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Show P0PE PIUS X NINE YEARS A RULER I L ? x Si y V sv-- v ! - "vA -ST s - ,1 Shattering the widely accepted belief, be-lief, in which he himself shared, that he would not live to celebrate nine anniversaries of hia elevation to the Vatican throne, Pope Pius X completed complet-ed the other day the ninth year of his pontificate. The odd superstition that he would die before was based on the manner in which his holiness' entire life has been divided Into nine-year periods. As plain Giuseppe Sarto he was ordained a priest In 1S58 and served as a curate for nine years Then followed his promotion to the post of parish priest, at Salzano, where he remained for nine years more. Next came nine years as chancellor chan-cellor of his diocese, nine as Bishop of Tantua and nine as cardinal and patriarch of Venice. So firmly was he convinced that this division of his life would continue to the end that he frequently expressed express-ed to friends the certainty he felt that nine years would terminate his pontificate, a termination possible only with his death. The pore was deluged with telegrams congratulating him on having survived the supposedly fatal period. In honor of his anniversary he also received a large number of cardinals, Vatican officials and personal friends. |