(1792-1878) Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti was the ninth child of Italian noble parents and suffered from epilepsy as a boy. Giovanni became a priest in Rome, the Archbishop of Spoleto, Italy, and was elected the 255th pope at 54 years old. He held the second-longest papacy at the time (Saint Peter being the longest), serving over 31 years. Pope Pius IX was known as a reforming pope, defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, and held the First Vatican Council, which clarified and formally defined the dogma of papal infallibility.
Pope Pius IX had a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother and knew that understanding her role clearly really does matter. He once said, “Give me an army that prays the Rosary, and I will conquer the world.” The saints are not gods or magicians. Rather, their great strength lies in being united to Christ. The Blessed Virgin shows this strength at its greatest. What role does the intercession of the saints, and in particular Saint Mary, play in your recovery?
“Nothing can ever pass away from the words of Christ, nor can anything be changed in the doctrine which the Catholic Church received from Christ to guard, protect, and preach” (Pope Blessed Pius IX).
Reflection by Brad Farmer