April 18, 1885, My Lord Sarto made its entry to Mantua. It was a vivid triumph. The newspapers of the time attest it unanimously and give strength details on this receipt, an immense crowd waited at the station for the new bishop, who was greeted by his/her/its people's cheerings. The senator counts Ragono di took Mgr, Sarto in his/her/its car; consistent of a long line of crews, cheered all along the course, the bishop crossed the city until the Episcopal palace. On the Saint Peter place, before the palace, the crowd hurried crying: "We want to see our bishop!" He/it must appear to the balcony and must bless his/her/its people (1) The following day, he/it pontificated solemnly at the cathedral, In his/her/its speech, with an apostolic exemption, but with a tact perfects and of a consumed prudence, he/it made allusions to the difficulties that waited for it in his/her/its heavy task. He/it expressed his/its confidence in the good will of all, promising to be himself all to all and not to save any fatigue to spill on his/her/its people the kindness of the gospel. In full cathedral, the aid applauds words penetrated of such a flame of goodwill and charity (2). The following day, the Difesa of Venice wrote:

The diocese of Mantua is spread very. He/it counts number of cities and big townships. His/her/its valleys are rich and fertile, his/her/its covered small hills of big vineyards, that produced a delicious wine. His/her/its population is, in general, animate of a good mind, although it is worried e by the socialism. But she/it is intelligent, she/it understands that the ringleaders don't like it for his/her/its happiness, and she/it comes back comfortably to the faith and to adjusted it, of which she/it gives magnificent proofs then. The people himself is enlivened of the desire of the good He/it likes the peace of the home; the religion impresses it mightily, the faith that died out at others, in if big number under the breath stunk of the antireligious propaganda, home again at home vigorous and powerful. And this worthy of remark: because, of his/her/its nature, this population is restless to the sowers of revolutions, and to be made itself/themselves the instrument of the demolition workers of the social and Christian order even, it immediately recovers of goodwill and enthusiasm for the faith and his/her/its forebears. (3)

This people's restless temperament holds can be, in part of the less, to the tormented vicissitudes, often tragic, of his/her/its history. To the Middle Ages, in particular, Mantua changed many times of master. It is, without a doubt, to the famous family of the Gonzagues that she/it owes the more. She/it must him, in particular, the artistic wealth of which she/it boasts again, although the wars dispersed so many treasures of it.

The cathedral - the Duomo - doesn't offer, outside, nothing considerable, otherwise his/her/its old tower with his/her/its rests of Roman architecture. The fronting is heavy of it, in rococo style. But the inside is remarkable by the profusion, a few excessive, of gold, by the avenues of pillars, sparkles of the marbles half notes the frescos luminous ‘Mantua possesses the magnificent basilica of Saint-André, of a classic architecture, again and whose dome rises to a height of four-twenty meters. It is necessary to mention also, to some kilometers of Mantua, to the extremity of the superior Lake, the sanctuary of Our-Lady of Graces, constructed in 1399 by François of Gonzague, and remaining for the whole countered the center of devotion to the Virgin.

Mantua deserves onc indeed to count among the most beautiful cities of Italy. And one would understand badly, to judge some only by these appeals, the troubling speech escaped Mgr's intimate friend, Sarto, at the time of his/her/its nomination,: "Bishop, we waited there for all, but of Mantua!.. poor man!…"

In fact to this date, the religious state of the diocese was miserable. All testimonies agree thereon; to mention two of them only, among so many others. Mgr, Tressan says explicitly: " The condition of the Mantua diocese was absolutely miserable, and particularly the one of the clergy (4)! "

Of quoted sound, grant Joseph Pescini declares: "The diocese that was assigned him was reputed very difficult, either by the sects that there reigned, either by the decadence of the mœurs of the clergy and the people (5). "The seminary was nearly empty: the rector really below his/her/its task: "Don Paggiani - I believe that he/it was Padouan - was excellent philosopher beveva liquoir; he/it had access of violence (6). "He/it taught a little philosopher (twenty pages of philosophy for one year), declare grant Joannès Gavicchioli, cleaned of Gontanella Grazioli, that was pupil and bidel in the seminary to this time,; he/it was not at the height of his/her/its task like rector; l was a little violent, he didn't treat the clerks well (7), Several professors were tired or discouraged or incapable. The even more deficient clergy, especially in value; mined by bass tones flaws: absenteeism, lack of life inside, apostolic goodwill lack, lack of respect and docility at the time; besides, of the sandals explodes; finally the politics of the day caused fatal divide; the influence drivers the Protestantisms, liberalism, freemasonry, the newborn socialism, caused in the ranks of the clergy of numerous enough apostasies. The people, remaining in spite of all, religious to the bottom, but shaken often in his/her/its faith, especially very ignoramus and practically indifferent, too absorbed by his/her/its material interests, worked by extremist opinions… To the surplus a lot of parishes were without priest…: "The first Sunday of August, wrote My Lord Sarto to Bressan grant June 2, 1885, I will make the ordination of a priest and a deacon, the only fruits that I offer this years my seminary. What misery and what squeezing of heart, whereas the month forty would not need some (8)! " Definitely the predecessors of My Lord Sarto had reacted against such a situation. Their efforts were stayed especially vain, broken by the insubordination of the clergy.

My Lord Sarto, discerning all the extent of his/her/its task, immediately got to the work, God's Servant immediately took to to improve these conditions, with energy and charity (9). "

He/it first of all carried and naturally his/her/its action on the seminary, nursery of the ministration. It was necessary to do dark cuts in the staff; he/it will do them, one-handed farm and of a charitable heart. The rector was raised of his/her/its functions and named canon, in all honor,; such professors out of use were made chaplain or chapelains in the communities of all rest. The settings were renewed with members chosen among the best of the diocese. The bishop assumed himself the loads rector until the day where he can really find a topic capable of the to fill. Himself kept the teaching of the moral theology again.

Since the end of the school year 1885, to surrender account of display device and auditu of the degree of culture of the his/her/its seminarians, he/it attended all their exams; he/it wanted to enclose l solemnly year in a room of the Episcopal palace. In the celebrated feast, to this effect, July 14, 1885, after having shown the importance of the pure survey the clergy, and in particular on time modern, he/it exposed the doctrine of Thomas saint briefly; he/it recommended to the clerks are classes superior to unite the survey of the theology to the survey of the letters and sciences. (10).

During some time, declare My Lord Bressan, he/it fills himself rector's office and he/it went there every day (to the seminary). Then he/it named a rector, He/it taught the moral theology personally and he/it presided all exams. He/it took care, in person, of toue disciplines it so that the seminarians are prepared well. He/it was right and unbiased with all pupils. All these facts, I know them personally myself, because I taught to the seminary the liturgy, and all day I was with the rector (11)…

To this deposition all dry and objective, the contemporaries, former pupils, professors, witnesses, add many features, all to tower edifying and picturesque. Among others, the Dr written Daelli:

…: Himself had custom to direct the questioning; he/it replaced the professors, asked and gave some explanations on all matters with so much safety and expertise as one had said that he/it never had anything makes all his/her/its life that to teach. The priests of Mantua mention a crowd of histories to this topic. In a class that he/it presided, a pupil is a little embarrassed before a problem of algebra that offered some difficulty. One lives the bishop to come down from the chair while smiling, to take the hand-held chalk, to re-establish with an astonishing clarity on the picture the problem in question, to pull the pupil of his/her/its embarrassment. To an exam of license, he/it took the questions put to the candidates on the advocacy Pro Ligario of Cicero and made some taste beauties with the talent of an old latiniste. When S.S. Léon XIII addressed to the seminarist his/her/its famous Letters on the survey of Thomas saint of Acquin the bishop of Mantua felt such a happiness that he wanted of it, all poor that he was, to give to the most industrious pupils the Theological Sum, so that him them stock possible to follow, the hand-held text, the brief analysis that he made of it to them during the class. His/her/its knowledge and his/her/its love of the liturgical song incited it to undertake in the same time another reform, that didn't let to offer a few trouble. It was about banishing some churches the profane music and to substitute the plainsong there. He/it formed himself a heart of clerks; he/it knew how to find the time to write the pieces, and, in the evening, of sign the solfa. His/her/its regulation of the song school and the first Mass sung to the cathedral, written of the very hand of My Lord Sarto, are kept like a treasure in the seminary of Mantua. (12)

Body and soul, Mgr.Sarto is himself to the formation of the seminarians, working of all his/her/its strengths, expense, terrific expense, to instill to them the piety and the ministerial virtue, the apostolic goodwill, the sense and the love of the liturgy, the taste of the survey and especially of the sacred sciences, the outside holding clean to the ecclesiastical state, to which he attached big importance for the ministry of lends it. And he/it kept minutely informed of arrangements of the seminarians on this various points, especially when it was about the ordinations.

It is not all: of other worries, and how much serious he/it was incumbent again. The finances of the seminary pierced themselves, to his/her/its arrival, completely encumbered, the case was empty…

My Lord Sarto raised the material state of the seminary.

He/it re-established and required the Seminariatico (tax in favor of the seminary on the ecclesiastical earnings). He/it named an administrator who had his/her/its full confidence chamoises it Sbudil, that very often had to make see him the accounts. I remember that one year the deficit rose to fourteen thousand liras; I asked him how he/it had filled it; he/it answered: "Hey! It is I that paid." In fact, it was thus (13).

For the seminary, My Lord Sarto, one happy to sacrifice his/her/its poor to have, didn't hesitate to make itself/themselves beggar. He/it begged the top of the chair, in his/her/its pastoral Letters. He/it begged privément by the laymen, among the lucky enough members of the clergy.

Since July 7, 1885,; he/it wrote to the clergy and the people of Mantua:

Since the day where the Saint Father condescended to look at my misery and to confide me the spiritual government of this diocese, one of the bass tones thought that occupy me is the seminary. Rest my desires there, concentrate my affections there; lull there or himself growth my anguishes, by what the education of the clerks is the basis of the discipline and of govern it of the diocese, since of them depends only that we have good priests: there is the most beautiful work that could take a bishop's hands. Oh! as I would like to be able to tell all these young that long for to come in this asylum, to be one day ministers useful to the sanctuary,: Appropiate ad me indocti and congregate your in domum discipliane (14).

As I would like to dedicate me entire to keep these dear expectations of the church, to deal with them, to attend their exercises to observe to the bottom of themselves the mind, the inclinations, the habits, to cultivate in them the germs of the virtues, to apply the remedies in time to the mess, to examine with the masters the best means of education, to disassemble finally that the clerks are the pupil of my eyes, and the seminary, as said a holy bishop", the heart of my heart.

The following year, July 5, 1886, My Lord Sarto exclaimed again, in a pastoral Letter to his/her/its clergy and to the supporters:

Like the seminary, and the bishop's desire will be for you an order; that in every parish, at the time of the crop, one makes a quest in wheat and in corn, that you will make the bishopric transport then. don't oppose an insurmountable difficulty; nothing is impossible to that wants and that likes. Like the seminary; and you will accomplish your bishop's desire, that, in four feasts of the most solemn of the years, as Easter, Christmas, the Assumption and All Saints' Day, one reminds to the memory of the supporters this topic, and that one makes in the church a public quest, that you will send to the bishop.

