• 7 min read

Fr. Scott Haynes

When the bark of Peter appeared most threatened by the swelling tide of the Reformation, internal corruption, and geopolitical instability, Divine Providence raised up a Dominican friar—ascetically dressed in white, burning with zeal for the purity of the Church, and devoted to prayer and truth. His name was Antonio Ghislieri, and the world would come to know him as Pope St. Pius V (1504–1572), canonized in 1712 by Clement XI and remembered liturgically each year on May 5.

His pontificate (1566–1572) was brief by historical standards, but his legacy remains towering. From implementing the Council of Trent’s decrees to codifying the Roman Missal and Breviary, and from unifying the Church’s pastoral response to the Reformation to interceding for Christendom in the Battle of Lepanto, Pius V’s pontificate was one of action, prayer, and reform. He was not only a theologian and a disciplinarian; he was a father to a wounded Church—one who, like Christ, gave himself for her purification and triumph.

The Friar-Pope

Born on January 17, 1504, near Alessandria in northern Italy, Antonio Ghislieri entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) at age fifteen, receiving the religious name Michael. As a friar, he was known for his austere life, profound learning, and unflinching love for the truth. He taught theology, served as prior, and was later appointed Inquisitor in several Italian regions. Though feared by heretics, he was respected even by opponents for his integrity.

He was made a cardinal in 1557 by Pope Paul IV and became Grand Inquisitor—a post he wielded with justice and severity, particularly in rooting out moral and doctrinal laxity. Upon the death of Pope Pius IV in 1565, Ghislieri was elected pope and took the name Pius V, choosing to follow in the reforming footsteps of Pope St. Pius I, a second-century martyr.

Champion of Tridentine Reform

At the time of Pius V’s election, the Church was still reeling from the theological, liturgical, and institutional upheaval unleashed by Martin Luther and other reformers. In response, the Council of Trent (1545–1563) had offered a bold and authoritative reaffirmation of Catholic doctrine and discipline. But now came the harder part—implementation. It fell to Pope Pius V to turn Tridentine doctrine into lived Catholicism.

1. Reforming the Clergy

One of his foremost tasks was to implement the Council’s insistence on episcopal and clerical reform. He mandated that bishops reside in their dioceses, uphold strict moral standards, and regularly visit parishes. He encouraged seminaries as required by Trent and personally wrote to bishops and religious superiors, holding them accountable for the souls in their care.

Under his leadership, the Roman Curia was purged of lax and corrupt figures, and new appointments were made based on orthodoxy and holiness. Pius V lived simply himself, continuing to wear his Dominican habit and rejecting opulence. His household became a model of charity and austerity.

2. The Catechism and Liturgy

Pius V firmly believed that liturgy and catechesis were twin pillars for Catholic renewal. In 1566, he oversaw the publication of the Roman Catechism, also known as the Catechism of the Council of Trent. Aimed at parish priests, this catechism offered a clear and systematic presentation of Catholic doctrine and served as a reference for nearly four centuries.

But his most enduring liturgical legacy was the standardization of the Roman Rite.

The Roman Missal (1570)

In accordance with Trent's decree that the liturgy be purified and unified, Pius V promulgated the Missale Romanum in 1570. This Tridentine Mass, as it would come to be called, drew from centuries-old Roman usage and eliminated regional accretions that obscured its clarity and dignity.

He declared that this form of the Mass was to be used universally in the Latin Church unless a rite of at least 200 years’ antiquity was in place (e.g., the Ambrosian or Mozarabic Rites). For four centuries, the Roman Missal of Pius V remained the standard expression of the Latin liturgical tradition.

He also revised and promulgated the Breviary, ensuring that the Divine Office was prayed uniformly and devoutly by clergy and religious around the world.

In doing so, Pius V preserved the Church’s liturgical unity, rooted in tradition and theological clarity. This act was not simply administrative—it was pastoral and theological: he recognized that the Mass forms the heart of the Church's life and the source of grace for the faithful.

As Pope Benedict XVI later reflected in Summorum Pontificum (2007), the Missal of Pius V was “venerated for centuries… and formed countless saints.”

Defender of the True Faith

Pius V was not content merely to reform the Church internally; he also saw it as his duty to defend the Church from external and internal heresies. Though sometimes criticized for his severity, he saw no distinction between doctrinal fidelity and charity for souls.

