Sodalitium Pianum

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In reaction to the movement within the Roman Catholic Church known as Modernism, Pope Pius X issued in 1907 the encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis and the decree Lamentabili sane exitu, which condemned the movement as a heresy.

To ensure enforcement of these decisions, Monsignor Umberto Benigni organized, through his personal contacts with theologians, an unofficial group of censors who would report to him those thought to be teaching condemned doctrine. This group was called the Sodalitium Pianum, i.e. Fellowship of Pius (X), which in France was known as La Sapinière. Its frequently overzealous and clandestine methods hindered rather than helped the Church's combat against Modernism.^[1]

Cardinal Secretary of State Rafael Merry del Val prevented the association from gaining canonical recognition, and the competent department of the Roman Curia disbanded it in 1921 on the grounds of "changed circumstances".^[2]

Researchers are divided in their opinions about the extent to which Pius X was aware of or approved Benigni's initiatives.^[3]

In 1985, the name Sodalitium Pianum was adopted also by a Sedeprivationist group of Traditionalist Catholics also known as Istituto Mater Boni Consilii.

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