Like the seminary; and every vicar will always have opened on his/her/its office a booklet where he will consign the books offerings that he will be able to make his/her/its dear parishioners, at the time of their marriage, of a newborn's baptism, of some misfortune to implore the cessation of the curse or to rescue the souls of their deceased.

Like the seminary: and every priest will make himself/itself a glory to speak to the religious people, so that they don't forget in their aumônes this work; the most necessary of all in the diocese of Mantua, and by which they will participate to these special blessings that every day invokes the good seminarians on their benefactors.

Like the seminary: that no one compares its grants at few that more populated can make other parishes and that, to flee appear it, one doesn't look for (what would be more blameful) to divert the other from to make bigger aumônes.

Like the seminary: instead of listening to them, look in your heart for a feeling of true compassion and noble disdain for this eternal", censureurs" of all and all, that would try to move away you of a work so holy.

Like the seminary: and you don't satisfy to recommend it, to your children, but make your friends and knowledge hear your prayer, even to strangers, imploring a special help.

Like the seminary: and while, by your merit, I would see to grow and to prosper this dear family of my expectations, having the most beautiful proof of your affection. The whole sacrifice of my life to the good of this dear diocese I will be soft, and the God's blessing all drawing will take down on you all and will remain with you for the eternity (15).

To their bishop's so pressing and so moving voice, priests and laic, rich and poor répondrent with one so big generosity that in a few less than one years, the seminary could really welcome hundred forty-seven pupils (16) ". What consolation for the bishop's heart, what reward for his/her/its goodwill to see that, soon after his/her/its arrival to Mantua, the seminary was" one of the most flourishing of Italy for the order and for the discipline, a model for the modernity of the studies, for the solidity of the piety and the really ministerial feelings (17). "

After the organization of the seminary, My Lord Sarto applied the best of his/her/its goodwill to the pastoral visits, of which clergy and faithful lost the habit. this was not the most efficient means - and indispensable - to enter in contact with the clergy and with the supporters to know the needs of it and to work to remedy there?

In a work so delicate, that requires so many persistent efforts, with high natural and supernatural quality, l bishop was going to show as much energy as of charity; an indomitable firmness against the abuses often very bass tones, and for the restoration of the discipline and the Christian life, an immense goodness and indulgence for people. To browse the reports of these visits, one doesn't know what the more is necessary to admire indeed, or the energy ever in defect, or the charity always heedful.

In the informative suit, My Lord Jean - Rosa Baptist, archbishop of Pérouse, and that, under the pontificate of Magpie X, fills the functions of Surrogate in the Consistoriale, declared" God's Servant made every two years the visit of the whole diocese, and he/it remembers that he/it visited him, during his/her/its episcopate, at least four times (18)

Before undertaking his/her/its visits, he/it warned the vicars that he/it didn't look in no way for applause or honors, nor" of useless pumps", but merely the salute of the souls. He/it wrote to one his/her/its priests, in his/her/its Letters pastorale, of August 18, 1885:

That every vicar remembers well that when he will have shared with me the bread of his/her/its daily subsistence, I will leave from his/her/its truly satisfied rectory, the most beautiful welcome that can be made me will be that I find to my arrival the supporters united at the church to pray, and the demonstration that I will be the dearest will be to find confidence, ingenuousness, open cœurses, serene faces, and respect for the one that carries the blessings of the Lord (19).

On these pastoral visits, My Lord Bressen, that was the usual mate of My Lord Sarto, let us, in his/her/its deposition to the suit, some details infinitely precious s dan their objective soberness:

When he/it went in visit, he/it left early from Mantua. If it was about a distant village, he/it was going to lodge at the dean. He/it used a car of contract. While ordering the visit, he/it had expressed desire that one didn't make any expenses to receive it and he/it only wanted a plain food. He/it went directly to the church and got at the confessional. At the designated hour he/it went at the rectory and of there, processionnellement, to the church,; he/it got ready for the Mass; to the gospel he/it made a pastoral sermon, and gave the general communion, all in succession after the Mass, he/it returned to the rectory to take a little coffee. Then, came to the church the administration of the confirmation, and sometimes the sung Mass, to which he/it attended. He/it visited with a special care the tabernacle, the ornaments, the sacred vases, the relics, the registers, and made the necessary observations. He/it also looked at the books that lasted it had, and if he/it found that the book of morals had served little, it made him an appropriate recommendation, but always familiarly, without taking an air of sermon. If of other no one wanted to see it, he/it received them. He/it had decided q'au lunch one didn't make anything extraordinary.

To given one moment, he/it left the priests and went to the church: He/it got to the choir for a small moment, and when he/it saw a person arriving, he/it asked him if she/it came faithfully to catechizes it, he/it interrogated the children, and went up finally in chair to speak to the whole people.

The sermon finished, it began himself the Litanies of the top of the chair, not to lose e temps`il surrendered at the altar and got ready for the blessing.

After this one, he/it immediately left for Mantua (20).

My Lord Rosa that confirms these details and pushes them on concrete facts adds: "During the visit, almost always he/it asked had itself of it of the patients in the parishes, and he/it strove to visit them, bringing them some s subsidy has had itself of it place (21). "

By his/her/its priests, Mgr Sarto very especially insisted on the care on giving to the catechism and the predication, that he wanted simple, to evangelize, fed of written Saint and personal piety. He/it also woke in them the taste of the liturgical ceremonies, of the religious song, the care of the sacred vases, of the ornaments of altar, the interview and the perfect holding of the church and everything that touched to the cult, up.

The pastoral visits of Mgr Sarto produced consoling expeditiously resulted. L.' bishop put so much apostolic goodwill there: he/it dedicated so much talent and fatigue there! The intimate and consistent contact with his/her/its clergy, a majority interest, constant and full of charity made disappear soon of the abuses, brought a sensitive progress in the ecclesiastical discipline (22).

But if he/it had found in his/its visits, of the satisfactions, a comfort that permitted the hope of a better future, the bishop had noted the pains that tightened him the heart; completely abandoned parishes, ignorance of the God things, Indifference, misery state of mind, badly united families, children without baptism, a number important of civil funerals.

July 21, 1886, My Lord Sarto wrote to the bishop of Padua, Mgr, Callegarie,:


Here, one continues to live for per day, working as much as one can, but years to hope to be able to see at least a little this mind that enlivens our dioceses of Veneto. All lack, For God's love, ask the Lord for this poor devil who makes the casual more that he/it is not able to, that appears even happy by strength, but that feels oppressed of the weight of a cross so heavy (23).

Three months after, October 30, 1886, in pastoral visit in Canneto, answering the bishop of Padua that he/it could not accept his/its invitation to be going to preach the spiritual Exercises to Thiene, he/it told him:

If I wanted to provide to the first necessity, I would have hundred parishes, where to give the spiritual exercises, It is all something else that the last parishes of Trévise or Padua… Here, we are in partibus infideliuem, Imagine yourselves that in a parish of three miles, souls, to the bishop's Mass, a few days ago, there were forty women, of which eight made the communion.. and there will have been hundred children to the Christian Doctrine and in hundred of curious. And the one that governs the care of these souls, even wanted to persuade me that the country is not as bad as I represented it to me. I find here and there, as here in Canneto, (four thousand souls) some comfort, but, in general, it is more that it is not necessary to kill a poor man (24).

The bishop had seen his/her/its own eyes, with a lightning cleanness, the real religious situation of his/her/its diocese. Also, before even to have finished his/her/its first pastoral visit, he/it formed the project of a diocesan Synod, where, of concert with his/her/its clergy, he/it could search for the means most efficient to remedy a thing state so miserable..

The last Synod held to Mantua dated 1679. Since February 16, 1887, My Lord Sarto, in a letter to his/her/its clergy, announced the project of meeting of the Synod. This letter where explodes the bishop's goodwill puts while hitting relief the prudence, the wisdom convenient of My Lord Sarto. He/it said there among others;

You have under your own eyes so many pain motives… suggest dan Also your prudence what means practice seem you most appropriate to carry some remedy to those pains, but avoid to indicate the measures that could not be ever put to execution. Laws and decrees that, by their no - observances, meet abrogated the very day where they come to leave, always turn to the damage of the authority that deliberated some. (25)

In view of the Synod, said My Lord Bresan", he/it created as many commissions as had priests foreains, assigning to each matter to treat… arrangements of this Synod-Decrees and orders - were all written of weeks, tutte di suo pugno (26). " These arrangements reveal a knowledge only deepened non n of the right cannon, but more requirements and of the particular practices of the various centers of the diocese, one extraordinary practicality and a sovereign wisdom, for the rejuvenation of venerable customs but expired. Once for a long time studied the questions to solve and examined the various arguments, he/it was held of the preparatory sessions to which took leaves the canons, the vicars of parishes, and the fairground priests, December 10 of this same year.

In a cordial exchanges ideas, of feelings, during three days. The bishop converses with more of two hundred priests of his/her/its diocese of all relative important problems in their ministry. He/it was treated there and, on every point, settled by the time, with a precision and a rare vigor, of the relative problems, to the faith and to the Christian morals, to teach it of the catechism, to the social questions, to the discipline of the marriage, to the paschal communion, to the communion of the patients, of the children, to the first communion of these last, to the page of receipt of the confirmation sacrament, to the confessions, at the hour of the last Mass and the various religious ceremonies, to the processions,; the sanctification of feasts, to the indulgences, to the saints pictures, to the speakers, to the ecclesiastical court, to the fairground priests, to the reports with the Jews, very numerous to Mantua, to the order of funeral ceremony, to the celebration of the sacred functions, to the beautiful ornamentation of the churches, to the Gregorian song, to the inviolable instructions of the church, to the reports with the civil authority, reports that the bishop always wanted friendly, but without infringing in nothing to duties consecrated of the ministration.

Among these arrangements, we will signal two that put of them in particular while moving relief the charity of the bishops: to funeral ceremony of the poor people, the vicar should say a Mass in fees, if he is poor himself, will be taken on the aumônes for the souls, of the deceased. In this same funeral ceremony (of the poor people), the vicar should also make to light two candles and to let burn them the whole time of the office (27).

The synod prepared with so much care, held with a devotion so conscientious, was a real triumph, It became the" Magna Carta" of the diocese; and his/her/its "arrangements, said My Lord Bressan, are even in force". They carry reading following: "Constitutions ab III, mo and R.mo D.D. Josepho Sarto sanctac Mantuanoae Ecclesiae Episcopo promulgatae Synodo in dieocecesano diebus, X., XI,XII Septembris mensis anno 1888 lived in Mantuae 1888 (28).

Some days after the fence of the Stnode, September 28, 1888. Mgr.Sarto could write to My Lord Jacuzzi, former priest of Riese, become bishop of Trévise:

I worked during close to one year. I used the whole possible gentleness, I didn't avoid the sacrifices, even of money, to have my priests around me, But it is just that I do this homage to the truth: in this circumstance, the clergy, by his/her/its contest, by his/her/its holding, by his/her/its docility, gave me the most beautiful and dearest of the satisfactions. The people himself, more that I had not waited for it, took part in the public feasts. Of all is thanked the Lord, to that only honor and glory. (29).