He excommunicated Elizabeth I of England in 1570 for her persecution of Catholics and her claim to supreme spiritual authority. His papal bull Regnans in Excelsis stated plainly:

“She has seized the kingdom and boldly arrogated to herself supreme authority in both spiritual and temporal matters, while oppressing the faithful.”

This act further endangered English Catholics but also strengthened their witness, leading to generations of martyrs and confessors.

Moreover, Pius V vigorously upheld the doctrine of transubstantiation, the authority of tradition, and the primacy of the Pope, at a time when many Church doctrines were under attack. He supported St. Charles Borromeo, St. Peter Canisius, and the Jesuits, who led the counter-offensive in education and missionary work.

He also championed the cause of saints who embodied reform, such as St. Teresa of Ávila, encouraging her Carmelite renewal.

The Battle of Lepanto: Victory Through the Rosary

Among Pius V’s most dramatic and celebrated actions was his role in uniting the Christian powers of Europe against the advancing threat of the Ottoman Empire. By 1571, the Turks had conquered much of the eastern Mediterranean and posed a direct threat to Christian lands.

Pius V understood that Europe could not afford to remain divided. With patient diplomacy and prayer, he forged the Holy League, an alliance of Spain, Venice, and the Papal States under the command of Don John of Austria.

As the Christian fleet prepared to engage the vastly superior Ottoman navy at Lepanto on October 7, 1571, Pius V called upon all of Christendom to pray the Rosary. He ordered public processions, rosaries, and Masses in Rome and throughout Catholic lands.

Miraculously, the outnumbered Christian forces achieved a decisive victory. It was more than a military success—it was a spiritual triumph.

Pius V credited the victory to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in thanksgiving, he instituted the Feast of Our Lady of Victory, later renamed the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. This feast remains a testament to the pope's Marian devotion and the power of communal prayer.

As the Christian fleet prevailed, the pope, in Rome hundreds of miles away, reportedly looked up during a meeting and announced:

“Let us set aside business; our great task at this moment is to give thanks to God. The Christian fleet is victorious!”

A Model of Holy Leadership

Pius V was not simply a reformer, diplomat, or liturgist. At his heart, he was a pastor of souls. He began each day with long hours of prayer, celebrated Mass with tears, and lived simply even as pope. He visited the sick, fed the poor, and often walked barefoot in processions. He lived austerely, fasted regularly, and continued the penances he had practiced as a friar.

He loved the poor and the Church with the heart of a true shepherd.

In his encyclical Quo Primum (1570), he revealed his intent behind his liturgical reforms:

“We have judged that it be our duty to entrust this work to learned men... so that the Holy Church of God may sing to God with one voice.”

His death on May 1, 1572, was marked by peace and sanctity. Those near his bedside testified to his final acts of devotion, humility, and prayer. He was canonized on May 22, 1712, and his feast is celebrated on May 5.

His Enduring Legacy

Pope St. Pius V's contributions are numerous and continue to shape the Church today:

• Liturgical Unity: The Tridentine Mass remains a powerful expression of Catholic identity, and many Catholics today continue to draw spiritual richness from it.

• Doctrinal Fidelity: His defense of Catholic doctrine provided the stability the Church needed in a time of crisis.

• Pastoral Reform: His reforms helped rebuild trust in the hierarchy and priesthood.

• Prayer and Action: He modeled that the Church is most powerful when it wields both sword and sanctuary, action and adoration.

In our age, when confusion again seems to cloud doctrine, liturgy, and mission, the life of Pius V shines with renewed relevance. His legacy is not mere nostalgia—it is a call to fidelity, clarity, and holiness.

Pope Benedict XVI, writing in 2007, paid tribute to the liturgical clarity begun by Pius V:

“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too.”

Conclusion: A Saint for Our Times

As we commemorate Pope St. Pius V on May 5, let us thank God for raising up this Dominican pontiff who reformed the Church, guarded her liturgy, and led the faithful in triumph through one of the most dangerous chapters in her history.

In a world increasingly fragmented and hostile to eternal truths, may we invoke his intercession for holy leadership, doctrinal integrity, and renewed reverence for the Sacred Liturgy.

May the Church never forget the lesson of Pope St. Pius V: that in every crisis, our response must begin with prayer, reform, and fidelity to what is sacred.

