Blessed Pius X and religious education : a tribute


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BLESSED PIUS X
AND

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
A Tribute

MOST REVEREND MOSES E. KILEY, S. T. D.
Archbishop of Milwaukee



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BLESSED PIUS X
AND

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
A Tribute

MOST REVEREND MOSES E. KILEY, S. T. D.
Archbishop of Milwaukee

A Message to the Ninth National Congress of
THE CONFRATERNITY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE

Chicago, Illinois November 7-11, 1951



CCD-112

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BLESSED PIUS X AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Most Reverend Moses E. Kiley, S. T. D.

66TN THE midst of the Church she shall open his mouth, and
shall fill him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

and shall clothe him with a robe of glory.”
— Ecclesiasticus 15:5

These words of the author of the Book of Ecclesiasticus

find their fulfillment in the life and person of Pius X.

In the many important ecclesiastical positions he fulfilled,

Pius X revealed talents that are rare in themselves, and rarer
still in combination. To a broad background of experience he
added an essential sanity of outlook, a poise and balance of

mind, a delicacy and keenness of judgment which gave to his

every pronouncement distinction, character and weight. To a
depth of intellect, he added a deftness of touch which imparted

to his utterances a charm peculiarly their own.

It was his gift as a preacher that brought about his first

advancement. He was invited to preach a sermon on St.
Anthony of Padua in the Cathedral of Treviso, an occasion

which proved to be a revelation! As a result he became the

most sought-after preacher in that part of Italy.

What held and charmed in his eloquence was his wonder-
ful clarity of diction and demonstration, allied to a sweetness

and warmth that gushed forth as a flame of light. His soul

was rich in all those qualities so absolutely indispensable if

sermons are to bear fruit.

As the nineteenth century drew to a close, so also did the
great Leo XIII approach his end; his life had spanned most of
that century. He had imprinted upon his pontificate the length
of his days, the majesty of his knowledge, the might of his

diplomacy. Not long before his death, in the last audience he
gave to the Patriarch of Venice, whom he held in great
esteem — and whom, when Bishop of Mantua, he made a
cardinal, in order to show that esteem — he spoke mysterious
and prophetic words: "We feel that soon we must submit to
the call of God. It may be you that will succeed us.”

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A Pontiff whose reign had conquered the world and made
it bow before the majesty of the papacy, was now succeeded
by the humble and gentle Pope who, caring chiefly for the

inner flowering of the Church, was to be a real father and

shepherd of Christ’s flock. The needs of the clergy and the

people were such that no one could better fulfill than the

humble child of Riese, who had step by step ascended the
grades of the hierarchy, leaving everywhere behind him the

perfume of good and saintly works. He had been an assistant
pastor, pastor, spiritual director of a seminary, chancellor,

administrator of a diocese, Bishop of Mantua, and Patriarch

of Venice. This most apostolic of men was indeed to impress
upon the universal Church, by him reformed and conformed

to Christ, a mark that all future centuries will proclaim wise

and holy.

Having ascended the chair of Peter, from the humblest

duties of parish priest, Pius X dedicated himself to the cor-
rection of the evils of the times and the urgent need of souls.

With the ready intuition and sound practical sense with which

he was so singularly gifted, he began immediately to carry

out the apostolic program: "To restore all things in Christ.”
This was the indispensable condition for bringing peace to

his times, which are also our own.

The past half century, eleven years of which were filled

with his pontificate, has experienced, at tragic cost, the truth

that there is no other spiritual family and social program out-

side that which he offered to all humanity. The more this
invitation was neglected, the more human society fell into the
abyss of misery and dissolution; today the whole world trem-

bles at the thought of the unpredictable end toward which a

world without God is drifting. However, Pius X did not waste
time in futile recriminations; he at once set forth to plough the

field of God and sow it with the seeds of wise reform, which
in due season and with heaven’s blessing would give the de-

sired harvest.

He sowed his reforms in labor and tears, but so successful
was he that today we are able to gather the fruits of his work.

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If we pause to consider the shortness of time and the poverty

of the means at his disposal, and the many difficulties he had

to contend with, his accomplishments appear to border on the

miraculous. Those who opposed him were many; his close

collaborators were few and, moreover, they were often unjustly

accused of being the advisers of an old and weak sovereign,

when in reality they were the faithful executors of a man of
iron will, who took his orders from God alone. For this reason
history has already declared Pius X a great Pope and a true
spiritual benefactor of mankind.

He was pius both in name and spirit. He prayed and con-
versed with his Lord with the faith of Peter and the simple

trust of John. He told Jesus of his sorrows, laid before Him
his doubts and problems, asked for His Divine Light; all

his decisions, the most difficult and brave, were taken at the

foot of the crucifix, which he called his Counselor. He loved
Our Lady with a most tender devotion, born in his heart in

the days of his childhood at her sanctuary near his home. She

was to be the star of his sorrowful and glorious journey

through life, the heavenly inspirer of his actions, the im-

maculate flower that was to shed its perfume over him as priest,

Bishop, Pontiff. He strove with all his heart to represent Jesus
Christ worthily: first, to make Him live in himself and then
in the souls entrusted to his care.