By these last words, throughout what precedes, all that we have just said about the pastoral visits and the Synod, we touch the finger, if I dare to say, one of arrangements more moving of bishop's heart,: the affection for his/her/its clergy, a strong and holy affection, but all as much deeply tender. Certainly, the chief of the dioceses follows of very near his/her/its clergy, he controls it assiduously, he fights his/its abuses and his/her/its messes with the biggest firmness. But it is precisely because he/it likes it, and that he/it wants it at the height of his/her/its sublime mission, that he/it will always find courage (because some needs) to blame him for his/her/its mistakes or his/her/its deficiencies, to call it constantly to one worthy life. It is well the vehement desire of the real of a priest, that means his/her/its holiness. it is in other words, stretching love for his/her/its priests that inspires him as many burning exhortations. In his/her/its Letter of May 25, 1889, announcing the second pastoral visit, he/it writes:

We didn't enter in the ministration to lead a convenient life; but to work and to work a lot, because it is there our first duty, by what priest and fatigue are them equivalent terms, by what it is a glory to die of fatigue or (soot) under fatigue. (30)

His/her/its priests, he/it wanted them beautiful and big and noble braiment in all: of the men devoted to the labor, liking the survey, always not refusing the sacrifice, docile to their bishop's instructions, in the height of their dignity of their sublime honor, applied to reproduce in those the mind and Christ's picture. In his/her/its pastoral Letter of August 25, 1894, he/it told his/her/its clergy:

The priest must be holy: he/it must be therefore serious, so that his/her/its words, his/her/its behavior and his/her/its manner to act attract him love, reconcile him authority, win him the respect. That he/it remembers that the outside imprints dignity and perfectly controlled is a sort of efficient oratory to win the souls, the most persuasive of the speeches. Nothing inspires bigger confidence on behalf of a clergyman that to see it never denying the dignity of his/her/its state, to carry therefore in him this gravity that attracts and captive the homage of all cœurses. As, on the contrary, if he/it denies the holiness of his/her/its character, if he/it doesn't show in his/its outside behavior a bigger gravity that some secular, he/it incurs the contempt of those same that applaud maybe to his/her/its lightness, and that, of the person's contempt, take down well quickly to the contempt of his/her/its ministry and the religion herself (31)…

Is he/it need to underline the eternal opportunity and striking actuality of these words and similar words so much time retelled by My Lord Sarto? It is for the perfection of his/her/its clergy that he/it orders that every year, to the seminary, are organized them sets of spiritual exercises. He/it intervened for all two and took part in each. These days, he/it made common life with the reprocessing others, having his/her/its meals with them and sleeping at the seminary. I remember that on the occasion of each of these exercises, he/it didn't want in anything to be distinguished of the other, not even a cushion to push his/her/its elbows, etc (32)..

Numerous are the documents that one could mention to put in relief the solicitude of My Lord Sarto however the sanctifications of his/her/its priests. Among these documents, it would be necessary to make a special part to the Letters that he/it wrote to his/her/its clergy, every year, to the return of the spiritual retirements. He/it wrote, for example, July 28, 1887

Give me the consolation to see you numerous to the holy exercises; there, while we tighten the ties of our mutual affection, God's grace, while waking us of a misleading security up, will make us prudent in the storms that didn't pass, in the tests that are not finished, because the days of the peril are always prepared and aggravated (33).

And July 29, 189:

If he/it is always soft to me to find me with you, I ever however find as much consolation as during these blessed days where I see you united to open to God your heart and to open it to him fully, so that he/it filled it of Himself; to enrich you of this devotion that only makes accomplish big things and returns you the very soft object of the divine complaisances; to inflame you of new ardors in the service of God and the salute of the souls (34).

He/it is a point on which My Lord Sarto insisted with a strength all particular by his/her/its clergy: the integrity of the faith, courage to profess it and to sustain it. Among the enemies of the faith, that the priest must fight with the more of vigilance he signals the liberalism, that dreams" of a conciliation between light and darkness, the justices and the iniquity (35) ".

No engeance is more dangerous than that one (of the liberals), and to convince itself/themselves of it, it is sufficient to consider their famous doctrines, pretending to lead the church herself to their manner to think. Against this hypocrisy, that tempts to penetrate in the Christ's home. Always preaching the charity and the prudence, as if it was charity to let the wolf tear the sheep, as if it was virtue that this prudence of the flesh, which died and reprobate of God, since he/it is written: "I will lose the wisdom of the sages and I will confound the prudence of the prudent", the priests must stay up; and this vigilance is of such an importance, especially on time present, that one cannot call ministers of God the one that refuses to watch, making the goal pass his/her/its own interest and his/her/its own advantage to save some souls the integrity of the faith, threatened less well by the negation opened of the unbeliever that by the trick and the lie of this treacherous liberal Catholicism that, hardly setting on the side of the mistake condemned, endeavor to appear partisan of a very pure doctrine… That the ready avoid to accept no to the liberalism ideas that, under the mask of the good, pretends to reconcile the justice and the iniquité…Le liberal Catholic s are wolves covered with skins of lambs. It is why the really ready priest must reveal to the people on treacherous plots and their unique desires. You will be called popish, clerical, retrograde, uncompromising,: be - in proud; one must not give up where more he/it is not need to give up…

One must fight, one with middle terms, but with courage, no in hiding place, but in public, no to enclosed doors, but to sky ouvert (36).

Against this hybrid liberalism-marriage of truth and lie, of negation of the good and affirmation of the pain what doctrine the clergy will have to it therefore to preach? "The one that comes of God and that proposed by the infallible magistery of the church", answers it was Magpie X (37).

When he/it is forced to correct, My Lord Sarto makes it with an immutable charity. His/her/its charity makes it ingenious to find the most efficient means, without hurtful words, nor even, as often as possible, stern, often without a word. The features abound. Outside of the pastoral visits, he/it is going to surprise some priest often. One day, tell Mgr, Bressan", having learned that a priest was hardly hurried to rise to confess and to say his/her/its Mass, he went himself in this church, made sound the Mass and got at the confessional. The vicar, very surprised, descended and found his/her/its bishop confessing (38). Useless to say that the lesson had carried. "When he/it had to take some priests, he/it made it with a lot of charity (39).

On the other hand, someone of his/her/its priests was he/it attacked unjustly, he/it defended it of all his/her/its authority and all his/her/its heart, resorting if need be to all means that let him the laws.

To the ready in the need especially to the vicars of the least lucky countries, he/it multiplied his/its material help, taking on the other hand on his/her/its poor cassette, working, ` has organier, to the bishopric the work of help and emergency to the clergy (40).

Certainly especially in the beginnings of his/her/its episcopate, he/it didn't receive some still the reward that his/her/its paternal devotion deserved. Writing, June 2, 1888, to one the his/her/its friends, priest of the diocese of Trévise, he/it let discreetly pour out itself/themselves his/her/its bitterness:

… Bah! Let's stay between the hands of the Providence, and that she/it arranges according to her/its good pleasure. I carry myself enough well for health, I would not feel the fifty-three years that weigh on the" gobba ", if I didn't have griefs, disgusts and finally displeasures without number. All it overwhelms me cleanly when I see it coming from the side where I had the right to the recognition and to the affection. I apply to myself the sermon that I made you to you, and I get back enter the hands of the Providence (41).

As a mother is distressed of the sufferings of his/her/its children, he was distressed the pains, the miscalculations, the death of his/her/its priests. He/it wrote, December 19, 1887, to his/her/its friend of Trévise,:

I am in the anguish because of the death of the poor M.Mozzi and because of the uneasiness of which is oppressed of other priests; I don't know anymore where to give the head, because the situation of this diocese makes itself today of the most squalid.

Later, December 31, 1890, to the death of the canon penitentiary My Lord Célestiono Affini, announcing to the clergy the sad news, the bishop expresses his/her/its painful regrets then made the deceased's cordial praise:

Oppressed by the bitterness and consternation, I cannot signal you the distinguished merits of the extinct colleague; I summarize them in this only speech: he/it was the model of the Catholic priest; crying it with you, I recommend his/her/its soul blessed to your sacrifices and your prayers, to, that, welcomed to the rest of just, he/it implores the blessings of the sky on our diocese if afflicted (42).

But it is especially the apostasy of some priests that broke him the heart. "She/it dove it in such a bitterness, said Marchesan, that he/it was indeed inconsolable and that he/it passed of the whole days in the tears (43).

To his/her/its people's consideration, My Lord Sarto was, to one exceptional degree, the "good and heedful" pastor. He/it lavished to him, without relaxation, the treasures of his/her/its charity.

Spiritual charity, first, the most necessary. Of the beginning at the end of his/her/its episcopate, his/her/its first worries was the religious instruction and of the children and adults. Everywhere or he/it had passed, he/it had felt the fundamental need of it and had given him his/her/its most regular cares. Bishop, she/it remains his/her/its constant preoccupations.

This particular aspect of the apostolate of My Lord Sarto would include a long chapter. The bishop's Letters to his/her/its clergy on the teaching of the catechism is especially numerous and pressing; they make to the priests a "obligation of justice" to teach the Christian doctrine; if they omit it, said an article of the Synod diocesans, "they commit a serious offense". It is pungent to raise, in the pastoral letters, the following lines,:

I prefer gladly that the predication quadragésimale is omitted, this one, indeed, more d,une time, remain absolutely fruitless, because the peule doesn't hear some speeches, and that the distinguished speaker (it is he that underlines) speaks in the desert: that is omitted the predication quadragésimale rather than to let the supporters in the Christian Doctrine and without the vicar's catechism (44)!

My Lord Sarto is going as far as declaring positively that the explanation of the gospel is not able to by being substituted for the explanation of the catechism: "The explanation of the gospel, absolutely obligatory, cannot serve of the instruction catéchistique, because are himself two duties, absolutely distinct…" And after having demonstrated, with the sharpest practicality, this difference between two also essential duties, it concludes to the difficulty to really teach the catechism and to the necessity of an assiduous preparation to make a really fruitful catechism (45)

It is well interesting to underline that, at the time of the first Convention national catéchistique, held to pleasure, September 24, 1889, under the presidency of My Lord Scalabrini, My Lord retained Sarto in
his/her/its diocese by the pastoral, greatly motivated and supported visit, the idea that already was dear to him, of a "unique catechism", and he/it formulated the following heart: "The first Convention catéchistique raises a prayer to the Sovereign Pontiff, so that it orders the composition of a catechism of the easy and popular Christian Doctrine, by demands and very brief answers, divided in various parts, and that it makes it obligatory in all the church (46).

The idea, proclaimed at the time of congressional, by My Lord Scalfarotto, bishop of Trévise, "a real inspiration of "God's mind, would be achieved by that one even that proposed it, since 1889, become S.S.Pie X

With an equal goodwill, the bishop of Mantua reminded to his priests the rigorous duty of the evangelical predication; outside same of the recommendations made in the pastoral visits, he/it came back on this topic, with the most striking insistence, in the Letters to his/her/its clergy, he/it ordered to his/its vicars that, besides the "certain" explanation of the Christian Doctrine, they never miss, Sundays and feasts of precept, to make to every Mass the explanation of the gospel (47).

