Pius IX

Pope Blessed Pius IX
Bishop of Rome

Papacy began	16 June 1846
Papacy ended	7 February 1878
Predecessor	Gregory XVI
Successor	Leo XIII
Orders
Ordination	10 April 1819 by Fabrizio Sceberras Testaferrata
Consecration	3 June 1827 by Francesco Saverio Castiglione
Created Cardinal	14 December 1840 by Gregory XVI
Personal details
Birth name	Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti
Born	(1792-05-13)13 May 1792 Senigallia, Marche, Papal States
Died	7 February 1878(1878-02-07) (aged 85) Apostolic Palace, Rome, Italy
Previous post	Auditor to Chile and Peru (1823–25) Head of the Hospital of San Michele (1825–27) Canon of Santa Maria in Via Lata (1825–1827) Archbishop of Spoleto (1827–32) Archbishop of Imola (1832–46) Cardinal-Priest of Santi Marcellino e Pietro (1840–46)
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Sainthood
Feast day	7 February
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Title as Saint	Blessed
Beatified	3 September 2000 Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II
Attributes	Papal vestments Papal tiara
Patronage	Pius Seminary of Rome Senigallia Diocese of Senigallia First Vatican Council

Papal styles of Pope Pius IX

Reference style	His Holiness
Spoken style	Your Holiness
Religious style	Holy Father
Posthumous style	Blessed

Pope Pius IX (Italian: Pio IX; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878), born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, reigned as Pope from 16 June 1846 to his death in 1878. He was the longest-reigning elected pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving for over 31 years. During his pontificate, Pius IX convened the First Vatican Council (1869–70), which decreed papal infallibility, but the council was cut short due to the loss of the Papal States.

Pius IX defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and conferred the title Our Mother of Perpetual Help on a famous Byzantine icon from Crete entrusted to the Redemptorists.

He was also the last pope to rule as the Sovereign of the Papal States, which fell completely to the Italian Army in 1870 and were incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy. After this, he was referred to – chiefly by himself – as the "Prisoner of the Vatican".

After his death in 1878, his canonization process was opened on 11 February 1907 by Pope Pius X and it drew considerable controversy over the years. It was closed on several occasions during the pontificates of Pope Benedict XV and Pope Pius XI. On 7 December 1954, Pope Pius XII re-opened the cause and Pope John Paul II proclaimed him Venerable on 6 July 1985. Together with Pope John XXIII, he was beatified on 3 September 2000 after the recognition of a miracle. Pius IX was assigned the liturgical feast day of February 7, the date of his death.

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