PIUS V, SAINT

born Jan. 17, 1504, Bosco, duchy of Milan died May 1, 1572, Rome, Papal States ; canonized May 22, 1712; feast day April 30 original name Antonio Ghislieri Italian ascetic, reformer, and relentless persecutor of heretics, whose papacy (156672) marked one of the most austere periods in Roman Catholic church history. During his reign, the Inquisition was successful in eliminating Protestantism in Italy, and the decrees of the Council of Trent (154563) were put into effect. Additional reading The fullest biography is F.A.P. de Falloux, Histoire de St. Pie V, 2 vol. (1844). Slighter biographical works (Vita di Pio V) are two that appeared soon after his death: Girolamo Catena (1586) and Giovanni Antonio Gabuzio (1605). There is a study of the Pope's policy toward France by C. Hirschauer, La Politique de St. Pie V en France 15661572 (1922). H. Daniel-Rops, Une re de renouveau: La Rforme catholique (1955; The Catholic Reformation, 1962), has a good section on Pius V.