But his/her/its recommendations and prescriptions on these fundamental points, catechism, predication, administration of the sacraments, pulled a singular strength of the example given by the bishop himself. Non happy to remind to his/her/its priests this primordial obligation of their load, himself, the first, gives the example. In his/her/its cathedral, in all churches or he/it passes, he/it catechizes, he/it preaches: one could say, in all truth, that he/it doesn't So ever stop preaching, to catechize, bishop heard the order of the Divine fully Mr. and the apostle's recommendation, it is well My Lord Sarto. His/her/its predication is the most often the catechism adapted to the audience, living, inspired of the very life of the supporters, and refering to the needs essence of this life. Still she/it is evangelical, simple, illuminated of the teaching of and of Christ's life, fed of the holy writing and Fathers. She/it is of an oratory that to seize the small and biggest, the scientists as the ignoramuses. Thereon, the testimonies are unanimous, They signal all, with a particular insistence, this aspect of the apostolic goodwill of the Mantua bishop.

God's Servant, as bishop of Mantua, said My Lord Bressan, applied a lot to the teaching of the Christian doctrine. He/it insisted by his/her/its ready by circular and to live voice: himself personally to the afternoon of the feasts, went to the doctrine, and in particular in his/her/its visits pastorale.. Usually, God's Servant made, to the cathedral, the homily (always of forty minutes), either the present solemnity; he/it frequently preached in the parishes during the visit or on the occasion of the feasts… He/it insisted a lot on the company of the sacraments, and himself gave the example, while sitting of long hours in the confessional, either in the cathedral, to Mantua, either in the visits (48).

Another witness, of a special authority, My Lord John the Baptist rosa, declare:

In the visits, he/it taught the catechism personally to the children and explained it to the adults. He/it made obligations to the vicars to explain it every day holiday, during one hour to the children, and one half-hour to the adults, only except the days of Easter, Christmas and Pentecost, because, in these feasts, because of the celebration of the vespers, the time would have missed. But it was necessary to postpone the instruction on the following day… For encourages the survey of the catechism, he/it made a circular in which he/it promised eight hundred liras to that would have suggested the best method of teaching catéchistique. Sunday, where that he/it was, he/it made the explanation of The gospel. Every Sunday, when he/it was not in visit. The morning, he/it confessed a very long time to the cathedral where he/it had his/its confessional, and sometimes I saw it myself waiting that the church was open, during the week also, it confessed a lot, either the morning after the Mass, either in the evening, and every time that it was called, what often arrived (49)..

He/it didn't celebrate a feast, a solemnity of some importance, either years the city, either in the diocese, that, guest, he/it didn't run, not only to honor and to make more solemn by his/her/its presence the sacred functions, but to confess, to distribute the holy communion, to preach and to catechize his/her/its dear supporters. (50)

During his/her/its episcopate of Mantua, My Lord Sarto was many time invited to preach and to pontificate out of his/her/its diocese. But, rigorous observer of the law residence, he/it only accepted rarely strong and for irrefutable motives these sorts of invitations. this is how September 1-9-10-11, 1886 , he/it attended the coronation of Notre-Dame of the Graces in Brescia and made a splendid discours (51); in November 2886, he/it celebrated a papal ceremony in Crémone (52); in January 1887, he/it preached in Geneva, in the Saint-Sirus church, the novena of François saint of Dirty; in January 1888, he/it surrendered to Cream for the bishop's jubilee; in September 1892 he/it blesses in Alemnno-Salvatore the monument to Christ; in February 1893, with the cardinal Parocchi and the bishop of Préluse, he/it preached in Rome, on the occasion of the jubilee feasts of Léon XIII, in the basilica of San Lorenzo in Panisperna" idiot immenso plauso degli uditori (53) ". In May 1889, he/it intervened in a meeting of the commission that he/it presided, for the construction of a church in Ostiglia (54).

At My Lord Sarto, the goodwill of the souls spread to the religious buildings themselves. He/it put all his/her/its cares to the interview, to the restoration or to the creation of church. So, in less than six years, tell Marchesan, the beautiful church of Ostiglia, that everybody admires today, was finished (55).

The bishop wanted that in all churches, held with the biggest care, the religious ceremonies were executed not only with piety, but with taste and beautiful manner. The bishop of Mantua announced the one that, become pope, will recommend to pray on beauty". TO this subject, he imports to recall that, since this date, My Lord Sarto works to the introduction in the churches of a really religious music; already he/it cannot tolerate the abuses or practices contrary to the discipline or to the mind of the church. And he/it doesn't compromise. The Synod diocesans having forbidden, in an absolute manner, the use of the municipal fanfare during the religious ceremonies to the church and to the processions, he/it succeeds, by dint of energy and also of ability, to make disappear an use invétéré (56). Since this time also, My Lord Sarto made the acquaintance of grant Lorenzo Perozi; he/it will encourage it strongly to pursue his/her/its musical formation, as well as the preparation to the ministration. He/it protected it and sustained it with a paternal solicitude (57).

My Lord Sarto took advantage of all circumstances to intensify his/her/its people's Christian life, so, in March 1886, he/it gave a particular solemnity to the jubilee feasts of Anselme saint of Lucques, protective of Mantua. He/it invited five bishops and the patriarch of Venice there, the cardinal Angostini (58).

The feasts organized for the celebration of the third centenary of the death of Louis saint of Gonzague were more imposing. The bishop prepared them with a plain extra goodwill. He/it addressed a first call to the clergy and to the supporters of his/her/its diocese by a Letter of May 10, 1889 (59). June 2 of the same years, he/it addressed a Letter to all bishops to ask them to permit and to promote in their diocese the subscription opened in order to provide to the centenary's expenses (60).

By a new letter in date of September 32, 1889, he/it recommended the pilgrimage briskly in the sanctuary of Castiglione Stiviere delle, left from Louis saint of Gonzague (61). The sanctuary began to fall in ruin, and, by dint of energy, in spite of quick oppositions, one redid it nearly to nine. To the approach of the feasts, for the better to prepare, the bishop settled in Castiglione, unites the clergy and the fabriciers of the parochial church, constituted a commission that he/it presided himself, drew the program.

January 15, 1891, he/it addressed a Letter pastoral,e, long and ardent" to his/her/its very beloved young people, object of the solicitudes of his/her/its ministry, of the cares save some angels, pupil of the Christ ", in order to inflame them of a bigger ardor for the celebration of the big centenary that approached and that had to be their centenary. In this Letter, particularly remarkable, he/it recommended to youth to be strong and pure, to model itself/themselves on the virtues that are resplendent in the angelic Louise Gonzague. He/it told to them, among others:

Be strong! You need strength to triumph over oneself and passions, to remain faithful to the virtue and to the truth, to defeat the demon of the pain, of the lie. You need courage to keep the faith when so many others lose it, to remain attachés in the church, when so many others hunted it of their soul.. are strong, despise these judgments insane of a public opinion that pretend to adjust in sovereign on the universe, don't be afraid of this abject larva of the human respect who wants to oppose the holiest convictions of this faith that must be our pride and our glory. One only asks you that your strength is soft, that your virtue is agreeable, that the rigidity of your life is indulgent. One wants that you are understanding the some with regard to the other, that the best feel the excellence of their virtue by compassion towards their brothers (62).

And the bishop, while finishing, didn't fail to recall to decorate them their duties with regard to their children.

In 1891, from end to end of Italy, an admirable movement entailed the crowds toward Castiglione. The bishop wanted in person to receive the pilgrims, to organize the offices and to preside them, to speak to the crowds and to excite their piety. June 21, he/it pronounced a magnificent eulogy of saint Louis d Gonzague, solemnity was crowned by the blessing of S. S. Léon XIII. "The success marvelous of the solennités surprised everybody and conquered him (to the bishop) even the esteem of the objectors… The memory of these solennités is stayed deeply sacred in our Pontiff's memory (63)..

One understands without pain that they cost to Mgr, Sarto an immense fatigue. Already, June 4, 1891, before the feasts were not finished, the bishop wrote to a professor of the seminary of Trévise: "The feasts of Castiglione that produced a wakening passing my expectations, especially in Lombardy, and in Emilia, threaten to make age me of ten years; the labor continues the thought of the expenses that increases murder me; but to it will think holy Louis (64). "

Two other letters, in date of the 4 and July 12, 1891, attest the bishop's fatigue (65).

But, on the occasion of these feasts, My Lord Sarto to endure it of the sufferings of a more laborious kind than the fatigue grant he/it speaks: of the incomprehensions and "odious" contradictions (66). one of these contradictions was especially quick; in his/her/its scrupulous observance of controlled of the holy Church, in accordance with the Decrees of urban III, My Lord Sarto bars the illegitimate public cult in favors of the three nieces of Louis saint of Gonzague; Cinzia, Olympie and Gridonia… this measure, so fully justified, caused the biting angers… On the other hand, the bishop promoted the reason of the Servant of God François of Gonzague (67).

In all opportunity, the bishop of Mantua preached to his people, clergy and faithful, the love of the church and the pope.

"Examine his/her/its pastoral letters, said Marchesan, and you will see as My Lord Sarto, bishop of Mantua, didn't let pass the p ever read small opportunity without speaking of the Christ's Priest, without defending instructions, to recommend his/her/its love, of it to preach for him the most straightforward and complete devotion (68) ". to mention these examples only, August 19, 1886, he/it writes to his/its people a letter to announce the ministerial jubilee of Léon XIII. He/it is said there, among other things:

For us, Léon XIII is the guard of the holy Gospel, the depository and the interpreter of Christ's doctrine, the supreme dispensateur of the treasures of the church, and chief venerated of the Catholic religion, the first Pasteur of the souls, the Mr. infallible and therefore the sure guide that directs us in the trails of a world enveloped of darkness and the shades of the death. The sects understood well that this strength of the church is in the pope, that the whole firmness of our faith is founded on the successor of Pierre saint that is why they are decided to give by all means the assault to the papacy and to detach the men of it, while returning the pope object of indifference, hate and contempt; as more what look for has abolish our faith, our love, our attachment to the chief of the church, more we must tighten ourselves to him by new and public testimonies of faith, obedience and reverence.

And The bishop proposes precise rules so that this feast is celebrated with a real and filial respect (69). June 17, 1892, My Lord Sarto writes another pastoral Letter to announce the Episcopal jubilee of the big Pontiff.

…. That in this occurrence the supporters hasten to celebrate the Sovereign Pontiff… all over the world, they will sing a hymn of joy to cheer the Pontiff, they will address to the sky of the prayers so that is kept a life so precious and with demonstrations of piety and gratitude, in testimony of generosity and attachment, they will celebrate his/her/its Episcopal marriages of gold (70).)

In his/her/its pastoral Letter of September 5, 1894, My Lord Sarto wrote:

When one speaks of the Christ's Priest, he/it is not need to examine, but to obey; it is not necessary to measure the extent of the command, it is not necessary to steal to upset the sense of the words nor to interpret the pope's will worthy of the preconceived ideas, nor to oppose some rights to his/her/its right to teach and to order, nor to weigh is judgments, nor to debate his/her/its orders, in order to not to make injury to Christ himself (71).

