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Views from the Choir Loft

Pope Pius X: The Pope Who Carried His Shoes

Jeff Ostrowski · August 22, 2013

OPE PIUS X was known above all for his humility and poverty. There are hundreds of stories that illustrate this. For example, as a young child, he often carried his shoes on his back during long commutes to and from school. This was to prolong their life, since shoes were expensive, and his family was extremely poor. Even after becoming Pope, his devotion to Apostolic poverty was extreme, bordering on imprudence.

Any man can be elected Pope. As the good Father Leslie Rumble reminded us, Pope Leo XIII was a Prince by blood, whilst his immediate successor, Pope Pius X, was the son of a poverty-stricken mail carrier.

WHILE MOST KNOW of his humility, not all are aware of his devotion to Sacred music. Everyone should read the following 2003 article, published by the former director of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred music (PIMS) on the 100th anniversary of Pius X’s motu proprio:

      * *  2003 Article on Pope Pius X (Dr. Robert Skeris)

Here are some excerpts:

In 1882 as Vicar General of Treviso, Mons. Sarto personally participated in the Gregorian Congress at Arezzo, which passed resolutions affirming the problematic nature of the then papally privileged Regensburg Medicaean edition of the chant, and calling for a revival of the traditional liturgical melodies along the lines which Dom Joseph Pothier, O.S.B. had sketched out in 1880.

Named Bishop of Mantua (which at that time was beset with many problems), Sarto began in 1884 to teach dogma courses in the Seminary, giving each student a personal copy of the Summa Theologiae. He also personally conducted chant rehearsals for the students, so that the Mass chants would be sung correctly.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book

If there is a more beautiful book than Abbat Pothier’s 1888 Processionale Monasticum, I don’t know what it might be. This gorgeous tome was today added to the Saint John Lalande Online Library. I wish I owned a physical copy.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Let us ponder the incontrovertible fact that Eucharistic Adoration in the Ordinary Form (“Novus Ordo”) is always and everywhere celebrated “ad orientem.” Why, then, is there such opposition to Mass being celebrated in that way, which is actually stipulated by the 1970 Missal rubrics?

— A Benedictine Monk (2013)

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  • 14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition
  • 14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book

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