“O God, who in thy providence didst raise up Pope Saint Pius V to defend the faith and to renew all things in Christ, grant, through his intercession, that we may be ever faithful to thy truth.” (Collect, Feast of St. Pius V)

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mysticaltheologyofthemass.com

Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

16. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord: neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

17. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

18. I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.

19. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.

20. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. lxxi. 2) He continues to urge them to wash one another’s feet; Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord, neither He that is sent greater than He that sent Him; as if to say, If I do it, much more ought you.

THEOPHYLACT. This was a necessary admonition to the Apostles, some of whom were about to rise higher, others to lower degrees of eminence. That none might exult over another, He changes the hearts of all.

BEDE. To know what is good, and not to do it, tendeth not to happiness, but to condemnation; as James saith, To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin (James 4:17). Wherefore He adds, If ye know these things, happy are ye if yo do them.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. Lxxi. 2) For all know, but all do not do. He then rebukes the traitor, not openly, but covertly: I speak not of you all.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. lix. 1) As if to say, There is one among you who will not be blessed, nor doeth these things. I know whom I have chosen. Whom, but those who shall be happy by doing His commandments? Judas therefore was not chosen. But if so, why does He say in another place, Have not I chosen you twelve? Because Judas was chosen for that for which he was necessary, but not for that happiness of which He says, Happy are ye, if ye do them.

ORIGEN. (t. xxxii. 8.) Or thus: I speak not of you all, does not refer to, Happy are ye if ye do them. For of Judas, or any other person, it may be said, Happy is he if he do them. The words refer to the sentence above, The servant is not greater than his lord, neither He that is sent greater than He that sent Him. For Judas, being a servant of sin, was not a servant of the Divine Word; nor an Apostle, when the devil had entered into him. Our Lord knew those who were His, and did not know who were not His, and therefore says, not, I know all present, but, I know whom I have chosen, i. e. I know My Elect.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. lxxi. 1) Then, that He might not sadden them all, He adds, But that the Scripture must be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with Me, hath lifted up his heel against Me: shewing that He knew who the traitor was, an intimation that would surely have checked him, if any thing would. He does not say, shall betray Me, but, shall lift up his heel against Me, alluding to his deceit and secret plotting.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. lix. 1) Shall lift up his heel against Me, i. e. shall tread upon Me. The traitor Judas is meant.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. lxxi. 2) He that eateth bread with Me; i. e. who was fed by Me, who partook of My table. So that if injured ever by our servants or inferiors, we need not be offended. Judas had received infinite benefits, and yet thus requited his Benefactor.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. lix. 1) They then who were chosen ate the Lord; he ate the bread of the Lord, to injure the Lord; they ate life, he damnation; for he that eateth unworthily, eateth damnation to himself. (1 Cor. 11:27)

Now I tell you before it come, that when it is come, ye may believe that I am He, i. e. of whom that Scripture foretold.

ORIGEN. (t. xxxii. 9.) That ye may believe, is not said, as if the Apostles did not believe already, but is equivalent to saying, Do as ye believe, and persevere in your belief, seeking for no occasion of falling away. For besides the evidences the disciples had already seen, they had now that of the fulfilment of prophecy.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. Lxxii. 3) As the disciples were about to go forth and to suffer many things, He consoles them by promising His own assistance and that of others; His own, when He says, Happy are ye if ye do them; that of others, in what follows, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth Me; and he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me.

ORIGEN. (t. xxxii. 10.) For he that receiveth him whom Jesus sends, receiveth Jesus who is represented by him; and he that receiveth Jesus, receiveth the Father. Therefore he that receiveth whom Jesus sends, receiveth the Father that sent. The words may have this meaning too: He that receiveth whom I send, had attained unto receiving Me: he who receiveth Me not by means of any Apostle, but by My own entrance into his soul, receiveth the Father; so that not only I abide in him, but the Father also.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. xlix. 2) The Arians, when they hear this passage, appeal immediately to the gradations in their system, that as far as the Apostle is from the Lord, so far is the Son from the Father. But our Lord hath left us no room for doubt on this head; for He saith, I and My Father are one. (supr. 10:30) But how shall we understand those words of our Lord, He that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sent Me? If we take them to mean that the Father and the Son are of one nature, it will seem to follow, when He says, He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth Me, that the Son and an Apostle are of one nature. May not the meaning be, He that receiveth whosoever I send, receiveth Me, i. e. Me as man: But He that receiveth Me, i. e. as God, receiveth Him that sent Me. But it is not this unity of nature, which is here put forth, but the authority of the Sender, as represented by Him who is sent. In Peter hear Christ, the Master of the disciple, in the Son the Father, the Begotten of the Only Begotten.

