THE POPE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 12, 23 July 1897, Page 3

THE POPE.

Our Holy Father Pope Leo XIII. was born in Carpineto, in|i ltaly, on March 2, 1810. His father was Count Domenico Ludovico Pecci. who sprung from a noble Siamese stock. Count Ludovico had married Anna Prosperi-Buzi, the daughter of a noble hou-e of the ancient Volscian City of Cora, which is situated at no great distance from Carpineto.

The Prosperi-Buzi held in the ancient Volscian stronghold tho same place which the Pecci held in their own native town, and Countess Anna brought to her husband a notable increase of property, which their descendants hold to this day in and around the old Cyclopean walls, made so famous in Roman history. She brought to him and to her seven children a still richer inheritance of Christian virtues and noble womanly qualities. Of the five sons, one, and he the youngest, died in his 14th year and whilst pursuing his studies in Rome. Some time aft. r her death it was extremely touching to hear her third son, the Venerable Cardinal Pecci, recount the good qualities of his noble moilu-r. " She was," he said, '• most devoted to the poor. She was always working for them. In seasons of great distress she had daily supplies of bread bakpd for them. You know," he continued, " how fond our peasants are of polenta, or rich nourishing soup. She directed in person and watched the servants while preparing and cooking huge cauldrons of this species of pottage.. This, as well as the bread, was dealt out under her superintendence to all who needed it, and she took especial care that the sick poor who could not leave their homes should have their supply scut to them, and that the bashful poor who could not bear to have their distress known should

receive assistance in such a delicate way as to prevent their being abased thereby in their own eyes. " She was the soul of every goo 1 work of piety and beneficence that was set afoot in the town. Indeel ahe started many of them heraelf. But all this active outside charicy never made her neglect her home duties. She lavished on us all a mother's most devoted tenderness." Both the Count and Countess were most earnest Christians. Soon after the restoration of the Society of Jesus, in 18H, the Jesuits opened a college at Yiterbo, which was soon filled with the sons of the best families of Rome and all Italy. Further in the autumn of 1818 Joseph and Joachim Vincent Pecci (the future Pope) were sent to begin their long and careful education for public life. During the six years that Joachim spent at Viterbo his masters bore unanimous testim my to his tender piety and spotless purity of soul. Leo XII.. in the year 1821, restored the fa nous Collegio Romano to the Jesuits, and when in the autumn of 1823 the college solemnly inaugurated its courses of ecclesiastical and secular teaching, its halls were at once filled by fourteen hundred ■tudents. Amongst thi»se Avas Vincent Pecci. One of his schoolmates in Yit -rbo and in R > no wrote as follows in February. 1878, immediately after the electio i of Leo XIII. :—: — "lean bexr witness to the f.u:t th-it while yet at Viterb > ho won our admiration, not only by his quick intellige icj but still more by the parity of his life. During our huminitie* course we were rivals, and there each time I saw him \u> impr's-wi me as being all life and intelle t. All through his studie-s in Home he never sought social gatherings, conversation, diversions, or games. His work-table was his world, it was paradise to him to ba plunged in the study of science." Taught from his earlieit years to revere and love the humble Bons of St. Francis of Assisi, it is not to be wonderel at that Joachim Vincent Pecci felt drawn to a life of self-denial and Bacrifice. He was. therefore, matriculate! in 1830 amongst the divinity student-, of the Gregorian University. The University register says that " the young gentleman gave such proof of his talent as to enable us to foresee that he would attain greit distinction." Hiving determined to cast his lot with the secula- priesthood he found himself at the end of the year 13.J2 in the necessity of ohoosin* between a career of parochial duty or the service of the Holy See. With tha approval of his father anl undo he resolved

on the latter course, and in consequence entered the Ao:i li'mv or College for noble ecclesiastics, which was the nursery of all who were destined fora diplomatic or administrative career an I>t the Pontifical g 3 vera. n mt H> was ordained prie-t on the 1 i-t diy of December, \b'M.

In 1833 he w.is .ippoiiuel delegite or Governor of Bonovento. In 1841, b-ung recalled to ltoin^, he wis appomtel d.-le.- ue ot Spoleto. Two years later he was not a L^it ->urpn -ed u> learn from the Holy Father that he hid been cho-tri to ii 11 the post ot Vpo-tolic Nuncio in the Court of Brus-^ls-. Thi-< wi- i i thr» begun. ln.r of January, 1843. On the 27th of th ■ same montu tti > Pope nominated him to the dignity of titular Arehbi-hop ut lUniurta. The young Archbishop-Nuncio was an accomplish 'd -ehol.ir and diplomat ; but he was also — everybody saw anddojlarel it— i priest of u.ibljuiished life. Such a ehinot'r exer.sis.js irresistible .i^e'id i.icy -'yen in royal courts. Even in the councils of the most characterless politicians King Leopold I. enleavoured to make of him a couu 'illor and a friend, and induced him to be a freq.ient visitor at court. His Majesty often on versed familiarly with him. and too'c pleasure in propounding all sort-, of ditticalt q'ie- r ,ion> The X.i.uto, however, was never tak-'ii atvick, so that the Kui^ would end by s ivmg . " Re.illy. M msignor, you are as clever a politician as you are an excellent churchman." Tlio Qu»en (Louisa Maria) hid a groat veneration for the Archbishop of DamietM. and revor mis-elan opportunity to obtain his biasing for herself and her children. During his stay in Belgium Monsignor Peed seized up >n every opportunity to encourage the p relates <>f that country in their constitutional efforts to obtain from the State a due re ognitioa and support for denominational education.