Invincible attachment to the teachings of the Sovereign pontiff and the holy Church, fidelity to the traditional doctrine of the holy Church, to the eternal Truth whose church is the guard. With a singular strength, he/it applied to put in guard the minds against the supposed" novelties", that, already of his/her/its time, came to beat the rock of the Catholic faith, while decorating itself/themselves of the pompous title of" new philosophy". Since this date, the bishop of Mantua discerned and sensed the heresy that will especially take body from the 1890; one didn't speak again of modernism", one spoke of modern Christianity" in opposition to the ancient, in opposition to the faithful Christianity, to the infallible Magistery of the Christ's church, has the surprising text of a pastoral Letter of My Lord Sarto in date of February 7, 1887;

They are not rare those, that hardly know superficially the science of the religion and practice it less again, and that pretend to erect themselves in masters and go declarant that the church must adapt henceforth to the requirements of the times; that he/it is absolutely impossible of maintained the integrity first of his/her/its laws; that will be henceforth wiser and more convenient and more condescending, these men who will know how to sacrifice something of the ancient faith, to save the rest. In this modern Christianity, the ancient madness of the Cross seems forgotten, the dogmas of the faith must adapt to the requirements of the new philosophy, the public law of the Christian ages must presents itself with fear owing the big principles of the modern era, and to confess to the month the legitimacy of his/her/its defeat. The too stern evangelical morals should be suitable to complaisances, to accommodations, and the disciple will have to withdraws all his/her/its boring prescriptions in the nature to give the hand herself to the happy progress of the liberty law (72)!

The encyclic Pascendi dominici gregis is not - it not in germ in the pastoral Letter of February 7, 1887?

http://In the bishop's big heart, the charity of the souls felt itself with moon quicker intensity when some scandal exploded in the clergy, throwing trouble permitted the supporters (Precipitate ourselves to say that, during his/her/its episcopate to Mantua, these scandals became more and more rare, as far as stopping nearly completely.) In this case, the bishop put the biggest diligence to replace the unworthy priest by a priest faithful to his/her/its vocation. He/it didn't limit himself/itself there: the atrocious pain that it felt these decays inspired to its goodwill a new ardor and of the remedies of the most efficient" so, meeting L. Daëlli, all remember again, in Reverre, of the retirement that it preached to the population, during ten days, there on the occasion of one these deplorable events. To his/her/its speech all burning of faith and charity, the prelate joined the examples of one absolutely ministerial life, the minds were conquis…(73) "The fact is attested by My Lord Bressan in his/her/its deposition to the informative suit: "To Reveres, he/it says, occurred a scandal by a vicar's conduct that was distant. God's Servant sent, to replace it, an exemplary priest, then came there in no one to preach the spiritual exercises (74). "

The holy pontiff not to separate them, and one can wonder which carries away it on the autres`en reality, she/it only coalesces one, the first inspiring and enlivening the second: … Pontifex virtutum opifex, pastor bonus in populo…

Pastor bonus: My Lord Sarto the East to one degree and a manner that passes all descriptions and all analysis. It is well simple: he/it gives all his/her/its money, he/it gives everything that belongs to him. It is necessary that secretaries used of the bishopric, his/her/its sœurs keeps good watch to prevent that disappears the indispensable for the bishop. Not a misery that the bishop wants to rescue; not a poor to that he/it doesn't look for to make generosity; not an ashamed poverty" ", hidden, that it is ingenious to discover and to relieve with infinite gentleness. The testimonies, on this point agree with the most moving unanimity. "The charity towards the poor people was the characteristic of the life of My Lord Sarto to Mantua (75). " "The poor people were his/her/its dear friends, better again his/her/its benjamins (76). " "It liked them and received them at any hour of the day (77). " "Under their rags, with the eyes of his/her/its big faith, he/it saw the Divine Poor; he/it seemed him to live in moments of happiness, when, to the liturgical ceremony of the holy Thursday. He/it washed them the feet, and, knelt on the floor, kissed them as if they had been the Savior's feet himself (78). " "For them, he/it forgot himself/itself himself to the point that often he/it was s san a cent and even without dresses (79). "

The features abound. A lot of these anecdotes have already been published either in the newspapers, either in the numerous works written on Magpie X. That knows the history of the false stone substituted in the Episcopal ring for the precious; "shining", to make the charity to the poor people (80), And the history of the stew surreptitiously stolen to the kitchen by the bishop, to give the soup to a poor sick woman (81), and so many other facts whose authenticity is more difficult to establish.

With regard to the ashamed œuvres" ", the charity of My Lord Sarto made itself especially loving and tender.

To Mantua a theater singer lived that a quarter of hour of celebrity had had, but had fallen in an extreme misery, triumphant of the confusion of his/her/its state and also of his/her/its life, one morning it makes herself/itself bring to the bishop. The blessed who recognizes it welcomes it with the worthiest respect, and, of a face full of compassion, listen to the history of his/her/its miseries. Then, putting him money in the hand with a gesture clean to avoid to the pauvrette all feeling of confusion: "Your case tightens me the heart, it says; take this money, but I ask you for a thing: Say nothing about yourselves! "

He/it was someone that, seeing to take the poor wretch of the bishop's apartment, risk to say that she/it would not have must be received and that she/it didn't deserve so much goodness. My Lord Sarto answered as a saint would have answered: "What this pauvrette received, it didn't receive it of me, but of the Lord (82). "

The most moving again, these are the acts of heroic charity accomplished by My Lord Sarto in favor of the people who had offended it or abused. The Gazette of Ferrare, of the 11 juillet1923, told the following fact, that has been collected by the P. Abbé Benedetto Rerami, postulateur of the Reason of Magpie X, in his/her/its the Pontiff's biography (83). A businessman, living in Mantua, named Alcibiade Moneta, socialist, had written a draws slanderous against My Lord Sarto. The bishop didn't linger to know the author of draws it, and he immediately started praying for him. To those that advised him to sue this man, he/it answered: "This poor wretch needs prayers more that of punishments. " A short time after, this man made bankruptcy and saw itself tracked by his/her/its creditors, All was lost for him. Set informed of the business, the bishop asks by him for an old lady of good œuvres and says to him: "You see, it is a poor wretch, one cannot name it otherwise. Go find his/her/its wife, and carry him this. " While speaking, he/it took in his/its office the necessary large sum, put it in an envelope: "Especially, he/it added, don't say that it is I that send you. If one insists excessively, you will be able to say that the person who united this sum of money is the most merciful Lady of all: the Virgin of the Perpetual Help."

A has analogous is told by a vicar of Mantua, Monsignor Giuseppe Sartori, that lived again in 1940.

He/it flowed out, since, forty-two years, he/it said, and I remember the fact as, he/it was of yesterday, In the afternoon of June 23, 1893, the bishop, My Lord Sarto, upon his/her/its return of Romme or he/it had just received the crimson cardinalice, made his/her/its triumphal entry to Mantua. But among the demonstrations of joy and enthusiasm of an immense crowd, one heard dissonant screams. A small group of anticlericals, having theirs head the director of the newspaper The Provincia Di Mantova, supported against the monument of the Martyrs of Belfiore (Garibaldiens), on the Sordello place, were agitated vociferous e against the living that cheered the unforgettable cardinal. One of them, that would distinguish itself among all others by the red handkerchief, very seer, that flew like a flame around his/her/its neck, shouted and was agitated like a lunatic, excited his/her/its neighbors to imitate it. Few days after, one saw this anticlerical", scarlet red" writing, on a table of the coffee of the" Peace", a letter in the cardinal Sarto for asks him a help in family's difficulties or he/it struggled. Someone recalled him his/her/its unspeakable recent conduct you with regard to the cardinal. "I know, answered the poor person, but My Lord Sarto has a good and generous heart that assures me his/her/its forgiveness and his/her/its charity." The letter was received, and the bishop immediately sent the solicited help, accompanied of these words non destitute to savor: "This time the help is more abundant, because the one that more that the other got tired to shout against me, to more that the others need of comforting (ristoro) to get back e forces (84).

It is necessary to say well that, for the bishop's unceasing and disconcerting generosity, the divine Providence didn't stop, either, to rescue tangible manner his/her/its servant. The hand of the Lord lavished him his/her/its grants. And these grants arrived to bridge, when all was humanly desperate, but that, one minute had not bent the pontiff's supernatural confidence. To mention this example, among so many others, only:

One day that he/it didn't have a cent anymore and that it needed about hundred francs to accomplish one of his/her/its dark acts of devotion that lets the especially thankful souls that they are less known, he/it got on the knees and ask God to come to the help of his/her/its distress. He/it was in his/her/its cabinet of work. All of a sudden (He/it didn't have an antechamber), a gentleman of Mantua, widely-known by his/her/its charity, presented himself/itself. After having greeted the bishop and kissed his/her/its ring, he/it handed him an envelope said to some: "Excellence, you will say for me three Ave Marie." The bishop, believing that it was about business, took the envelope, opened it: she/it contained a ticket of straightforward miles. Be blessed, marquis! He/it exclaimed; it is the Providence that sends you. I didn't know anymore how to make" Useless to add that, the week hardly draining, My Lord Sarto met, as before, not having a cent anymore. His/her/its Money was the money of the poor people (85).

It would be necessary to say the bishop's special charity again with regard to the patients, to some conditions that they belong, rich or poor, suffering members of Christ. The bishop envelops them all of overflowing tenderness, but with a nuance of predilection for the poor people, and puts all his/her/its heart to relieve them, spiritually, materially. He/it invites them, comfort them, manage them, comfort them. For them, of night as day, the door of the bishopric remained open,; at some hour that it is, if one calls it, he/it leaves, a whole month, he/it surrendered every day by a seriously sick officer, because he/it knew how to be he a strength and a consolation. Nothing stopped the good pastor when one signalled him a stray sheep that he/it could return on his/its shoulders.

A professor of the Mantua high school was going to die. It was a free thinker, but that his/her/its situation had often put in reports with the chief of the diocese, and it had kept for it a big esteem. The read bishop made ask if he could receive" his/its "Sarto friend, that he would like to tighten him merely the hand a last time. The patient could not refuse to so much goodness; but his/her/its answer doesn't arrive to the bishop that very late in the middle of the night. The streets, in that time, I was not very sure for the priests who risked themselves of it at one unusual hour. It could not be an obstacle for the pastor of the souls. Without wanting that no one came with it, he/it ran, hit to the sinner's door, remained until the morning by him, only left it after having brought it to God and received communion himself (86).

Following the deposition of My Lord Rosa, Mgr, Sarto felt a quick particular desire to manage himself the confirmation to the sick children; "and a lot of times, add the witness, I came with it myself, to the hospital, where he/it managed the confirmation to the dying children. In the administration of this sacrament, he/it never omitted to make a small speech to the godfathers and to the confirming (87) ". He/it didn't omit more, one guesses it well, to bring some helps material to the patients, and in particular some treats to the children. This detail is attested by many" witness."