Catena Aurea John 13

KEYWORDS: catholic; easter; jn13; prayer

8 Things to Know and Share About St. Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine of Siena is a saint, mystic and doctor of the Church. Here are 8 things about her to know and share.

Jimmy Akin, April 29, 2020 – National Catholic Register

Jimmy Akin born in Texas and grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant pastor or seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith. Eventually, he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, “A Triumph and a Tragedy,” is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on “Catholic Answers Live.”

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ewtn.co.uk

Laudario of the Compagnia di Sant'Agnese

Pacino di Bonaguida

1320s
Tempera and gold on parchment, 450 x 333 mm
Pierpont Morgan Library, New York

This leaf is dominated by the figure of Christ in Majesty framed within a circle and attended by angels holding liturgical implements and playing musical instruments. In oculi at the corners are representations of the Trinity. In an oculus at the centre of the lower margin is the profile figure of a layperson in prayer, apparently a member of the Compagnia di Sant'Agnese, for which the laudario was made. He gazes up toward the opening words of the hymn, "Alta trinita beata" (Highest blessed Trinity), which begins with a decorated letter A and continues in gilt capitals

Source

Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

12:44–50

44. Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.

45. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

46. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

47. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

48. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

49. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

50. And I know that His commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. lxviii. 1) Because the love of human praise prevented the chief rulers from believing, Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me: as if to say, Why are ye afraid to believe on Me? Your faith through Me passes to God.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. liv. 2) He signifies to them that He is more than He appears to be, (for to men He appeared but a man; His Godhead was hid.) Such as the Father is, such am I in nature and in dignity; He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, i. e. on that which He sees, but on Him that sent Me, i. e. on the Father. [1He that believes in the Father must believe in Him as the Father, i. e. must believe that He has a Son; and reversely, he who believes in the Son thereby believes in the Father.] And again, if any one thinks that God has sons by grace, but not a Son equal and coeternal with Himself, neither does he believe 2on the Father, who sent the Son; because what he believes on is not the Father who sent Him. (c. 3.). And to shew that He is not the Son, in the sense of one out of many, a son by grace, but the Only Son equal to the Father, He adds, And He that seeth Me, seeth Him that sent Me; so little difference is there between Me and Him that sent Me, that He that seeth Me, seeth Him. Our Lord sent His Apostles, yet none of them dared to say, He that believeth on Me. We believe an Apostle, but we do not believe on an Apostle. Whereas the Only Begotten says, He that believeth on Me, doth not believe on Me, but on Him that sent Me. Wherein He does not withdraw the believer’s faith from Himself, but gives him a higher object than the form of a servant, for that faith.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. lxix. 1) He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me: as if He said, He that taketh water from a stream, taketh the water not of the stream, but of the fountain. Then to shew that it is not possible to believe on the Father, if we do not believe on Him, He says, He that seeth Me, seeth Him that sent Me. What then? Is God a body? By no means; seeing here is the mind’s vision. What follows still further shews His union with the Father. I am come a light into the world. This is what the Father is called in many places. He calls Himself the light, because he delivers from error, and disperses the darkness of the understanding; that whosoever believeth in Me should not abide in darkness.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. liv. 4) Whereby it is evident, that He found all in darkness. In which darkness if they wish not to remain, they must believe in the light which is come into the world. He says in one place to His disciples, Ye are the light of the world; but He did not say to them, Ye are come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on you should not abide in darkness. All saints are lights, but they are so by faith, because they are enlightened by Him, from Whom to withdraw is darkness.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. lxix. 1) And to shew that He does not let His despisers go unpunished, from want of power, He adds, And if any man hear My words and believe not, I judge him not.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. liv. 5, 6) i. e. I judge him not now. He does not say, I judge him not at the last day, for that would be contrary to the sentence above, The Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son. (5:22) And the reason follows, why He does not judge now; For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. Now is the time of mercy, afterward will be the time of judgment.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. lxix. 2) But that this might not serve to encourage sloth, He warns men of a terrible judgment coming; He that rejecteth Me, and heareth not My words, hath one that judgeth him.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. liv. 6) Mean time they waited to know who this one was; so He proceeds: The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him at the last day. He makes it sufficiently clear that He Himself will judge at the last day. For the word that He speaks, is Himself. He speaks Himself, announces Himself. We gather too from these words that those who have not heard, will be judged differently from those who have heard and despised.

