Pope St Pius V

In The Times today the feast of Pope St Pius V was noted and we were treated to two pieces of information. One was his being patron saint of some obscure town and the other was that he was a leading figure in the Catholic Reformation. That he was the pope responsible for the so-called Tridentine missal might seem an unduly arcane fact for the general run of Times readers and a bit difficult for that nice blonde girl who does religious affairs for them but I was surprised that they missed his uniquely significant role inthe history of England. By the bull Regnans in Excelsis (23rd February 1570) he excommunicated Elizabeth I and released all her subjects from their allegiance. Sadly, Black Bess was to reign for another thirty years.