The beatifications taking place in Rome on Sept. 3, however, have excited notice because, though they include Pope John XXIII, they also include Pius IX, who reigned from 1844 to 1878.

A similar process was followed for Pius IX, the 19th-century pope beatified at the same time as John XXIII (but without the same enthusiastic approval from within and without the church; Pius ...

From a pope put on trial after death to a resignation that broke a 600-year tradition, ... At the other end of the spectrum, Pope Pius IX held the papacy for a staggering 31 years, ...

Factbox: papal scandals in history As Pope Benedict XVI struggles with allegations of sex abuse cover up, we look at some of the scandals that have plagued past Pontiffs.

On September 3, 2000, during the Jubilee to celebrate the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ, Pope John Paul II beatified John XXIII along with Pope Pius IX (who died in 1878).