Colonel, I have said it before on many occasions, and I am happy to say it again today after such a deed: I have always counted on France. France never made me any promises, but I always felt that, when the time came, she would give the Church her treasures, her blood, and -that which may possibly be the most difficult for her brave sons-she would give the quiet courage, the patient perseverance to which I now owe the preservation of my dear city, Rome, this treasure of the world, this city so beloved and so sorely tried, to which my heart and anxious gaze were always turned during my long exile. (Letter to Gaëte, July 3, 1849)

Pius IX (1792-1878)
Pope

“It was in this humble office that Pius IX spent his life, so to speak, constantly occupied with matters of great import, and yet giving whatever time he had left to listen benevolently to the little problems men brought to his desk. Pius IX made himself everything for everyone, refused entry to no one, welcomed those who sought justice, those who asked for help, those who came to seek his advice, everyone, even those who sought only the consolation of seeing him. […] He received me with the smile which habitually lit up his serene face, and he settled comfortably back in his chair as if to encourage me to be at ease while speaking to him. I had the impression that he had nothing better to do than to listen to me. You saw him; you remember the expression of gentleness and patience; his sharp, honest regard; his personality which radiated paternal majesty. With the years and their suffering his deep interior strength has been deeply engraved on his benevolent face.”

Louis Veuillot (1813-1883)
Writer