb and Croat knows no limits.

   Deeply saddened by the lack of love and disregard for human values throughout the world, Pius X died less than two months after the outbreak of World War I, many still believe of a broken heart. The month of August once more came into play, since eleven years after being elected and elevated, he was carried into St. Peter’s in a papal bier for on August 20, 1914 bells rang out in mourning around the world as millions paid their respect to this beloved 79 year-old Pontiff who had fulfilled the Beatitudes (cf. Matthew 5: 3-12) as well as the words of the Magnificat in Luke 1: 46-55. His last will and testament was read shortly after his death and his words succinctly epitomized St. Anthony’s influence as well as all that Pope Pius X believed and stood for: “I was born poor, I lived in poverty, I wish to die poor.” He truly exemplified all that Christ asked in the Beatitudes and His Vicar on earth. Pius was eulogized by the Sacred Conclave, by hundreds of thousands of mourners in St. Peter’s Square along with millions around the world. He was buried at the Vatican and it was not long after his death that the populace began clamoring for his canonization, but it wasn’t until 1951 that he was beatified by another Pius: Pope Pius XII The same Pius XII canonized Pius X on May 29, 1954 proclaiming his feast day as September 3rd.

   Like the French saint of his time, Saint Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes, who was born nine years after Pius X and who died 35 years before him, Saint Pius X’s body remains still incorrupt today. It is a fitting tribute to his sanctity and the fact that he was truly the “Rock” for the Church at the beginning of this century who fostered a deeper love, respect and yearning for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

   The final thought must be if Catholics are to emulate and obey this holy Pontiff whose incorruptible body verifies his sanctity, then every Catholic must reject what is being promoted today by the Vatican II church for it is contrary to the truths and traditions passed on to and from Pope Saint Pius X, a simple priest whose love knew no bounds and who, indeed, fulfilled his ideal “to restore all things in Christ.”

   For a detailed story of his life, we recommend the book Saint Pius X by Yves Chiron available from Angelus Press.  

Source –   http://www.dailycatholic.org/spioxbio.htm 

FYI: The only Catholic site I have come across that is not modernist. Pre-Vatican II Mass Propers (1945) only!! No, you will not find 1962 (John XXIII) modernist Mass Propers here.

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THE OATH AGAINST MODERNISM

Given by His Holiness St. Pius X September 1, 1910

To be sworn to by all clergy, pastors, confessors, preachers, religious superiors, and professors in philosophical-theological seminaries.

I firmly embrace and accept each and every definition that has been set forth and declared by the unerring teaching authority of the Church, especially those principal truths which are directly opposed to the errors of this day.

And first of all, I profess that God, the origin and end of all things, can be known with certainty by the natural light of reason from the created world (see Rom. 1:90), that is, from the visible works of creation, as a cause from its effects, and that, therefore, his existence can also be demonstrated:

Secondly, I accept and acknowledge the external proofs of revelation, that is, divine acts and especially miracles and prophecies as the surest signs of the divine origin of the Christian religion and I hold that these same proofs are well adapted to the understanding of all eras and all men, even of this time.

Thirdly, I believe with equally firm faith that the Church, the guardian and teacher of the revealed word, was personally instituted by the real and historical Christ when he lived among us, and that the Church was built upon Peter, the prince of the apostolic hierarchy, and his successors for the duration of time.

Fourthly, I sincerely hold that the doctrine of faith was handed down to us from the apostles through the orthodox Fathers in exactly the same meaning and always in the same purport. Therefore, I entirely reject the heretical misrepresentation that dogmas evolve and change from one meaning to another different from the one which the Church held previously. I also condemn every error according to which, in place of the divine deposit which has been given to the spouse of Christ to be carefully guarded by her, there is put a philosophical figment or product of a human conscience that has gradually been developed by human effort and will continue to develop indefinitely.

Fifthly, I hold with certainty and sincerely confess that faith is not a blind sentiment of religion welling up from the depths of the subconscious under the impulse of the heart and the motion of a will trained to morality; but faith is a genuine assent of the intellect to truth received by hearing from an external source. By this assent, because of the authority of the supremely truthful God, we believe to be true that which has been revealed and attested to by a personal God, our Creator and Lord.

Furthermore, with due reverence, I submit and adhere with my whole heart to the condemnations, declarations, and all the prescripts contained in the encyclical Pascendi and in the decree Lamentabili, especially those concerning what is known as the history of dogmas. I also reject the error of those who say that the faith held by the Church can contradict history, and that Catholic dogmas, in the sense in which they are now understood, are irreconcilable with a more realistic view of the origins of the Christian religion. I also condemn and reject the opinion of those who say that a well-educated Christian assumes a dual personality—that of a believer and at the same time of a historian, as if it were permissible for a historian to hold things that contradict the faith of the believer, or to establish premises which, provided there be no direct denial of dogmas, would lead to the conclusion that dogmas are either false or doubtful. Likewise, I reject that method of judging and interpreting Sacred Scripture which, departing from the tradition of the Church, the analogy of faith, and the norms of the Apostolic See, embraces the misrepresentations of the rationalists and with no prudence or restraint adopts textual criticism as the one and supreme norm.

Furthermore, I reject the opinion of those who hold that a professor lecturing or writing on a historico-theological subject should first put aside any preconceived opinion about the supernatural origin of Catholic tradition or about the divine promise of help to preserve all revealed truth forever; and that they should then interpret the writings of each of the Fathers solely by scientific principles, excluding all sacred authority, and with the same liberty of judgment that is common in the investigation of all ordinary historical documents.

