G
Genesis315
Guest
I figured this might be a way for us to learn a little about some great popes that most of us are not too familiar with. This doesn’t have to be about your favorite pope, it can also be one that you might know a lot about or who is just really interesting. Ok, I’ll go first:
One of my favorite pre-twentieth century Pope would be Blessed Pius IX. He had a 32 year pontificate (1846-78), the longest of all time other than St. Peter. I figure God must have thought he was doing something right.
Pius IX defined the Immaculate Conception and called the first Vatican Council which defined papal infallibility.
He also consecrated the Catholic world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Likewise, he commissioned the Red Scapular (which I am anxiously awaiting in the mail!).
And of course, he issued the famous encyclical Quanta Cura which was accompanied by the even more famous Syllabus of Errors of which the Catholic Encyclopedia had this to say: “it has done an inestimable service to the Church and to society at large by unmasking the false liberalism which had begun to insinuate its subtle poison into the very marrow of Catholicism.”
Strangely enough, the “Scourge of Liberalism” was actually considered to be the liberal candidate when he was elected and he even had some liberal-friendly policies at the beginning. When the liberals kept trying to get more and more compromise he saw the error of his ways and became the guy most of us think of when we hear his name. He also had to flee the Vatican to escape violent revolts in Italy, something that seems unimaginable today (although, who knows).
How about you guys?
One of my favorite pre-twentieth century Pope would be Blessed Pius IX. He had a 32 year pontificate (1846-78), the longest of all time other than St. Peter. I figure God must have thought he was doing something right.
Pius IX defined the Immaculate Conception and called the first Vatican Council which defined papal infallibility.
He also consecrated the Catholic world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Likewise, he commissioned the Red Scapular (which I am anxiously awaiting in the mail!).
And of course, he issued the famous encyclical Quanta Cura which was accompanied by the even more famous Syllabus of Errors of which the Catholic Encyclopedia had this to say: “it has done an inestimable service to the Church and to society at large by unmasking the false liberalism which had begun to insinuate its subtle poison into the very marrow of Catholicism.”
Strangely enough, the “Scourge of Liberalism” was actually considered to be the liberal candidate when he was elected and he even had some liberal-friendly policies at the beginning. When the liberals kept trying to get more and more compromise he saw the error of his ways and became the guy most of us think of when we hear his name. He also had to flee the Vatican to escape violent revolts in Italy, something that seems unimaginable today (although, who knows).
How about you guys?
How about the other “the Greats”? How about some quirky popes?