But", good Pasteur" My Lord Sarto spread its charity to those that didn't belong, of body, to his/her/its herd, we steal to say the no - Catholics, he/it was always for them full of considerations and goodness, especially for the Jewish, very numerous to Mantua and seen generally enough badly of the population. To this topic, Mgr, Rosa let us, without his/her/its deposition to the informative suit, two excerpts of an exceptional significance, so much under the report of the considerations, due to the non-catholic as to all men, that under the report of the servant Dieu piety towards the souls of the Purgatory:

Still about charity I remember that, having learned that a group of Mantua seminarians had not removed their hat to the passage of the coffin of a Jew, it was saddened some and says: "They were badly elevated and loose; they had to think that behind the coffin has had the parents grief-strickens and that these deserved this comfort. " (I make notice that the meeting had their on the bridge Saint - George who is very narrow.) I remember more that one day I accompanied it in walk, to Mantua, whereas it was already cardinal, we were before the cemetery of the Jews. God's Servant taking a firm tone asked me suddenly so for these deaths I would have recited the Of Profundis, I answered that no, because or they had died with the desire of the baptism and then they were in Paradise, or they had not had that wants all prayer then was useless. He, to answer me immediately, removed his/her/its hat and immediately began naturally the Of Profundis to which I answered, the finished psalm, while putting back his/her/its hat, he/it tells me smiling; "See, Baptist, now we made our part. The Lord will make his. Because he/it didn't say that the theology of the Lord is as the one that taught the Jesuit Fathers and the Gregorian university." I came since can of day to finish my studies in the Gregorian university of Rome, and if, in not reciting this prayer, we had not deprived was - that that only one soul of some relief, what responsibility we would have incurred (88)!

Finally, he/it is a category of "poor people" on which My Lord Sarto poured out its charity with an ardent solicitude: the emigrants.

Already under Mgr's episcopate, Sarto to Mantua, the Italian emigration began to take troubling proportions, the situation economic of the country, the extraordinary development of the birthrate, the negligence and the inability of the public powers, the political uvulas maintained by the extremist parties, and especially by the revolutionaries, with for the unavoidable consequence, the wound of unemployment, had created among the people a big misery. To the surplus, the appeal of the novelty, the calls and the promises especially addressed by South America to populations as laborious as industrious; all it encouraged a very dangerous movement for the true interests of the mother-gone. Impotent to stop this movement and to carry the measures that were the government's spring. The bishop worked of all his/her/its strengths to hold his/her/its people in his/her/its country, with a real anguish, he preoccupied material interests of the emigrants, of the risks that ran abroad for their person, for their family,; did he/it worry especially, and to how much just title, of their soul, was not - done not it expose, indeed, to forget or to disregard his/her/its traditions of faith, his/her/its religious practices, completely finally his/her/its Christian life, to let itself/themselves absorb by the material life or the lusts of the fortune? In all parishes, he/it asked the priests to work to stop the movement of emigration, to create some organizations in favor emigrants, in order to keep contact with them, to procure them all els religious help, all possible moral and material help (89). TO a triad hundred five parishioners of Mantua who left for America, he/it addressed, one Sunday of August 1887, these moving words,:

… Him I don't belong, very dear sons, to judge if our countries have those where the mouths are too numerous for the means of subsistence, and too numerous the arms that ask for work; whatever one decides some, me as father of your souls, I must deplore the departure of so many my sons for places where there they will only find very rarely and with big difficulty this religious help that, thanks to God, don't miss here again. To abandon the church where we have been made Christian, where we learned to pray, where we made the first communion, where we took so much part to the feasts of the Lord, where we listened to the divine speech, to go in a country or will miss some dear help, and or to big pain a few times in the years, one could meet a priest and could attend the Mass… Oh! he/it is impossible to this thought not to feel in the pain, the mercy, compassion! I recommend you, oh dear sons, to keep this faith that you received to the holy baptism, to practice the religion, and to procure you, were not that that every now and then, this help that only can alleviate and return tolerable the miseries of life. Before your departure, I ask you to present you to your archpriest who will give you, in addition to the recommendations and memories, some copies of the diocesan catechism, what small books of devotion and the necessary certificate to make recognize you like Christian and Catholic, and that the blessing of the Lord always comes with throughout you (90)!

Of the rest, long before to become pope, since his/her/its episcopate to Mantua, Mgr.Sarto s,est leaned with anguish on the social question, One ignores it or one too often underestimates it, and it is a big injustice! He/it had, him, for his/her/its personal account, a special manner, and His/her/its personal account, a special manner, and between all efficient s, to solve the social question, the manner that many among the zealous theoreticians either forget too comfortably neglectful, and that is to practice oneself, with kills total fullness and until the constant heroism, the divine charity. But he/it also knew that, in a world become a sort of jungle, in a society that revolted them dove in the mess and the unbalance, it cannot be sufficient, and that it is necessary to work to found the social life herself on bases and the structures of justice and love, terrifying problem, on which, whatever one tells to some, the church thought itself need before the contemporary time, without being able to again, for one thousand reasons and especially because of the obstacles raised against his/her/its work, to apply some remedies, to find some solutions that a long patience, a lot of hesitations, of the experiences appropriated to the needs and the possibilities, joined to the good will and to a just clairvoyance, would be able to alone to help to discover..

However that may be, since his/her/its episcopate to Mantua, My Lord Sarto made itself the apostle of these burning questions that, to the XIX e century, raised, in France, in Italy, in Germany, in Poland, in Belgium, in America, so many discussions and struggles,. It is to the wise advice and the lights of My Lord Sarto that resorted the two masters of the movement social Catholic in Italy, count Medolago-Albani and the famous professor Toniolo, of the university of Pisa, in the foundation of "the Catholic union of the social Studies "in 1889. December 29 of this same year, My Lord Sarto attended the first Italian Catholic Convention of Social studies, held in Padua, nearby; the soul and the guide of this Convention are necessary indeed. Later, at the time of the second Convention of the union, held in Padua in 1896, Mgr, Callegari, bishop of Padua, will be able to remind exactly to S. Ém. The cardinal Sarto, the major part of the patriarch of Venice in the creation of "Catholic l‘union of the social Studies", of 1889, the vigorous given impetus,; to this work "by the wise speech inflamed" of My Lord Sarto (91). at the time of this first Convention (1889) where the discussions were sometimes very quick, My Lord Sarto succeeds in making adopt resolutions of capital importance, and that, thereafter, were going to enjoy a singular fortune: such the cooperative shape of the social economy, and the proportional admission to the splitting of profits. In toues measures it d e his/her/its strengths, My Lord Sarto worked to make apply them in his/her/its diocese
in particular the cooperatives took an immense extension (92).


To the surplus, to the fall of 1890, in a Convention held in Lodi, My Lord Sarto succeeds in grouping in the setting of a sort of Catholic action before the letter, all œuvres and Catholic associations until there scattered under the title: Œuvre of the Catholic Conventions. Of this work, rented, blessed and advisable by Magpie IX and Léon XIII, My Lord Sarto, before even to be bishop of Mantua, had been an untiring apostle. But the work that had returned and returned ink of big services, was, in 1890, due to various and especially political influences, as gnawed by raising the faction and dissension, the Convention of Lodi was held in order to reorganize these too scattered strengths. And it is My Lord Sarto that had the load to redo the harmony and the unit among the Catholic. He/it applies of it with big strength. Ignore "myself, he/it exclaimed, God's intentions on Italy; I hope in the infinite mercy of the sky; but so many pains found on us by the dissension of the Catholics and I come to say that if, avect so many means that we had again between the hands, we didn't succeed in uniting us strongly to achieve a few something of good, he/it will be too rightly that the world persecutes us (93)." The congressional Acts return that the speech of My Lord Sarto "raised the quickest enthusiasm". Of fact, the bishop succeeds in redoing for several years the unit in these multiple œuvres. And following the new organization, the social conferences, the sections of the young, the parochial committees, the insurances Catholic, the cooperatives, etc., "covered the diocese soon (94)."
It is therefore just and curiously interesting to greet in My Lord Sarto, bishop of Mantua, an initiator of the Catholic corporate action, as it is just to see in his/her/its work has all the less therefore the bootjack of this Catholic Action Magpie XI was going to be the promoter.

What was, to Mantua, the attitude of My Lord Sarto with regard to the public powers? She/it was, of begin it at the end of his/her/its episcopate, of the most perfect deference, of a whole and respectful submissiveness to the just laws and regulations, of a gracious dignity with regard to people. This attitude, that was in the temperament and in the bishop's old habits, was of as much more appropriate, or even necessary, that to his/her/its arrival the political struggles were quick and that the clergy had too often compromised the situation, by a lack troublesome of measure, of respect and by an inconsiderate interference to the political rivalries. In his/her/its circular or his/her/its Letters have his/her/its clergy, in the meetings and decisions of the Synod, the bishop recommended to his/her/its priests the attitude of faithful deference that he/it practiced himself. So that, until the end, in spite of the difficulty of the times, the reports remained to all least appropriate with the authorities of the state (95).

This attitude of moderation, of mind of concord and peace put the bishop of as much more to help to appear farm when him the faillait. In fact, every time that were threatened the rights of the church and consciences, My Lord Sarto stood against the oppressive or impious pretensions of the public power, with the fearlessness of God's heralds and defenders of the souls. "He/it conquered the mind of all, said Joseph grant, well quickly Pescine in his/her/its deposition; but the parties and the sectarian authority realized expeditiously that they had business with a man who would not give up easily when it was about the glory of God and the interests of the church (96). " Thus, as soon as drew itself at the Italian Parliament threatens it of a Government bill introducing in Italy divorces it and defending to celebrate the religious marriage before what one calls the civil marriage, My Lord Sarto protested. He/it unites to the bishopric the members of the Committee diocesan e denounced before them, with the biggest firmness, the attacks that the international revolutionary program plotted against the evangelical dogma, against the morals, the family and the partrie (97).