His private life as Pontiff remained the same as through

all the other phases of his career, from seminary days till the

time when he ascended the Chair of Peter. He continued to
live as simply as possible, always reminding those about him

that he had been born poor, had lived poor and had no other

desire than to die in poverty.

His first act as Pontiff was to suppress forever the right
of veto, such as the Austro-Hungarian Cardinal presented at

the conclave in which he was elected. The Pope himself,
having made public by his Decree what took place in the
conclave of the cardinals, felt that the participants were no

longer held to the secret of the conclave in regard to this

episode.

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A certain Cardinal, who had sincere regard for Cardinal
Rampolla and who had been his faithful supporter, stated that
this imperial veto in no way affected the result of the ballot,
contrary to the common belief that without this veto the
Church would have had another Pope.

According to this Cardinal, himself a faithful friend of

the great Rampolla, after several ballots the latter had re-

ceived twenty-nine votes, the maximum number upon which
he could rely, while during the same ballots, Cardinal Sarto

had risen gradually from five to twenty-four votes.

Without doubt, Pius X is one of the most stirring figures in
the history of the Church and the world. Inspired by an

ardent faith ("Ignis ardens”*) which made him, as it were, a
perpetual miracle of energy and clear-sightedness and placed

him above ephemeral disturbances, he radiated goodness to

an extent that made him the veritable father of his flock; and
the measure of his love was love without measure. It is likely

that this smiling, overflowing goodness has deceived some

superficial observers, and made them think that the supreme
apostle, worthy successor of the first of the apostles, was

merely a good-natured country priest. Perhaps he was. There

is nothing surprising in the word if by it is meant that in his

inexhaustible charity he was like those obscure and saintly

consolers of the village, passing their lives in unstinted de-

votion to their little flock, dying poor and worn out, and leav-

ing upon those who mourn them the tangible impression of
holiness.

The force of charity and the power of sympathy that the

country priest lavishes in his little moral domain, Pius X
infinitely multiplied and spread throughout the earth. His

soul vibrated in response to the breath of suffering humanity.

He was without doubt one of the Popes who, in courage, in
robust goodness, and in sweep of soul most nearly approached

the Fisherman of Galilee. Every time we saw his pale, virile,

*''Ignzs ardens” ("Burning fire”) is the prophetic mystical title given by the
monk Malachy to Pius X, just as "Pastor angelicus” is, according to tradition,
the title given to Pius XIL In the twelfth century Malachy foretold the general
character of various Popes from his time to the end of the world.

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yet gentle face, his deep tender eyes, and his smile tempered

with pity, we were moved as before some being of a higher
order. By we, I mean His Eminence and the other Bishops

here present who were students in Rome during his pontificate.
A saint he indeed was in all the dynamic force of the word,
and with all the love toward men and sympathy with their
sorrow that it implies.

I leave it to you to picture the feelings of this great-hearted

father when the ominous shadows told him of the imminence

of a great war. It was at the end of July, 1914. Austria’s

ultimatum to Serbia, and Germany’s obvious support of her

ally, left no doubt as to the bellicose intentions of the Central

Powers. Pius X, apart from being well informed by his nuncios,

possessed too much intuition not to foresee what a calamity

was about to strike the world. Those who lived near him at
the time knew that he was moved to tears, and spent whole

hours praying for poor, menaced Europe. It was when asked

to bless the enterprise of the Central Powers that he indignantly

replied: "I bless peace, not war.”

Seeing that all efforts to arrest the march of events willed

by the two emperors were now in vain, he felt his already
tottering health weaken under the anxiety and pain of it all.

But a more poignant grief awaited him. Immediately after

the declaration of war, the seminarians of the belligerent

nations who were studying in Rome had to leave the city to
join the forces of their respective countries. These young men,

ready, in obedience to the law, to exchange the cassock for

a uniform, asked to kiss the Pope’s ring before setting out on

their adventure. The physicians, foreseeing that such an audi-

ence would be dangerous for the august invalid, attempted to

oppose it. But, Pius was not the man to shirk his mission,
even in the face of death. He decided to receive personally all
the ecclesiastics in Rome, secular and regular, who were to go
to the front. On the same day he saw in the morning those
of the one side, and in the evening those of the other. He
received them standing, outwardly calm; and, though he felt

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his heart sink and tears rise to his eyes, he fortified his audience

by his own courage. What a terrible symbol of war and what
an ordeal for an ardent and sympathetic soul like this sainted

Pope, to see these young disciples of the God of Love, con-
demned by fate to fight one against the other in order to
further the ambition of the Caesars!

