Prev | Current Page 250 | Next

Brummitt, Dan B.

"The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 17"

That a pope who signalized the beginning of his official career
by a series of liberal reforms should soon have been driven from his see
by revolutionists is one of the historical paradoxes for which even the
"philosophy of history" finds it difficult to account. But, as one
writer tells us, "The revolutionary fever of 1848 spread too fast for a
reforming pope, and his refusal to make war upon the Austrians finally
cost him the affections of the Romans."
Pope Pius IX (Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti) who at the age of
fifty-four brought the power of his papal throne to advance the cause of
Young Italy--led by Mazzini and other patriots--was born at Sinigaglia
May 13, 1792. He was descended from a noble family, and his early
education was received at the College of Volterra. Throughout the years
of his youth he suffered from infirm health, but before reaching thirty
he gained much in strength, and in 1827 became Archbishop of Spoleto. In
1840 he was made cardinal by Pope Gregory XVI.


Pages:
238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262