S. Pii V Papæ et Confessoris.

Fidélis sermo: Si quis episcopátum desíderat, bonum opus desíderat. Opórtet ergo epíscopum irreprehensíbilem esse, uníus uxóris virum, sóbrium, prudéntem, ornátum, pudícum, hospitálem, doctórem, non vinoléntum, non percussórem, sed modéstum; non litigiósum, non cúpidum, sed suæ dómui bene præpósitum, fílios habéntem súbditos cum omni castitáte. Si quis autem dómui suæ præésse nescit, quómodo Ecclésiæ Dei diligéntiam habébit? Non neóphytum: ne in supérbiam elátus, in judícium íncidat diáboli. Opórtet autem illum et testimónium habére bonum ab iis qui foris sunt, ut non in oppróbrium íncidat, et in láqueum diáboli.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

This is a true saying: If a man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth a good work. A Bishop, then, must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, prudent, of good behaviour, modest, given to hospitality, apt to teach, not given to wine, no striker, but patient; not a brawler, not covetous; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? Not a novice, lest, being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without, lest he fall into reproach, and the snare of the devil.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Opórtet enim epíscopum sine crímine esse, sicut Dei dispensatórem: non supérbum, non iracúndum, non vinoléntum, non percussórem, non turpis lucri cúpidum: sed hospitálem, benígnum, sóbrium, justum, sanctum, continéntem, amplecténtem eum, qui secúndum doctrínam est, fidélem sermónem: ut potens sit exhortári in doctrína sana, et eos, qui contradícunt, argúere. Sunt enim multi étiam inobediéntes, vaníloqui, et seductóres: máxime qui de circumcisióne sunt: quos opórtet redárgui: qui univérsas domos subvértunt, docéntes quæ non opórtet, turpis lucri grátia.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

For a Bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God: not proud, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre: but a lover of hospitality, courteous, sober, just, holy, temperate, holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught: that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly, vain talkers, and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped: who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Tu autem lóquere quæ decent sanam doctrínam: Senes ut sóbrii sint, pudíci, prudéntes, sani in fide, in dilectióne, in patiéntia: Anus simíliter in hábitu sancto, non criminatríces, non multo vino serviéntes, bene docéntes: ut prudéntiam dóceant adolescéntulas, ut viros suos ament, fílios suos díligant, prudéntes, castas, sóbrias, domus curam habéntes, benígnas, súbditas viris suis, ut non blasphemétur verbum Dei. Júvenes simíliter hortáre ut sóbrii sint. In ómnibus teípsum præbe exémplum bonórum óperum, in doctrína, in integritáte, in gravitáte, verbum sanum, irreprehensíbile: ut is, qui ex advérso est, vereátur, nihil habens malum dícere de nobis.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: that the aged man be sober, chaste, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, sober, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded. In all things show thyself a pattern of good works, in doctrine, in uncorruptness, in gravity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned: that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of us.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

A Paulo quarto, cui ob exímias virtútes caríssimus erat, ad Nepesínum et Sutrínum episcopátum promótus, et post biénnium inter Románæ Ecclésiæ presbýteros Cardináles adscríptus fuit. Tum ad ecclésiam Montis Regális in Subalpínis a Pio quarto translátus, cum plures in eam abúsus irrepsísse cognovísset, totam diœcésim lustrávit, rebúsque compósitis Romam revérsus, gravíssimis expediéndis negótiis applicátus, quod justum erat apostólica libertáte et constántia decernébat. Mórtuo autem Pio, præter ómnium exspectatiónem eléctus Póntifex, nihil in vitæ ratióne, excépto exterióri hábitu, immutávit. Fuit in eo religiónis propagándæ perpétuum stúdium, in ecclesiástica disciplína restituénda indeféssus labor, in exstirpándis erróribus assídua vigilántia, in sublevándis egéntium necessitátibus indefíciens beneficéntia, in Sedis Apostólicæ júribus vindicándis robur invíctum.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Paul IV, to whom his virtues had greatly endeared him, raised him (in 1556,) to the united Bishoprics of Nepi and Sutri, and after two years he was enrolled among the Cardinal Priests of the Roman Church. Pius IV. translated him to the Church of Mondovi in Piedmont, wherein, on his coming, he found that many corruptions had crept in. He reformed the whole of his diocese, and, after settling his affairs, returned to Rome, where his attention was called to matters of the gravest business, in determining which he used Apostolic boldness and firmness. After the death of Pius IV, the fifth Pius, to the astonishment of all men, was elected to succeed him, (on the 7th of January, 1566.) On becoming Pope he changed his way of life in no respect except as regarded his raiment. The Propagation of Religion was to him the object of unceasing care the restoration of the Discipline of the Church, of unwearied toil the uprooting of error, of sleepless watchfulness the relieving the needs of the poor, of unfailing charity the maintenance of the rights of the Apostolic See, of adamantine firmness.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Selímum Turcárum tyránnum multis elátum victóriis, ingénti comparáta classe, ad Echínadas ínsulas non tam armis, quam fusis ad Deum précibus devícit. Quam victóriam ea ipsa hora, qua obténta fuit, Deo revelánte, cognóvit, suísque familiáribus indicávit. Dum vero novam in ipsos Turcas expeditiónem molirétur, in gravem morbum íncidit, et acerbíssimis dolóribus patientíssime tolerátis, ad extréma devéniens, cum sacraménta de more suscepísset, ánimam Deo placidíssime réddidit, anno millésimo quingentésimo septuagésimo secúndo, ætátis suæ sexagésimo octávo, cum sedísset annos sex, menses tres, dies vigínti quátuor. Corpus ejus in basílica sanctæ Maríæ ad Præsépe summa fidélium veneratióne cólitur, multis a Deo ejus intercessióne patrátis miráculis. Quibus rite probátis, a Cleménte undécimo Pontífice Máximo sanctórum número adscríptus est.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

