Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-08-27
LIFE OF LATE
POPE A LONG
AND BUSY ONE
His Career in the Church
Marked by Succession
Of Honors.
WAS OF HUMBLE ORIGIN
Received Priests Orders in
1858, Year That Was a
Memorable One for
Italy.

Pope Plus x. was a native OF the
little village of REESE, in the Venetian
province OF Treviso, which, in 1903,
gave to the church a pontiff in Mic
cola Boccasini, who assumed the
triple crown under the name OF Bene-
dict XII.
Born June 2, 1885, to a poor and
humble family OF the name of Sarto,
Plus X. was christened Giuseppe (Jo-
seph) and known throughout his life
by the dialect equivalent of Giuseppe
SBeppo." !
The early life of Pope Plus was
filled with activity. The district OF
Treviso is n Of poverty, only those
who have seen 1t realizing the strug-
gle for existence that ever prevails.
Little Giuseppe Sarto was one Of a
family Of ten, to feed whose hungry
mouths the father could not earn any
thing approaching a living wage"
This fact suggests what sacrifices the
household had to endure to ensure, the
boy the means of education, finally Sc
cured him through the kindness OF a
parish priest.
From an early age Giuseppe, bred
to sturdy outdoor life, displayed a
bent for the priesthood-a bent that
for the most part is religiously re-
spected by Italians of the lower class.
The educational of his birth
place yer soon exhausted, and the
lads studious leadings demanded a
wider field for their development. He
was sent to a college at Castel-Fran-
70, and from there was transferred to
the Central Seminary at Padua, a
world-renowned seat of Italian learn
ing.
Promotions Earned by Merit.
On September IS, 1858, the young
s%eminarist received his priests orders
In the cathedral of CastelFTanco.
That year was a memorable one for
Italy. The question of Italian liberia
lfion had been forced to the front by
the attempt of Orsini to assassinate
Napoleon III. The diplomats Of ma
tions assembled, but the young priest
was not concerned in the movement.
He turned his back on the world, and
hook up his duties as curate in the viii
&age of Tombolo.
He was promoted to be parish
priest Of Salzano in 1867, only a year
after the cession of Venezia (Venice)
to Italy, so that the future pope lived,
for the first thirty.two years OF his
life. under the Austrian regime in his
native province.
The able discharge of his office rec
commended the pastor of Salzano to
the notice of Monsignor Zinelli, at
that time the bishop of the diocese,
who nominated him to a canonry In
the cathedral of Treviso. This promo
tion was supplemented by bestowal of
the deanery on Father Sarto and his
appointment as episcopal chancellor.
TO him also was confided the delicate
and important charge of spiritual d.
rector to the Seminary of Treviso, in
which college he was likewise given a
professors chair and an examinership.
Nor did his activities end here, for he
was chosen as a Judge in the capitular
ecclesiastical court, and finally was
appointed vicar general OF the do
cese.
Became Famous as Preacher.
Meantime. the recipient of all these
dignities was winning a great reputa-
tion as a preacher. His sermons, al
though delivered extempore, were dis
tinguished for both learning and elo-
nuence. Yet 1t Is probable that the
example Of his ~self-denying and holy
life preached the most eloquent SER
mon of all. During the interregnum
that supervened on the death OF Mons.
Zinelli, it fell to the vicar1general to
administer the diocese, and this he did
with such notable skill that he was
nominated coadjutor to the new bish-
pp of Treviso.
After such an apprenticeship 1t was
not surprising that when the impor-
tant see Of Mantua became vacant, in
1884, Leo XIII. chose Giuseppe Sarto
to fill the place. 1t was nc easy task
to which he had been called, for his
predecessor had allowed discipline to
become slack. His persuasive powers
and administrative gifts were tested
TO the utmost, but he was fully equal
to the ~ungrateful task.
Severe in personal taste, Bishop
sarto showed himself Jealous in main
tanning the gorgeous ritual traditions
of his church, and in 1885 the 9OOtf
centenary of st. Anselm was cele