Pope Saint Pius X born
Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, (2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914), was
Pope from 4 August 1903 to his death in 1914. He was
canonized in 1954. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing
modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox theology. His most important reform was to order the
codification of the first
Code of Canon Law, which collected the laws of the Church into one volume for the first time. He was also considered a pastoral pope, in the sense of encouraging personal holiness, piety and a daily lifestyle reflecting deep Christian values. He was born in the town of
Riese, which would later append "Pio X" (Pius X's name in Italian) to the town's name.