Pius V, Saint (1504-1572), was elected pope in 1566. He typified the intense religious feeling of Roman Catholicism during the church renewal movement called the Counter Reformation. Pius was solemn, devout, and ascetic. As pope, he tried to impose rigid standards of piety and morality on both clergy and lay people. He worked to put into effect the reforms established by the Council of Trent by publishing the Roman Catechism and other important devotional documents (see Trent, Council of ).
Pius was an uncompromising enemy of Protestantism. He was equally determined to stop the advance of Islam. He formed the Holy League with Venice and Spain that won a dramatic victory over the Muslim Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
Pius was born on Jan. 17, 1504, in Bosco, Italy, near Alessandria. His given and family name was Michele Ghislieri. Pius died on May 1, 1572. He was canonized (declared a saint) in 1712. His feast day is April 30.