Finally, I declare that I am completely opposed to the error of the modernists who hold that there is nothing divine in sacred tradition; or what is far worse, say that there is, but in a pantheistic sense, with the result that there would remain nothing but this plain simple fact—one to be put on a par with the ordinary facts of history—the fact, namely, that a group of men by their own labor, skill, and talent have continued through subsequent ages a school begun by Christ and his apostles. I firmly hold, then, and shall hold to my dying breath the belief of the Fathers in the charism of truth, which certainly is, was, and always will be in the succession of the episcopacy from the apostles. The purpose of this is, then, not that dogma may be tailored according to what seems better and more suited to the culture of each age; rather, that the absolute and immutable truth preached by the apostles from the beginning may never be believed to be different, may never be understood in any other way.

I promise that I shall keep all these articles faithfully, entirely, and sincerely, and guard them inviolate, in no way deviating from them in teaching or in any way in word or in writing. Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God. . .

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DIRE WARNINGS –  POPE ST. PIUS X

“Who can fail to see that society is at the present time, more than in any past age, suffering from a terrible and deep-rooted malady which, developing every day and eating into its inmost being, is dragging it to destruction? You understand, Venerable Brethren, what this disease is—apostasy from God… When all this is considered there is good reason to fear lest this great perversity may be as it were a foretaste, and perhaps the beginning of those evils which are reserved for the last days; and that there may be already in the world the ‘Son of Perdition’ [Antichrist] of whom the Apostle speaks.”

“The Church has no right whatsoever to touch the institution and form of the Sacraments.”

“They want them [the Modernists] to be treated with oil, soap, and caresses. But they should be beaten with fists. In a duel, you don’t count or measure the blows, you strike as you can. War is not made withcharity: it is a struggle, a duel. If Our Lord were not terrible, He would not have given an example in this too. See how he treated the Philistines, the sowers of error, the wolves in sheep’s clothing, the traders: He scourged them with whips!”

“The true friends of the people are neither the revolutionaries nor the innovators. They are the traditionalists.”

“Let us not set foot in the opposing camp, because we would thus be giving the enemy a proof of our weakness, which the enemy would try to interpret as a sign of weakness and complicity.”

“The greatest obstacle in the apostolate of the Church is the timidity, or rather the cowardice, of the faithful.”

“Attempting to reconcile our Faith with the modern mentality leads not only to weakening of that Faith, but to its total destruction.”

“In our time more than ever before, the greatest asset of the liars is the cowardice and weakness of good men, and all the vigor of Satan’s reign is due to the easy-going weakness of Catholics…. And this reproach can be leveled at the weak and timid Catholics of all countries.”

“Henceforth the enemy of the Church is no longer outside the Church; he is now within.” 

“One of the primary obligations assigned by Christ to the office committed to Us of feeding the Lord’s flock is that of guarding with the greatest vigilance the Deposit of Faith delivered to the Saints, rejecting the profane novelties of words, and the gainsaying of knowledge falsely so-called…. We may no longer keep silent [against the Modernists], lest we should seem to fail in our essential duty.”

“We admonish professors to bear well in mind that they cannot set aside St. Thomas, especially in metaphysical questions, without grave disadvantage.” 

“The partisans of errors are to be sought not only among the Church’s open enemies; but, what is to be most dreaded and deplored, in her very bosom, and are the more mischievous the less they keep in the open. We allude, Venerable Brethren, to many who belong to the Catholic laity, and what is much more sad, to the ranks of the priesthood itself, thoroughly imbued with the poisonous doctrines taught by the enemies of the Church.”
“Modernists vent all their bitterness and hatred on Catholics who zealously fight the battles of the church. There is no species of insult which they do not heap upon them, but their usual course is to charge them with ignorance or obstinacy. When an adversary rises up against them with an erudition and force that renders them redoubtable, they seek to make a conspiracy of silence around him to nullify the effects of his attack.” 

“For Catholics, nothing will remove the authority of the Second Council of Nicaea, where it condemns those who dare, after the impious fashion of heretics to deride ecclesiastical traditions, to invent novelties of some kind or to endeavor by malice or craft to overthrow any one of the legitimate traditions of the Catholic Church.” 

“In their [the Modernists'] books, one finds some things that might well be approved by a Catholic, but on turning over the page, one is confronted by other things that might well their have dictated by a Rationalist.”

“They lay the ax not to the branches and shoots, but to the very root, that is, to the faith and its deepest fibers. And once having struck at this root of immortality, they proceed to diffuse poison through the whole tree so that there is no part of the Catholic truth which they leave untouched, none that they do not strive to corrupt. Further, none is more skillful, none more astute than they, in the employment of a thousand noxious devices, for they play the double part of rationalist and Catholic, and this so craftily that they easily lead the unwary into error; and as audacity is their chief characteristic, there is no conclusion of any kind from which they shrink or which they do not thrust forward with pertinacity and assurance.” 

“It is well known that to the Church there belongs no right whatsoever to innovate anything touching on the substance of the sacrament.”

“The present wickedness of the world is only the beginning of the sorrows which must take place before the end of the world.”

Pope St. Pius X said: “All the strength of Satan’s reign is due to the easygoing weakness of Catholics.”

Pope St. Pius X ora pro nobis!