As the autumn of I S 4 ,"> was drawing ti its dose Gro^ory XVI. was persuaded to recall Monsignor IVeui from a post which he h,i<l filled with such credit to himself and the Holy See, such benefit to religion and such satisfaction to the Helgun Court, clergy and people. He was preeonisod as Bishop of Perugia in the Consistory of January 19, ISiti, and on July 2H following made hi.s solemn entry into his churoh according to the ritual presuribi-d tur such occasions, and amid the general rejoicing- As was to l>e expected, the Archbishop of Perugia's first care was education. No praise can do justice to the earned zeal which he displayed for the diffusion of Christian knowledge and for spreading religious instruction amongst the people. He promoted this great object by the work of mission, by spiritual exercises, by the teaching of catechism, by the solemn

festivities of first Communion celebrations, and by the establishment of Christian Doctrine societies No sex or age, or class, or pressing need of mind, of heart, of soul or bo iy was left uncared for, unprovided for by this good shepherd of Christ's flock. In private life the future Pops was simple in his habits, indefatigably laborious in the employment of his tini3, as eager and keen as any young student for the acquisit'on of new stores of knowledge, blameless and most exemplary in all his ways and ever accessible to all who sought his ministrations.

Piedoioutese misrule began in 18(10 and in the former States of the Church the position of the clergy became daily more and more intolerable. It was in those circumstances that Cardinal Peoci aldressed himself as follows to his dear fellow-labourers : "No matter how much difficulties and dangers multiply in our path from day to day, a true anl fervent priest must not on that account lose his way, nor fail to perform his duties, nor pause from the fulfilment of his spiritual mission for thi welfare and salvation of the human family and the maintenance of that holy religion of which he is the herald and the minister. For it is in labours and trials that priestly virtue waxes strong and gets purifiei ; the blessed and all-restoring action of his divine ministry shines forth more resplendently in times of great need and amid sooi.il revolutions and transformations. Monsignor Pecui was raised to the Cardinalate in 18.">3, and to the Suprenn Pontificate in 1878, assuming- at his election the nime of Llm XIII. In a letter to Cardinal Nina, his Secretary of State, dated August 27, 1878, the newly-elected Pope defined humorously the lines in which he intended to govern the Church and to labour for the interests of Christianity and the nations of the earth. In the noon-day light of facts he showed that the Church founded by Christ tor the renovation of the world from her first appearance in it bjgan to give it great comfort by her superhuman virtue; that in the darkest and most destructive periods the Church was the only beacon light which made the road of life safe to the nations, the only refuge where they found peace and safety. From this he concluded that if in the past ages the Church was able to bestow upon the world such signal benefits she can also do it most certainly at present. The design then revealed of extending largely the beneficent action of the Church and the Papacy through modern society in all its degrees has been pursued with unremitting ardour from that hour to this. Leo XIII. is an indefatigable worker. Every day in the week, and every hour in each day has its own appointed labour. The congregations, or standing committees of cardinals, among

whom are divided rill the matters connected with the vast administration of a Church numbering, perhaps. ,500,U00,0U0, report regularly to the Holy Father.

Innu nerable congregations and commissions bes'des have their special work to do, and to report ngularly. P. rtuuetory Leo XIII. is in nothing. He is thorough and thoroughly in earnest in all that pertains to the work of his subordinates or his own. He has to receive ;imbas.sadors. archbishops, bishops, pilgrim*, deputations, addresses f r )m numerous Catholic unions and committees, and from ( atliohc congress, s.

The utter weariness begotten by the terrible round of official duties is lightened <t dispelled by the pltasure the Pope finds in prayer, in til'- recitation of the inspired Psalms of ■' The sweet hinger of Israel," in the lessons of Holy Scripture, and the brief re :oni of the- life of the Saint of the day. After examination of conscience and night prayers the ugvd Pope is supposed to retire to rest. His room is but siirply. scantily furnished; and his rest, when not broken in upon, is barely sufficient to restore the forces of exhausted nat'irc. Ami hv is an early riser. His habits are tho.se ot an us etir. Ilis magmfi -ei't encvclionls, his consist orial allocutions, his address* ., t o pjlgmns. deputations and rock ties, his most important bills or constitutions, are written, or corrected, or furnished in the quiet of the night, when all in the Vatican enjoy much-needed repose. But the whit^-robed figure, so much like a supernatural appraition, watches, works, prays alone in the (stillness. He bear* the burden ot a whole world. His soul is sad with the sorrows, trials, and sufferings of the nations. The lamp of the Pope's room in the V;i ican, shining at night, when all around ia darkness, reminds on. 1 of the Lumen in Cuclo, that supernatural light which even now illuminates both hemispheres. No brighter light since St. Peter's teaching and virtues shone in that very spot, confounding .aid appalling the licen ious and < rnel Nero, ever shed its splendours in the world from the Seven Hills of Rome. — Catholic

The proverbial wit <A the Irish jarvey is oftentimes mixed with an undercurrent ot stern reality that is as touching as it is eloquent. A gentleman driving through O'Connell street, Dublin, the other day on an outside car. commented on the wretched appearance of the horse Said he : " Pat, you ought to be taken up for cruelty to animals, driving such an old screw as that." "Sure, sur," was the quick reply, '' if I didn't dhrive that, I'd be taken up for cruelty to a wife and six childer'."