The Turkish Sultan Selim was bloated with many victories, and had got together an huge fleet in the Gulf of Lepanto, but Pius V. crushed him, (on the 7th of October, 1571,) not so much by force of arms as by dint of the prayers wherein he pleaded with God. At the hour that the victory was won, Pius knew it by the inward revelation of God, and stated the fact to his servants. He was busied with the preparations for a new expedition against the Turks, when he was laid down by grievous sickness. He bore most sharp sufferings with the gentlest patience, and when the end came, he received the Sacraments as is usual, and with great peace yielded his spirit to God, (on the 1st of May,) in the year of salvation 1572, and of his own age the 68th, having sat as Pope six years, three months, and twenty-four days. His body is buried in the Church of St. Mary, where the Manger from Bethlehem is, and is there held in great respect by the faithful, who have obtained from God by his prayers, many evident miracles. The said miracles having been proved by a judicial investigation Pope Clement XI enrolled his name among those of the Saints.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Quis ítaque iste homo est, qui péregre proficíscitur, nisi Redémptor noster, qui in ea carne quam assúmpserat, ábiit in cœlum? Carnis enim locus próprius terra est; quæ quasi ad peregrína dúcitur, dum per Redemptórem nostrum in cœlo collocátur. Sed homo iste péregre proficíscens, servis suis bona sua trádidit, quia fidélibus suis spirituália dona concéssit. Et uni quidem quinque talénta, álii duo, álii vero commísit unum. Quinque étenim sunt córporis sensus, vidélicet: visus, audítus, gustus, odorátus, et tactus. Quinque ergo taléntis, donum quinque sénsuum, id est, exteriórum sciéntia exprímitur. Duóbus vero, intelléctus et operátio designátur. Uníus autem talénti nómine, intelléctus tantúmmodo designátur. ¶ Sed is, qui quinque talénta accéperat, ália quinque lucrátus est: quia sunt nonnúlli, qui etsi intérna ac mýstica penetráre nésciunt, pro intentióne tamen supérnæ pátriæ docent recta quos possunt, de ipsis exterióribus, quæ accepérunt, duplum taléntum portant: dumque se a carnis petulántia, et a terrenárum rerum ámbitu, atque a visibílium voluptáte custódiunt, ab his étiam álios admonéndo compéscunt. Et sunt nonnúlli, qui quasi duóbus taléntis ditáti, intelléctum atque operatiónem percípiunt, subtília de intérnis intélligunt, mira in exterióribus operántur. Cumque et intelligéndo et operándo áliis prǽdicant, quasi duplicátum de negótio lucrum repórtant.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

What other, then, is that man travelling into a far country but our Redeemer, Who is gone up from us into heaven in that Flesh Which He had taken into Himself? For the earth is the home of the Flesh, Which travelleth into a far country - when our Redeemer giveth It a place in heaven. But that man travelling into a far country delivered unto his servants his goods; and so doth our Redeemer give spiritual gifts unto His faithful people. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one. There are five bodily senses; that is, sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. By the five talents therefore are signified the five senses, that is, outward knowledge. By the two, wit and work. And by the figure of the one talent, understanding, which is alone. ¶ And so he that had received five talents, gained other five talents - for some there be who, while yet they are not able to go on unto things inward and mystic, do yet so desire our Fatherland which is above, that they teach well all whom they can, and of those very outward things which they have received make gain double. These are they which keep themselves clean from the unruly motions of the flesh, and from the lust of the world, and from the delight of things which are seen, and, by their preaching, keep other men also clean from all these things. And some there are who receive, as their two talents, the power to think and the power to work. These are they which inwardly understand dark things, and outwardly work wonders. And these, since they preach unto others, both through their understanding and their works, gain, as it were, double, for the talents which they have received.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.