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| A portrait of Pius IX and members of his Court painted early in his reign. |
On 16th June, 1846 GIOVANNI MARIA MASTAI-FERRETTI, Cardinal-Priest of Santi Marcellino e Pietro was elected Pope by the College of Cardinals and took the name Pius IX.
Mastai-Ferretti was born in May 1792 in the Archdiocese of Spoleto. He was ordained a priest in 1819. Pope Leo XII appointed Father Mastai-Ferretti Archbishop of Spoleto, his own hometown, in 1827 at the age of 35. He was named to the Sacred College in 1839.
In this post, we include some images of Blessed Pius IX in sacred vestments. Pius IX was a man of small stature, but stocky build. He was shorter than our Pope Benedict but much the same height as Benedict XV (1914-1922). Three preferences of Pius IX, in terms of his liturgical style, is an extremely shortened rochet - more like a cotta in dimensions; his mitres to be not much taller than 12 inches or 30 centimetres and lastly a slightly-shortened albe, so that his cassock was visible below its lower edge.
Click on the images for an enlarged view.
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| This engraving is purported to depict the First Mass of Father Mastai-Ferretti in 1819. |
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| An early engraving of Blessed Pius IX shewing him wearing the Mantum or cope. His coat of arms is visible in the lower righthand corner of the cope. |
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| A watercolour of around 1870 depicting the Papal Mass of Pius IX in S' Peters. |
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| Detail of a fresco in the Vatican depicting Blessed Pius IX proclaiming the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. The Pope is vested for Pontifical Mass and this painting clearly shews his preferences for a shortened albe and not-too-lofty mitre. |
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| An illustration of Blessed Pius IX being carried on the sede gestatoria through S' Peter's. The famous statue is seen on the right. |
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| This image of Blessed Pius IX vested for Low Mass is partly photograph, partly drawing: a practice common in the 19th century. Nevertheless it quite accurately depicts the Pope and his vestments. |
Next Post: Images from the First Vatican Council.