AUGUSTINE. (i. de Trin. c. xii. [26.]) I judge him not; the word that I have spoken shall judge him: for I have not spoken of Myself. The word which the Son speaks judges, because the Son did not speak of Himself: for I have nut spoken of Myself: i. e. I was not born of Myself.

AUGUSTINE.e I ask then how we shall understand this, I will not judge, but the word which I have spoken will judge? Yet He Himself is the Word of the Father which speaketh. Is it thus? I will not judge by My human power, as the Son of man, but as the word of God, because I am the Son of God.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. lxviii. 2) Or, I judge him not, i. e. I am not the cause of his destruction, but he is himself, by despising my words. The words that I have just said, shall be his accusers, and deprive him of all excuse; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him. And what word? This, viz. thatf I have not spoken of Myself, but the Father which sent Me gave Me a commandment what I should say, and what I should speak. All these things were said on their account, that they might have no excuse.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. liv. 7) When the Father gave the Son a commandment, He did not give Him what He had not: for in the Wisdom of the Father, i. e. in the Word, are all the commandments of the Father. The commandment is said to be given, because it is not from him to whom it is said to be given. But to give the Son that which He never was without, is the same as to beget the Son who never was not.

THEOPHYLACT. Since the Son is the Word of the Father, and reveals completely what is in the mind of the Father, He says He receives a commandment what He should say, and what He should speak: just as our word, if we say what we think, brings out what is in our minds.

And I know that His commandment is life everlasting.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. liv) If life everlasting is the Son Himself, and the commandment is life everlasting, what is this but saying, I am the commandment of the Father? And in the same way in the following; Whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak, we must not understand, said unto Me, as if words were spoken to the Only Word. The Father spoke to the Son, as He gave life to the Son; not that the Son knew not, or had not, but that He was the Son. What is meant by, as He said unto Me, so I speak, but that I am the Word who speaks. The Father is true, the Son is truth: the True, begat the Truth. What then could He say to the Truth, if the Truth was perfect from the beginning, and no new truth could be added to Him? That He spake to the Truth then, means that He begat the Truth.

Catena Aurea John 12

KEYWORDS: catholic; easter; jn12; prayer

Saint of the Day for April 27

(January 31, 1673 – April 28, 1716)

Saint Louis Mary Grignion de Montfort’s Story

Louis’s life is inseparable from his efforts to promote genuine devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus and mother of the Church. Totus tuus (“completely yours”) was Louis’s personal motto; Pope John Paul II chose it as his episcopal motto.

Born in the Breton village of Montfort, close to Rennes, France, as an adult Saint Louis Mary Grignion de Montfort identified himself by the place of his baptism instead of his family name, Grignion. After being educated by the Jesuits and the Sulpicians, he was ordained a diocesan priest in 1700.

Soon he began preaching parish missions throughout western France. His years of ministering to the poor prompted him to travel and live very simply, sometimes getting him into trouble with Church authorities. In his preaching, which attracted thousands of people back to the faith, Father Louis recommended frequent, even daily, Holy Communion—not the custom then!—and imitation of the Virgin Mary’s ongoing acceptance of God’s will for her life.

Saint Louis Mary Grignion de Montfort founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary, for priests and brothers, and the Daughters of Wisdom, who cared especially for the sick. His book True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin has become a classic explanation of Marian devotion.

Saint Louis Mary Grignion de Montfort died in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, where a basilica has been erected in his honor. He was canonized in 1947, and his liturgical feast is celebrated on April 28.

Reflection

Like Mary, Saint Louis Mary Grignion de Montfort experienced challenges in his efforts to follow Jesus. Opposed at times in his preaching and in his other ministries, Louis knew with Saint Paul, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:7). Any attempt to succeed by worldly standards runs the risk of betraying the Good News of Jesus. Mary is “the first and most perfect disciple,” as the late Sulpician Father Raymond Brown described her.

The New Testament Trinity

Interesting that God the Father is inscribed "The Ancient of Days" to avoid depicting God the Father directly.