Pope Pius IX
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His Holiness, Pope Pius IX, Vicar of Christ (May 13, 1792-February 7, 1878) - born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti - was the Pope and leader of the Catholic church from June 16, 1846 to February 7, 1878 the longest reign in Church history. He convened the First Vatican Council, fought secularism in a rebellious Italy and an increasingly progressive France, and became a saint during the papacy of Pope John Paul II.