March 14 of every year, he/it was of use to celebrate the king's birthday, Humbert Ier, by a You Deum ` has the cathedral, In 1889, for the first time, the government enacted that the civil servants would go at the synagogue after the Catholic office. It forget, that, only, the Catholic religion was, in Italy, religion of state, it lower the Catholic religion before the people and make hear him that" all religions are worth themselves". After having thought and prayed, Mgr, Sarto was not content with crying and to moan; some days before the le14 March, he/it makes the civil authorities of Mantua known officially that, if they had the intention to pass the Catholic church in the synagogues, he/it would see himself/itself in the laborious obligation not receiving them. Big agitation in the official world and in the liberal so-called press" ". My Lord Sarto doesn't bend. The Crispi ministry consulted decided - courageously that the civil authorities would abstain of one and the other religious ceremony: "Nor to the synagogue nor to the cathedral (98)! "


I remembered in particular, deposited My Lord Rosa, that in the country named Poggio Rusco, the anniversary day of Garibaldi's death, to celebrate this date, one wanted to make baptize sixteen or eighteen children, among which the son of the Syndic. The children were already at the church, the vicar having refused that one played Garibaldi's hymn during the ceremony and the strip having feigned to agree there. But while the priest began the ceremony, the musicians made irruption in the church and got to play Garibaldi's hymn. The vicar, who was called Mezzadri grant then, immediately suspended the ceremony and telegraphy to God's Servant, this one immediately answered him to surrender to Mantua to the bishopric, that he/it had sent to Poggio Rusco another priests, and the day even he/it presented himself/itself in person in the so-called parish. Hardly arrived, he/it made to sound the bells and to gather the people in the church. He/it went up in chair and tells the people: "Your vicar, it is I, and I will remain so much among you that you won't have baptized your children as makes the Christian, in adjoining, let's make honorable fine together to the Lord for the offense that you inflicted him yesterday"; and he/it had the Saint exposed - Sacrament, every day following, he/it preached to the people as Mission and he/it baptized all repeatedly these children (99)

Gifted of a deep realistic sense, My Lord Sarto, since his/her/its episcopate to Mantua, gave an importance of foreground to the Catholic press. He/it didn't have the material means to make on this point the realizations that he/it failed and that missed to Mantua. But he/it encouraged and sustained all his/her/its middle l' Osservatore Cattolico of Milan: before the creation to Mantua of the newspaper Catholic bi-weekly. Him Cittadino, he/it asked an excellent priest, grant Giuseppe Sartori, of a regular correspondence on the ecclesiastical and Catholic movement of the city and the diocese, in The Cattolico Osservatore of Milan,; in the Difesa of Venice, in the Verona Fedele. When, in 1892, was founded in Trévise the small Catholic newspaper the Vita Popolo del, My Lord Sarto wrote, February 2, to his/her/its director,:

I greeted with a real pleasure the publication of a periodic of Catholic principles in Trévise: I make you my compliments of it, because of the manner of which he/it is written, I am sure that he/it will include big advantages. Gladly I will see it up to here widespread, and I will recommend it in my visits in the diocese. (100).

Such was, in his/her/its essential lines, the work and the pastoral life of My Lord Sarto to Mantua. Œuvre and life, of the rest, cannot separate: hopeless baffle insulated, total compénétration and harmony. The intimate or private life, the kind of personal life, if I dare to say, of the pontiff, well far from differing of the pastoral life is the intense home the soul, the deep life, of it.

To his/her/its elevation to the episcopate, My Lord Sarto doesn't change anything to his/her/its kind of previous life: even absolute simplicity, same taste and convenient of the humility and poverty, the ministerial regularity", Beppi, tells him his/her/its sister one day to the news of his/her/its election as you be trust when you will be a bishop! - Not more, it answered, that the other days. " And, indeed, he/it continued, while progressing, as he/it will continue until the tip while progressing, faithful to his/her/its native modesty, to his/her/its habits of detachment of the terrestrial.

She/it is tasty and meaningful, the history of the good cleaned of Saint - Justine of Padua and My Lord Sarto, This one, before going to Rome to be consecrated there, comes there to pure Padua to make visit, to the bishop of this city, My Lord Callegari, former bishop of Trévise and remaining the friend of his/her/its general priest. He/it stops to the church Saint - Justine to say the Mass there.

The vicar, seeing entered in the vestry a poorly clothed clergyman, ask him for his/her/its celebret. Don Sarto in not having, he/it made the difficult. He/it asks him: From where are you? Of Trévise. - That make - you in Trévise? - Nothing. - How nothing? You are not cleaned nor priest nor priest habituée? no. You astonish me. With what the clergy of Trévise has task, you live in a soft idleness!…

But if you allow it to me, I could tell a word of recommendation to your bishop, that I know, while waiting, so-called the Mass. "Then, by precaution, the vicar commands the sacristan to serve himself the unknown's Mass and how he will say it to supervise well. As soon as she/it was finished, the sacristan ran to tell the rector that he had celebrated it with a big piety and a true devotion. "So much the better! " exclaimed the vicar, with a sigh of relief,; and he/it was going to see has a register on which all foreign priest who says the Mass must sign his name. What was not his/her/its stupefaction to read: Joseph. Sarto, elected bishop of Mantua (101)!

He/it lived in the Episcopal palace with an extreme simplicity, deposited grant Joseph Pescine, even going without from the people who could have served it in all suitability. He/it had with him, alternately, one of his/her/its sœurs. Once, while he/it was alone, he/it had the opportunity to receive My Lord Archille Ratti, and it was himself that served him coffee in all simplicity (102).

We have the good fortune to possess, in Mgr's deposition, Rosa - witness, as we already told it, particularly allows it detail of the daily life of My Lord Sarto to Mantua. We will fully mention it.

God's Servant to Mantua was very early. He/it rose every day at four o'clock. At five o'clock he/it celebrated the Mass that he/it had the meditation and the preparation preceded. Many times, in fact, I found it knelt to make his/her/its mediation, having before him the imitation and the gospel. The finished Mass, he/it made the action of graces, after what he/it took a cup of black coffee; then he/it went to his/her/its cabinet of work, where he/it immediately recited the Hours, and he/it would not move of it anymore until one hour in the afternoon, he/it suspended the audiences, and received the Curie every day holiday. To the stroke of bell, he/it got at the table for the lunch. He/it ate lunch with Mgr, Bressan, his/her/its secretary, with some of his/her/its familiar and with me, and very often, even nearly daily, with priests come outside the city, to the number sometimes, of five or six, for example on the occasion of the contests. Knowing that someone of the seminarians, for reason of health, needed a best régime, he/it wanted that these seminarians have their meal with him: I remember that some ate to its table during some months, for example a named clerk Incontri, that died of his/her/its illness. The lunch usually consisted, besides soup, in a dish of meat, almost always boiled, with green vegetables, cheese and fruits. Some day, not always, there were some slices of ham, but lorsqu someone was sick, the bishop had something carried besides. After the lunch, he/it drank a small cup of coffee: then he/it took a little rests on an armchair. After a very short rest, he/it went for his/its walk and finished it almost always by one visit in a few institute or religious house, where he/it made the visit to the Saint-Sacrament, or he/it made it at the cathedral. He/it retired to the Ave Maria and, until sound nine hours, he/it didn't move his/her/its cabinet of work anymore, during this time, he/it studied or sent the correspondence and recited Matins and Laudeses, at 9 o'clock, he/it went at the chapel, with the whole family to recite the Rosary, that himself, on the knees, and usually without, to push, intonava. After the Rosary, all together, one was going to dine. The dinner was very frugal and consisted in a dish of meat, always to boil, with a furniture of green vegetables. When he/it had some guests, or if he/it knew that someone of his/her/its commensaux preferred a special food, God's Servant wanted that she was immediately prepared him; but for himself, he/it was very frugal (parco). After the dinner, remained to table, he/it read or rather browsed the newspapers, chatted one instant with us, inquired about news of the day. And it, one can say it, constituted his/her/its unique recreation of the day. He/it usually retired to his/her/its room toward the ten hours, or ten hours and half. But I have motive to believe that he/it didn't immediately lie down. In fact, more of once, I noticed that, again after that hour, he/it stayed up and had the lit lamp (according to L. Daelli, he/it didn't lie down before midnight.)

Such was his/her/its plain life style, Every Sunday, when he/it was not in visit, the morning, during a very long time, he/it confessed to the cathedral where he/it had his/its confessional, and sometimes I saw it waiting that the church was open. During the week also, he/it very often confessed, either the morning after the Mass, either in the evening, to some moment that he/it was called; what often arrived to him. God's Servant treated himself/itself very lovingly sœurs, but also with very big dignity, and if they were sick, he spent one moment in their room and blessed them. With the servants, he/it was reserved very, but very gracious (103).

In his/her/its deposition to the affirmative suit, My Lord Bressan is a lot briefer about the life style plain of the Mantua bishop, because him being very for a long time himself on his/her/its pastoral action, about food, he/it gives more austere details than My Lord Rosa, here it is, of the rest, the complete text of the deposition on the point that occupies us.

To Mantua, he/it continued his/its kind of life, He/it rose of very big morning, worked the whole day, received at all hour, some person of any condition. He/it celebrated the Mass at five o'clock, only took a little coffee, and continued the audiences until verse the two hours; he/it ate lunch, quite took a rest little a small (pocino) and if the time permitted it, it was going to take a gulp of air, after what it went back to his/its cabinet to work or give audience until belated very hour, the dinner took place customarily at eight o'clock, but often it was delayed; because of the work of God's Servant. In his/her/its food he/it was very temperate; in the first time, to dine, he/it took a little bread, of cheese and a little wine. Thereafter, he/it added a little soup. He/it only rested four hours (104).

These testimonies, far from contradicting itself/themselves, complete themselves, to put in relief seizing the simplicity, the regularity, the austerity of this life. When ` has the sensitive difference of the notations with regard to food, the deposition of My Lord Bressa only applies to the case where the bishop could satisfy his/her/its personal desire of mortification, without missing to his/her/its extreme charity for his/her/its commensaux.

One is not able to apply to this life the beautiful picture in which the famous Manzoni summarized the life of the cardinal Frédéric Borromée: "She/it presents herself/itself like a stream that sprung limpid of the rock, in a long course by various lands, go limpid to throw itself/themselves in the stream (105). "

The people of Mantua could proclaim in all equity: "Our bishop is a holy bishop… Of the priests as him, there is not some." And the cardinal Parocchi was not mistaken each time that, talking of My Lord Sart, he said: "The bishop of Mantua is the best of the bishops of Lombardy"; He/it could have said: and of a lot of other dioceses.

So Léon XIII heard it, He didn't ignore the qualities and the merits exceptional of the Mantua bishop. He/it knew the œuvres and the holy life of My Lord Sarto. He/it knew are filial attachment and his/her/its absolute devotion to his/her/its person and to the church. He/it knew that the bishop of Mantua had always welcomed not only his/her/its instructions with deference, but with a sincere enthusiasm and a fertile intelligence. In the consistory of June 12, 1893, he/it named My Lord Giuseppe cardinal Sarto of the Roman church. Three days after, he/it named it archbishop and patriarch of Venice, while first of all naming it cardinal, the pope had wanted to mark well, as he explained himself/itself besides positively of it, that this nomination was" less the accompaniment customary of his/her/its new load of patriarch of Venice that the rewards reserved by the pope in person to l the bishop of Mantua"; and so that no one draws to be mistaken on the intentions of the Holy Father, Léon XIII declared that, contrary to the practices, My Lord Sarto would keep, until his/her/its hold of belongings of the seat of Venice, the title of Mantua bishop,; Cardinal Sarto, bishop of Mantua, and that he/it would continue the administration of the diocese.

Of his/her/its part, before honor and the dignity that came, the humble bishop felt sadness and fear, My Lord Callegari, bishop of Padua and his/her/its friend only, having written him unofficially on behalf of the Holy See, to know if he would be prepared to accept the patriarchy of Venice, with prayer to answer immediately, he answered by telegram: No mid mancherebbe propiro altro! " (I would lack it only!), popular expression that means the height of an adventure that one dreads (106).

