Pius

pi'us, the name of ten popes. PIUS IX lived 1792-1878. He succeeded Gregory XVI in 1846. At this date the pope ruled a limited territory in Italy. His first measure was the liberation of 2,000 political prisoners, a step hailed by liberal people everywhere with joy. He was a man of progressive spirit, but later came under the influence of conservative cardinals who prevented him from carrying out his original ideas. He lost favor with the Roman patriots. His territory was held for him by French troops. In 1870, when these were withdrawn, Victor Emmanuel took possession of Rome. Pius retired to the Vatican, never going outside of his gardens, declaring that he was a prisoner in his own house.

The most important ecclesiastical event of his pontificate was the enunciation of the doctrine of infallibility. This famous doctrine was promulgated by a general council held at the Vatican in 1870. The following quotation gives the gist of the doctrine:

The church can neither deceive nor be deceived in matters of faith and morals. . . . The Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex-cathedra, that is to say, when, in the exercise of his office of pastor and teacher of all Christians, he, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, defines that a doctrine on faith and morals is to be held by the whole church, by the assistance of God promised to him in the person of blessed Peter, has that infallibility with which it was the will of our Divine Redeemer that His church should be furnished in defining a doctrine on faith or morals, and that therefore these definitions of the Roman Pontiff, of themselves and not through the consent of the church, are irreformable.

The promulgation of this doctrine offended a small percentage of what are known as Old Catholics, chiefly in France and Germany. They form a small sect holding to the doctrines of the church in general, but opposed to the doctrine of infallibility. Pius served thirty-two years--longer than any other pope.