Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1878-02-08
Death Of the Pope.

civilized world, we take the follow
ing history of this remarkable man
from Chambers Encyclopedia. We
may say, by way of introduction,
that, at the time of his death, he
had been Pope thirty-two years,
sevon years longer than any of his
predecessors. For ten years his
death had been daily expected and
his prolonged life is a thorough
exemplilication of the adage
"threatened men live long" We
quote:
Plus TX, Giovanni Maria Mastai
Ferretti, was born at Sinigaglia,
May Is, 1892. He was originally
destined for the military profess
ion, and was sent to Rome to enter
the Noble Guard; but symptoms of
an epileptie tendency led him to
abandoning his Intended profess
ion and entering an ecclesiastical
seminary. He received holy or
ders, and for time exercised his
ministry in connection with sever
al works of charity and benevo-
lence in Rome, but was sent to
South America as ''auditorn of
Monsignor Mug6, the vicar, apps.
tolic of Chill. On his return, he
became domestic prelate of Leo
XII, and President of the Ospizio
of San Michele; and in 1929 he was
named Archbishop of Spoleto,
whence he was translated to Imola.
He was soon afterwards sent to
Naples as Nuncio, and in 1910 was
named Cardinal, from which date
he continued to reside in his See.
On the death of Gregory XVI, in |
1916, Cardinal Mastai Ferretti was
elected by reclamation to succeed |
him; and having learned, by long
intercourse with the people of the |
Legations, the prevalence and the |
causes of discontent-which had !
been concealed under the repressive
system of Gregory, following the
direction of the Austrians, by |
whom protectorate was exercise
he entered at once on course of |
reforms, by which he hoped to es-
tablish the papal government on a
popular, but yet on u firm basis.
He resolved to extirpate all abuses
of administration, financial as we'll |
as political, to withdraw as far as
possible the restrictions of personal
liberty, to secularze in many de-
tails the local administration, and |
to extend the rights of selfgovern-
ment as far as was compatible |
with the essential institutions of |
the Roman States. His first step
To this end was to grant an amnes-
ty; and this measure, however hui
name and necessary, had the unfor-
tuuate result of drawing together
into the Roman States body of
men whom All unhappy experience
of foreign exile had embittered
against the existing order of things,
and who had served III foreign rev.
olutions. and, in the secret coun-
ellis which their position had neces-
STATED, an apprenticeship to the
arts of political intrigue. For Il
time the reforming policy of P.
carried with it the affections of the
people; but he soon began to fall
short of the expectations which he
had created. The outbreak of the rev.
olution of February, 1913, precipi-
tated the crisis OF popular excite
ment and of popular discomfort.
Reform assumed the shape of revo-
luton. In November of that year
Count Rossi, whom the Pope had
appointed as his Minister, was as
sassinated; and violent demonstra-
tions were daily employed to COM
pei the Pope's assent to measures
which he repudiated. He was
driven to confine himself a close
prisoner in the Quirinal; and at
length, in December, he fled
secretly from Rome and established
himself at Gaeta, u Neapolitan sea-
port, not far beyond the Roman
frontier. A Republic was pro-
claimed i'll Rome, the provisional
heads of which proceeded to
complete aud radical remodeling of
the civil government of the Stat.
P, from his exile, addressed u re.
monstrance to the various sover-
eigns. In April, 1S49, "a French
expedition was sent to Civita
Vecchia, which eventually adj.
vanced upon Rome, and after
siege of about thirty days, took
possession of that city and estab-
lished French army Of occupation
within the Roman State. The
Pope's government was re-estab.
lished, but he himself did not re-
turn till 1850, when, once again, lie
entered upon the administration.
In consequence of the unsettled
condition of Italy and the failure of
many of his early measures OF inn
provement, he declared himself una
bic to proceed with the determinations
which he had contemplated. At
forwards his authority was main
tanned without much Interruptions;
but it could not be doubted that
the discomfort with the govern
ment still continued, aud that. If
the French army were withdraw,
violent changes would be immi-
nent. In consequence of the war
for the unification of Italy, the Lee
cations, Ancona, and more recently |
the remainder of the papal terrific !
ry, including Rome, have been an
neXed to the kingdom Of Italy, but |
+. persistently refused to cede any
portion or to enter into any COM
promise. His ecclesiastical admin
istration was very active, and he
proceeded upon the strongest as
sumption of the right of independ.
ent action on the part of the
church. In this view he re- estab-
lished the hierarchy in England,
lie sanctioned the establishment in |
Ireland of Catholic University,
and condemned the principles upon
which the Queens Colleges in that
country were constituted. He con-
cluded with Austria q concordat,
afterward abrogated, much more
favorable to church authority than
the existing ecclesiastical laws had
nnrnnittad In 1851 he issIlsd a |