(1) Cf. Marchesan, op.cit., p. 239 Anna Sarto, Sum.I.C. p.62
(2) Cf. Marchesan, op.cit., p. 240 Maria Sarto, Sum.I.C. p.62
(3) L. Daelli. Op.cit., pp.99-100
(4) Proc. Apost. Romanus, flight, I. p.15.Sum.Vit.p.30,
(5) Proc. Apost. Romanus, flight, II.p.819.Sum.Vit.p137,
(6)Déposition of grant ANGELUS GAUDINI Proc. Apost. Mantuanus, p.182.Sum.Vit.p.658,
(7) Proc. Apost. Mantuanus, p.211.Sum.Vit.p.663,
(8) Cf.Mgr.Bressan, Memorie mss., Arch, postulazione,
(9) Sum. Virt, p.663 and passim, to See the testimonies of the diocesan suit of Mantua especially.
(10) Cf. Marchesan, op. cit., pp. 248-249 - My Lord Rizzi, Sum I.C. p.671 Bag. C. Pedrini, ibid., p. 53r
(11) Proc. Apost. Romanus, vol.I,pp.45-46. Sum. Virt., p.31
(12) L.Daelli, Op.Cit., pp. 106-109 Cfs. Marchesan, Op. Cit., p.250
(13) My Lord Rosa, Proc. Ord. Romanus, p.969.Sum.Virt.p.358,
(14) Eccl. , LI,31.
(15) pastoral letters of My Lord Sarto, Arch. Of The Mantua bishopric,
Texts mentioned by Marchesan Op. Cit., p.253
(16) testimony of the Blessed. Cf. Marchesan, op.cit., p.254. City by Dal - Gen., op.cit., p.113
(17) dal-gal, op,cit., 116 Cfs. My Lord Am Rizzi,Proc.Ord, tarvisinus. P.1351. My Lord A.Besutti, Proc,Ord.Mantuanus,p.2051.
(18) Proc. Ord. Romanus,p. 968.Sum,Virt.,p.35g
(19) pastoral letters (Mantua), 4th 408
(20) Proc. Apost. Romanus. flight, I. pp. 56-58. Sum Virt., pp. 34-35
(21) Proc. Apost. Romanus. flight, II. pp. 97. Sum Virt., pp. 360
(22) Cf.Maria Sarto, Proc. Apost. Romanus. flight, I. pp. 760. My Lord Rizzi, Proc. Apost. Tarvisinus,p.1409
(23) letters of the cardinal Giuseppe Sarto, patriarch of Venice, to the bishop of Padua, Giuseppe Callegari, p. XII Cité by Dal-Callus., op. cit., p.128
(24) Ibied.
(25) letters to his/her/its clergy, oh 160, Arch. of the bishopric.
(26) Proc. Apost, Romanus.vol.I.p.58. Sum.Virt., p.35
(27) Cf. Marchesan, op.cit., pp. 259-260 Sac.sartoris, sum, I.C., p.536
(28) Tupis Apollonto
(29)Cf. Marchesan,op.cit., p.260
(30) pastoral letters, oh 501
(31) pastoral letters, no 536 Cfs. Dal Gen., op.cit., pp148
(32) My Lord Rosa, Proc, Ord, Romanus, p.972, Sum Virt,m p, 360,,
(33) letters to the clergy no, 649,
(34) letters to the clergy, no 513,
(35) pastoral letter of September 5, 1894
(36). Lettre pastorale du 5 septembre 1894. Cité par Dal-Gal, op.cit.,p.151
(37). Ibid
(38). Apost. Romanus, vol.I, p. 45 sum.Virt., p.30
(39). Mgr.Bressan, ibid,, p.31
(40). Cf.Marchesan, op. cit., pp. 252, 288, 289
(41). Ibid., p. 282
(42). Ibid., p. 282
(36). Lettre pastorale du 5 septembre 1894. Cité par Dal-Gal, op.cit.,p.151
(37). Ibid
(38). Apost. Romanus, vol.I, p. 45 sum.Virt., p.30
(39). Mgr.Bressan, ibid,, p.31
(40). Cf.Marchesan, op. cit., pp. 252, 288, 289
(41). Ibid., p. 282
(42). Ibid., p. 282
(43). Op.cit.,p.283
(44). Lettre du 12 octobre 1885, no.584
(45). Même lettre
(46). Atti e Documenti del Primo Congresso Catechistico, tenutosi en Piacenza, nei giorni 24-25-26 settembre 1889,Piacenza : tip Vescovile, 1890 p.. 67-69
(47). Proc. Ord, Mantuanus, Passim
(48). Proc.Apost. Romanus, ppp.51-54 Sum.Virt., pp.33-35
(49). Proc.Apost. Romanus, vol, II, pp.963-971. Sum. Virt., pp.356-359
(50). Marchesan op.cit.,pp.275-176 sac, Santori, Sum.I.C.p.537
(51). Pedrini, Sum.I.C., P.532
(52). De Livre des Messes, de Mgr. Bressan, année 1886, novembre
(53) Marchesan op.cit., p. 276 Mgr. Parolin, Sum I.C., p.144
(54). Marchesnan op.cit., p. 276
(55) Op.cit.,p.277
(56). Cf.Dal-Gal,op.cit., p.191
(57). Cf. Marchesan,op.cit.,p.285
(58). Ibid, pp.245,146,147.
(59). Lettre pastorale, no 454
(60). Archives de l’évêché de Mantoue
(61). Lettre pastorale, no 733
(62). Ibid., no 56
(63). Daelli, op cit, p, 117 Cf. Marchesan, op. cit., pp.261 et suivant
(64). Dans Marchesan,op. cit., p 268. Cité par Dal-Gal, op. cit., p.186
(65). Cf. Marchesan op.cit., p 268, sac Perini, Sum I.C., p. 532
(66). C’est l’expression d’un témoin : le prêtre Pedrini, loc, cit.
(67). Sac, Pedrini, Sum. I.C., p. 532
(68). Op .cit., p. 180
(69). Lettres pastorales de Mgr. Sarto, aux Archives de l’évêché de Mantoue. Cité par Marchesan, op. cit., p. 280
(70). Lettres pastorales, Cf. Marchesan, ibid
(71). Lettres pastorales, Cf.Rosa, Proc, Ord, Romanus, p, 1035 Parolin, Proc, Ord, Romanus, p, 713. Sartonri, Proc, Ord, Mantuanus, p.85
(72). Lettre spastorales, Cf,. Dal-gal, op.cit., p. 174
(73). Op. Cit., p.115
(74). Proc, Apost, romanus, vol, I, p,52. Re, Sum. Vir., p.33
(75). Trazzi, Proc, Ord, Mantuanus, p.198
(76). Rizzi, Proc, Ord, tarvisinus, pp. 1416 à 1435 Martini, Proc. Ord. Mantuanus, p.155
(77). Mgr, Rosa. Proc, Ord. Romanus, p. 1038
(78). Marie Sarto, Proc. Ord. Romanus p. 101
(79). Anna, Sarto, Proc, Ord, romanus, p. 148
(80) Cf. Marchesan, Mgr. Rosa, etc.
(81) Comte De Colleville, Pie X, intime, p.76
(82) L. Ferrai, Vita di Pio X. ch. XII, p. 81
(83) Vita del servo di Dio, Pie X, Torino, 1925
(84). Cité par Dal-gal, îeo X Il Papa Santo, éd.1940, pp.84-85
(85). L.Daëlli, op.cit., pp. 121-122
(86). L.Daëlli, op.cit., pp. 114-115. Le même fait est rapporté par divers autres témoins.
(87). Proc, Ord, Romanus, vol, II, p, 1024 Sum, Virt, ., p. 366
(88). Proc, Ord, Romanus, vol, II, p, 1039 Sum, Virt, ., p. 368
(89). Cf. Marchesan, op.cit., pp. 2787-279
(90). Cité par Marchesan, op. cit., p.278
(91). Cf. Atti e Documenti dell 1- Congresso Cattolico Italiano degli studiosi di Sciencze sociati, p.99 Padova 1897
(92). Atti e Documenti, loc ,cit Cf. Daelli, op. cit. Dal-Gal, op.cit., p.197
(93). Atti e Documenti dell 1- Congresso Cattolico Italiano degli studiosi di Sciencze sociati, p.86 Bologne, 1890, Cf. Dal-Gal, op.cit., p.202
(94). L, Daelli, op.cit., p. 118 Cf. Dal-Gal.,op.cit., p. 201, et surotut : Atti e Documenti dell VIIIe- Congresso Cattolico Italiano p. 88 et suiv., Bologne,1890
(95). Cf. Marchesan, op.cit., pp.279-280. Priodre Balzo, sum, I.C.., p. 561. Mgr. Dartor, ibid., p.536. Mgr. Boni, ibid., p. 557.
(96). Proc. Apost. Romanus, vol, II, p. 821. Sum, Virt., p. 128
(97). Cf. don Pescini, loc. cit. Sum.Virt., p. 130
(98). Cf. Marchesan, op.cit., p. 286
(99). Proc.Ord. Romanus, vol.II p. 968. Sum.Virt., pp. 357-38
(100). Marchesan,op.cit., pp. 284-285
(101). L,Daelli, op. cit., pp.94-95
(102). Proc. Apost, Romanus, vol. II, p.820 p.128
(103). ibid., pp.961-963 Ibid., pp.354-356
(104). Ibid., vol I, p.45. Ibid., p.30
(105). I Promessi Sposi,ch.XXII
(106). Cf. Mgr.Rosa, Proc.Ord, Romanus, p. 975. Mrg, Jeremich, Proc, Ord, Venetus, pp.62-63 Mgr.Ruzzui, Proc, Ord,tarvisinus, p. 1433
(107). Lettres du cardinal Sarto à l’évêque de Padoue, Mgr. Callegari, p, 1, Padova 1949
(108). Lettre au même , 23 mai, 1893, Lettres citées, p, 2. Cf. Parolin, Proc, Ord, Romanus, p.646
(109). Lettre au même , 17 juin, 1893, Lettres citées, p, 3. Cf. Parolin, Proc, Ord, Romanus, p. 209
(110). Marchesan., op.cit., p.. 296-297
(111). Lettres, citées, p.4. Cf. Sr Modesta Dell’ immacolata, Proc. Ord. Mantanuas. P. 94. Mgr.Milanesse, Cenni biografic di Pio X. Treviso, 1903 p. 17
(112). Proc, Apost.romanus,vol.II,p.821.sum.Virt., p. 128
(113). Ibid
(114). Po,cit., pp. 117-118
(115). Déposition de don Pescini. Proc. Apost, Romanus, vol. II, p.822. sum.Virt., p. 129
(116). Op.cit., pp.632-9633
(117). Proc.apost,m Romanus,vol.I, p.65. Sum. Virt.,p. 38
(118). Le cardinal Joseph Sarto, avec son frère et avec ses sœurs –Implore-la charité d’une prière- pour l’âme très regrettée --sa chère mère- Margherita Sanson-qui pénétrée de vraie piété` le 2 février 1894-courronna par la mort-une vie de labeur et de sacrifice.
(119). Marchesan, op.cit., pp.323 à 329 Maria Sarto, Sum. I.C. PP.44,45 Anna Sarto, ibid., p.62