He was also the Pope who established First Holy Communion at age 7 (rather than 12 to 14), who destroyed the last vestiges of Jansenism by advocating frequent and even daily Communion, who reformed liturgical music by bringing back Gregorian Chant, who revised the Breviary, who promoted preaching in a simple and direct manner, who fought against the improper interpretation of the separation of Church and State, who promoted the reading of Sacred Scripture, who initiated the then New Code of Canon Law, who vigorously fostered the spread of the Faith in mission lands, and finally, who challenged the Catholic World "to restore all things in
Christ." The people who knew Pius X during his lifetime believed he was a saint; included in this book are a number of stories of his more famous miracles, especially those he performed while he was Pope. Though he died
on died Aug. 20, 1914, after a pontificate of just 11 years, St. Pius X was already canonized
on May 29, 1954, only 40 years later, and he is today recognized as one of the greatest Popes of all time.
His will read: "I was born poor; I lived poor; I
wish to die poor."
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