The Coat of Arms of Pope St Pius X

Map

Coat of Arms of Pope St Pius X

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On August 4th 1903, Cardinal Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto was elected pope, taking the name Pius X.

Sarto, who was of humble birth (his father was a postman), was obliged to create a coat of arms when he became the Bishop of Mantua in 1884. The shield was made up of six-pointed star and an anchor cast into a stormy sea. When, in 1893, the Bishop of Mantua became Patriarch of Venice, he added a winged lion, the symbol of St Mark the Evangelist. Sporting a halo, the lion wields a sword in one paw. He is accompanied by a book, which is open to reveal the words: PAX TIBI MARCE EVANGELISTA MEUS (Peace be with you, Mark my Evangelist). 

Pius X was canonised by Pius XII (r. 1939-58) on May 29th 1954, the first pope to be made a saint since Pius V (r. 1566-72) in 1712. 

• Related post: Papal Coats of Arms. 

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