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 The Return of the Body of Pope Pius X to Venice: Left: Cardinal Sarto's Departure from Venice, 1903 Center: Pope John XXIII praying at the coffin of Pope Pius X Right: Body of Pope Pius X returning to Venice, 1959 Scott 281-283 (1960) On April 11, 1960, the three stamps shown above were issued on the first anniversary of one of the more memorable events in Papal history: the transmission of the relics of Saint Pope Pius X to Venice. The voyage from Rome to Venice fulfilled a promise made by the future pope as he left for the Papal Conclave in 1903. Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto was born on June 2, 1835, and was ordained a priest on September 18, 1858. Over the next 35 years he filled a number of clerical positions across Italy, culminating in his appointment as Patriarchate of Venice by Pope Leo XIII and his creation as a Cardinal on June 12, 1893. Due to objections from the Italian Government, he was not able to take over the See of Venice until September 7, 1894. The new Patriarch finally entered Venice on November 24, 1894. Over the next few years, Cardinal Sarto and the people of Venice developed a close and loving relationship. On July 20, 1903, Pope Leo XIII died, and the Conclave of Cardinals was scheduled to elect his successor. Although not well known outside of Italy, some viewed Sarto as a favorite to succeed Pope Leo. With the Conclave due to begin on July 31, Sarto made plans to travel to Rome. As he prepared to depart by train, the crowd at the station cried “Come back to us!", to which Cardinal Sarto replied: "Dead or alive, I shall come back." On August 4, 1903, he was elected pope and took the name Pius X. He served as pope for 11 years, dying on August 20, 1914. In life, he never returned to Venice since his pontificate fell during the period of the “Vatican Question” following the fall of Rome in 1870. He and the other popes from 1870 through 1929 were voluntary “prisoners” inside the Vatican, and did not leave the Vatican during their reigns. The situation remained unresolved until the institution of the Lateran Pacts of 1929 and the establishment of the Vatican City State.  Pope Saint Pius X: Centenary of Death Scott 1572 (2014) After his death, and starting in 1923, the cause for the beatification of Pope Pius X began. In 1950, he was declared “Venerable” and in 1951 he was declared “Blessed”. And, on May 29, 1954, Pope Pius X was canonized as a Saint. The promise to “Return to Venice” was fulfilled in 1959. On April 11, the glass-sided coffin bearing Saint Pope Pius X was taken to the Vatican railway station. Following prayers and blessings by Pope John XXIII (himself a former Patriarch of Venice), the train departed for Venice. The body of Pius X arrived on April 12, and was carried by gondola from the railway station up the Grand Canal. The body was then taken to the Basilica of St. Mark and remained in Venice for a month. The coffin bearing Saint Pope Pius X was returned to Rome on May 11, 1959, and is now interred at Saint Peter’s Basilica. Although unable to keep his promise while alive, Cardinal Sarto, Pope Pius X, had his promise fulfilled with his return to Venice, in the form of the relics of a saint. The promise, "Dead or alive, I shall come back”, was kept. A search of the web found newsreel footage showing the basis for two of the stamps shown at the top of the article, tied to the return of the relics of Pope Pius X to Venice in 1959: REFERENCES: |
