Today the church celebrates the feast of Blessed Pope Pius IX, the longest reigning Pope in history. Born in Senigallia, Italy, on May 13, 1792, as Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, he was head of the Catholic Church from June 16, 1846, to his death on February 7, 1878. During his pontificate, Pius IX convened the First Vatican Council (1869–70), which decreed papal infallibility. One interesting fact that many people don’t know is that he was ordained a priest by a Maltese Cardinal. It was Fabrizio Sceberras Testaferrata (1 April 1757 - 3 August 1843) who ordained Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti a priest on April 10, 1819. The Maltese prelate served as Bishop of Senigallia from 1818 until his death in 1843. In his younger years, Pope Pius IX was Archbishop of Spoleto between 1827 and 1832. He was a Marian Pope, who in his encyclical Ubi Primum described Mary as a Mediatrix of salvation. In 1854, he promulgated the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, proclaiming that Mary was conceived without original sin. Pius IX will always be remembered for the many concordats agreed and signed, and helping many developing nations. On another note, Pope Pius IX was instrumental in erecting the Diocese of Gozo as a separate Diocese from mainland Malta in 1868. Pius IX celebrated his silver jubilee as a Pope in 1871, going on to have the longest reign in the history of the Papacy, 31 years, 7 months and 23 days. Together with Pope St. John XXIII, he was beatified on September 3, 2000, after the recognition of a miracle. Pius IX was assigned the liturgical feast of February 7, the date of his death.
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