From the beginning of his pontificate, Saint Pius V showed signs of his vocation to serve the poorest. He asked that no more banquets be held in his honor and that the money saved be used to help the beggars of Rome. On the other hand, the new Pope insisted on showing signs of closeness to the Catholic people.
He liked to walk through the streets of the city without much ostentation, talking with the people he met along the way, visiting neighborhoods and streets. On one occasion, he met his old childhood friend – the one from the family that paid for his studies – and, warned of his good faith and disposition, he appointed him governor of the papal headquarters. Antonio – the knight had his own name – was an honest and intelligent man, and the people knew it very well. So his appointment as governor was a kind of gesture of reciprocity or gratitude, much to the liking of the people, as it showed the humility of the Pope who lacked the need to hide his humble origins. Thus Pius V conquered the hearts of the people forever.
The Pope had a deep devotion to the Eucharist and to the recitation of the Holy Rosary, his favorite prayer, which he considered the most evident expression of filial piety to the Mother of God. The Pontiff, from the Chair of Peter, was in charge of promoting both devotions among the faithful. On the other hand, he ordered that bishops and parish priests effectively reside in the territories or dioceses in charge of them, since many neglected their spiritual responsibilities out of comfort or interest.
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