July 11: St. Pope Pius I, Martyr

*Psst!* Don't Tell The Pope But I Still Observe....

The old, traditional Church feast days. And here is an important one, July 11 of St. Pius I, Pope, Martyr.

Pope Pius became Pope somewhere in 140-142 AD. Now think about this... this was only 70 years after the martyrdoms of St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome. I think that people should learn about and respect the saints and popes of this time and remember them, in all of their sacrifices, so that the Church could be born and live. For some reason observation of any feast day for St. Pope Pius I was dropped in 1969. I don't want to hear the reasons, I just want to point out the lesson and inspiration that is lost by not having him and his witness celebrated in the Church calendar. That's why I continue to use the traditional Missal and calendar, supplemented by the new Missal and Prayer Book so I can add observation of the newly canonized.

o It is passed down in lore, and can be believed without risk, that Pius I was a slave that was freed. So much for that Church hierarchy huh? I think it's important to show him as an example of a slave who became one of the first Popes.

o St Justin Martyr preached in Rome when Pius I was Pope, and St. Justin opened a school of philosophy there. St Justin was persecuted, tried, and martyred in Rome, while Pius I was Pope.

o Pius I endured much persecution and hardship during his reign, and eventually was martyred himself.

o Despite the persecutions in Rome, it is known that three major heretics of the time came to Rome to dispute with the Pope (and he excommunicated the Gnostic heretic Marcion.) This shows that Rome was, despite the shedding of the Popes' blood, the seat of the Church through the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. I simply don't understand why people who think there was no real Church, and don't understand how the Papacy developed, don't look at these plain simple facts of who was where doing what to see the establishment of the Rock.

o Pius I decreed that the Feast of the Resurrection should be kept only on a Sunday, Easter Sunday, and the timing of it consistent with the scriptures. So anyone who tries can see that "tradition" is based on handing down and refining celebration of the actual events of Jesus Christ's life by those who knew people who knew Christ and his Apostles and first generation of disciples. Popes did not pull doctrine and tradition out of their hats.

o The most popular Christian book for three centuries (beside the New Testament) "The Shepherd" was written by Hermes, who identifies himself as the brother of Pius. So there is text extant to this time of the most popular Christian book from the 100-400's AD written by the brother of a man who would become Pope. ("Hmm. I wonder what 'dem Catolicks were up to in Rome right after St Peter and St Paul died?") Well, they were preserving and giving birth to the Church created by Jesus Christ.