St. Pius V
One
The church is torn and suffering. Two competing visions of the Church with rival agendas want to see the Church changed. Central Europe, led by Germany, seeks to safeguard their power and further their idea of what the Church should look like. The corrupt Vatican is in no position to say otherwise, and Christians in the Middle East are under constant threat of war and persecution. To make matters worse, no one seems to know the Church’s true teaching, and so orthodox Catholics are left in the lurch. No, I’m not talking about the Catholic Church of our day, I’m talking about the Catholic Church of the 16th Century. Out of a time of such confusion and darkness, the Holy Spirit brought about a great light. A dying Church in need or reform was given the one and only remedy: A Saint—Pope St. Pius V. The saintly Pope knew that the moral problems of his time could only be solved in three ways: First, increasing Marian devotion, second spreading by example abounding generosity with time and money, third a willingness to learn the truth of the Catholic teachings and talk about it with others. If the problems in the 16th century are the same as now, the solution is also the same. Which sounds hardest? Spreading Marian devotion to others? Or leading others by example in generous dedication of time and money? Or is it being unafraid of diving into the lives of others and sharing the truth of the Gospel? Chances are, and I know this is true for myself, the one that sounds hardest is the one I need to work on.
Two
We have recounted many times in history when the Blessed Virgin Mary intervened to avert crisis. Pope Pius was the catalyst for one in particular: The miracle of Lepanto. In 1571, a fleet of 300 Turkish ships was massed in the Gulf of Lepanto, off the coast of Greece, poised to invade Europe and bring tyranny and slavery, demolishing Christian churches, and putting the clergy to death.
Pope St. Pius V recognized this danger and begged the leaders of the West to stop their political struggles and unite against the force that threatened them all. He asked all Christians to pray the Rosary daily for protection. In 1571 Don Juan of Austria gathered together a fleet, neither better trained nor larger than the Ottoman fleet.
The Christian and Muslim fleets entered into Battle south of the town of Lepanto on Oct. 7. The battle raged most of the day. At the beginning of the battle, the Muslim fleet, led by Ali Pasha, was arranged in the formation of a massive crescent moon; the symbol of the Turkish empire. The Christian fleet was arranged in the shape of a cross. Any Admiral would wince at this, as a cross is a very inefficient military formation. But the Christians did not trust in efficiency, they Trusted in Our Lady.
During a meeting in the Vatican the pope suddenly rose up and gazed out the window, saying “This is not a moment for business; make haste to thank God, because our fleet this moment has won a victory over the Turks.” There is no human way he could have known this.
Pope St. Pius V gave credit to the Virgin Mary, declaring October 7th the Feast of Our Lady of Victory. To further honor her, the Pope also standardized both the Hail Mary prayer in the Roman Breviary, and the rosary as we know it. See how the love of Our Lady carries lasting influence?
Three
Pius reformed the Church through living and preaching detachment. The Scriptures tell us, “love of money is the root of all evil.” (1 Tim 6:10). Money and material goods are not evil in and of themselves; we need them to survive. Love of money and stuff, however, does lead to evil. This was as true in Pius’s day is it is in ours. Jesus denounces the religious leaders of His day for their insatiable greed, “Woe to you blind guides, who say ‘if anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold in the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple which has made the gold sacred?” (Mt 23:16, 17). All Christians, not just religious leaders, must therefore take care not to allow money to invade the place in our hearts meant for God and others. There is only one way to do this: witness generosity and penance. This is how the saints all lived, especially St. Pius V. He demanded self-denial from his priests, and lead by example, and he reformed several religious communities by offering their surplus wealth to persecuted Christians and missionaries spread throughout the world. We must ask ourselves this question, “How often is my spiritual or moral life distracted or derailed by thoughts of money or quests of material gain?” St. Pius V, intercede for us that our hearts may become detached from love of wealth.
Four
Jesus relays to us the absolute importance of knowing the truth. He says to his disciples, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (Jn 8: 32). Knowledge of His truth brings freedom and secures our status as children of God. Ignorance of His truth, then, causes enslavement and danger as we can lose our status as His followers. This happens because false beliefs corrode our ability to know the right path of salvation. St. Pius V fought hard against the errors of Luther and Calvin. He worked to unite Christendom, and to educate the faithful on right belief. He confirmed the truths of the Holy Sacraments and the Apostolic faith so that the light of truth would shine once again from Rome. But Truth alone is not enough, we must witness to the truth. How? By fearless and thorough examination of whether or not our lives reflect God to others.
Five
If these meditations have stung or stirred you, good. It means you are open and listening to the Spirit. My life was forever changed by the witness of a woman, who was not afraid to talk to me about her love of Jesus and Mary, the rosary, and her experiences on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. It has taken me much time, and my wife will tell, you I have far to go. But am trying to be a part of the eternal solution to the problems of the Church. If you want to become a part of the solution to problems of the world, follow the advice of Pope St Pius V, the Advice the Movement is built on. Grow in your devotion to Mary and introduce her to others. Be generous with your gifts and invite others to enjoy them with you. And do not be cowed into submission by the world. Be a courageous friend to others and bring the Truth of the gospel in love. Let us close with the Collect for his feast, which reflects Pope St. Pius V’s reforming efforts during his brief pontificate: O God, who in your providence raised up Pope Saint Pius the Fifth in your Church that the faith might be safeguarded, and more fitting worship be offered to you, grant, through his intercession, that we may participate in your mysteries with lively faith and fruitful charity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.