'Pope Pius the Tenth' Summary

Pope Pius X was born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto on June 2, 1835, in Riese, Italy. He was ordained a priest in 1858 and served as a parish priest for many years before being appointed Bishop of Mantua in 1884. In 1893, he was made a cardinal and in 1903, he was elected Pope. As Pope, Pius X embarked on a series of reforms aimed at revitalizing the Catholic Church. He published the first Code of Canon Law, which collected the laws of the Church into one volume for the first time. He also promoted traditional devotional practices and orthodox theology, and he encouraged personal holiness and piety. Pius X died on August 20, 1914, and was canonized in 1954.