As with anxious heart and far-seeing eyes he watched the

cruel scourge advance and spread, he kept repeating: "My
poor children! I would willingly give my life to prevent the
slaughter of all this youth. I suffer for all who die upon the
battlefields, for their souls, for their families ! Ah, this war. . . .

It appears like a fearful dream. ... I feel it will be my death."

His heart being unable to endure its anguish, he fell ill

and never recovered. With heavenly tranquillity he received
the last sacraments. He took farewell of his weeping sisters
with a look of pitying love. He clasped the hand of his most
dear and faithful Cardinal Merry del Val. His last words

were: "I offer up my life for that of my children." In the
early hours of the twentieth of August, 1914, his elect spirit

was reunited to God for all eternity. The dawn of that day
was a dawn of sorrow for the whole world, but a dawn of
glory in heaven.

In view of the active part Cardinal Merry del Val took in

the pontificate of Pius X, it may be of passing interest to note
that the first meeting between Cardinal Sarto and Monsignor

Merry del Val took place on the eve of the election. The

young secretary of the conclave approached him sympathetically

with the whispered words: "Si faccia coraggio, Eminenza!"

("Courage, your Eminence!") The sorrowful resignation of

the one and the compassionate attitude of the other immediate-

ly established a bond of reciprocal affection and esteem that

even death did not sever.

In their complete dedication to the tremendous responsibil-

ities that had been laid upon them, they were of one heart

and soul. The Pope’s deep esteem for his secretary was that

of a sovereign for a minister who promptly executes his orders
and even anticipates his thoughts and desires. The secretary

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returned the devotion with all the strength of his noble and

virtuous soul and loved his father and lord as one loves a saint.

From the eve of the election until the Pope’s death, Car-

dinal Merry del Val was ever steadfastly beside him in all

hours of joy and of sorrow, and immediately after his death

set in motion the process for his beatification.

The many works of Christian reform which Pius X ac-
complished — all proofs and memorials of his wonderful
sagacity — are well known to all. Suffice it to mention but one,
which is the paramount reason for our gathering here during

these days. He energetically encouraged the teaching of Chris-
tian Doctrine, because in his time and our time there is ever

and ever more need of food for the soul than for the body.

To implement the encyclical letters of Pius X, the late
Holy Father, Pius XI, of happy memory, instituted within the

Sacred Congregation of the Council a catechetical commission

to guide and promote the catechetical movement everywhere

in the Church.

The Bishops here present who were Ordinaries in 1925 will
recall that they received a questionnaire regarding the teaching

of catechism in their respective dioceses. When the replies of
the Ordinaries of the world to these questionnaires were re-

turned, the Sacred Congregation assigned them to various

consultors for study, evaluation and comment. Being a con-

suitor of the Sacred Congregation at the time, for this purpose,

I was given the replies from the Ordinaries of the United

States.

The study revealed that there was need of greater effort in

behalf of those receiving little or no instruction in our holy

religion. After a thorough study had been made of what was
being done in this field in the various dioceses, as set forth in

the replies to the questionnaires for the Sacred Congregation,

a summary was prepared with whatever comment the replies

seemed to warrant.

This study and the conferences entailed continued over a

period of years, during which the reports from the different

9



countries were again and again discussed and compared. The

obstacles which hindered the effective teaching of Christian

Doctrine were carefully considered, and an effort made to dis-
cover or devise a way to overcome these difficulties. In some

places the civil authorities arranged athletic programs on

Sundays and feast days which kept the children away from

Mass and catechism classes. Carelessness of parents who count
the religious education of their children of little or no worth,

immoral shows, obscene literature, mixed marriages, pagan

environment, and so forth, were the evils the Decree on the

subject of catechetical instruction aimed to remedy as far as

humanly possible.

This study and these conferences continued for ten years

from the date of Sending the questionnaires to the Ordinaries,

before the Sacred Congregation issued the Decree "On the
Better Care and Promotion of Catechetical Education." This

Decree, then, is the result of many years of comprehensive,
intensive study on this subject, which is so vitally important in

our day; and it is not a pronouncement issued without mature

deliberation.

As we reflect on the life and labors of Pius X we come to
realize what splendid historical poetry there is in the life of

this successor of Peter, one of the finest of them all, who died
of the immense grief caused by the greatest war ever provoked

in the world until that time — a war that was the result of
the ambition of the Caesars. We know today the fate of the
Caesars and empires which thirty-seven years ago covered two-

thirds of Europe; while this year the Church has placed upon

her altars the name and image of a great Pope, like unto those

of the early centuries, whose prevision of his people’s mis-

fortune killed him.

Of another great man a writer of verse has given us these
few lines, which are far more true of Pius X:

Great men grow greater. Lesser men decline;
More feebly still their little glories shine,

While all the greater grows the lambent flame

That shows from death’s dark vault the great one’s name.

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