Pope St Pius X, Good pope bad pope.

Everybody who dies in the faith of Christ is accepted into the presence of Christ in heaven. Virtually since it’s inception the church has named dead individuals as people who have gone to glory.  Examples of grace, love, piety and holiness good examples who we should follow and to whom offer up prayers of supplication, asking them to intercede on our behalves. I have often felt that canonising a pope, a bit wrong, unnecessary. Until recently I have not seen what good a pope can do.  I am so impressed with Pope Francis, it has changed my mind and now I look at the individuals rather than the incumbent of an office. Clearly some popes will appear more saintly than others. I have been horrified by Pope Innocent III, who was far from innocent and can be named alongside Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, Papa Doc and Hitler. St Pius X (1835 - 1914) was death and entry into glory is celebrated today was truly a saintly individual and a pope. He was born in the village of Riese, near Venice, one of ten children of a very poor family. He was ordained to the priesthood at the age of 23. He was successively bishop of Mantua and of Venice, and was elected Pope, against his wishes, in 1903. In his time as Pope, he sought to “restore all things in Christ.” He insisted on the separation of Church and State, and banned the formation of political associations that claimed exclusive religious sanction for their political programme, whether of the Left or of the Right. He revised the code of Canon Law, founded an institute for scriptural studies, and initiated the revision of the Latin translation of the Bible (the Vulgate) and the reform of the liturgy. He lived in great poverty even when he was Pope, and preached sermons every Sunday in the courtyards of the Vatican, to any who would listen. In his simplicity and goodness of heart, he performed miracles even when he was alive, and the clamour for his canonization started immediately after his death, on 20th August 1914, broken-hearted at the outbreak of the First World War. I pray that I can be more like Pius.  If we all were more like him we would change society and draw the world to Christ.