National Republican., 1883-03-06
POPE LEO XIII.
What Tic Dimes On-His Daily Work
Always Grave and solemn.

What lie Dimes On-His Daily Work.
Always Grave and solemn.
After his mass, which he says carly, Leo
XIII gives audience to Cardinal Jacobini,
secretary of state, and formerly nuncio at
Vienna, whose political learning is rare even
in those of his official position. His place is
then by the cardinal secretary Of ecclesiasti-
cal affairs and by the congregation of cardi-
nails, each of which has its fixed day. The
several councils generally occupy the whole
morning, until one hour after midday
The pope's dinner: potage, one dish
/ of meat and some cheese few min
! utes suffice for its consumption. While
| he takes the air in the generally
! in his carriage--he usually reads the bishops
reports, all of which come direct into his own
| hands the dispatches from the nunciatures,
| and especially any news from Belgium. That
| little kingdom which has broken its diplo-
| matte relations with the holy see, Is partic-
ularly near his heart. For IL Is there that he
himself was nuncio from 1913 to 1886 and
there that he studied at close quarters great
politician, Leopold /. Toward four o'clock
the pope gives his private and public au-
diences, and the evening hours are devoted TO
the reception of bishops This long day over
| Leo XIII regains tho solitude of his own
closet Then mt last he is able to begin
work,
Tall thin, spare, with his pale and deeply
lined face, the pope usually has delicate
health, of which ho takes small care. His
austorty is extreme. The spiritual SOW
ereign of 2O0,O0000O Catholics does not spend
100 francs a month for his table The energy
of strongly developed nervous system alone
enables him to resist the fatigue of his labor
and vast responsibilities. At times those
about him perceive % moment of exhaustion
| a col nj "A lnnninpgs n
of good news, or pleasant telegram restores
the life of his worn frame Suddenly well
again he takes up once more his heavy bur
den and bctakes himself to that work of re-
concilation and peace making to which he
has devoted himself
He is always grave, or rather solemn;
always the pope. The Italians call his man
ncrs and surroundings ccrcmoniOus Gravity
is inherent to his nature as those aver who
have known him from his earliest youth. He
never abandons himself, laughs rarely. He
might be thought stern did he not temper
his severity by tho patient attention with
which he listens-without intcrruption-to
all who speak to him. His audiences are far
less frequent than were those of Plus lA,
but for that very reason they take up
more time. He has not the brilliant
sido so noticeable in his predecessor,
the genial ease, the fine good humor
which endured, notwithstanding the surpris-
ing viciscitudes of the last pontifcate, nor the
{ frank, bold, and genial speech, full of witty
! and happy words, thrown off in that sonoroua
voice which Plus TX retained in his extreme
old age. Leo XIII is as slow of speech as
the archbishop of Paris. But if neither the
pope nor the cardinal has received the ora
tors gift, each has been endowed with the
: authors. Perhaps this similarity explains
5 the special sympathy and esteem which the
/. pope entertains toward Mgr. Guibort.
The pastorals in which the archbishop o
= Perugia (this was Cardinal Pecci's Office be-
= fore his election as pope) was wont to demon
strate the harmony of faith and reason, of re
d ligon and civilization, "growing like the
flower and fruit from the root of Christianity
were much noticed by Italian publcists. The
priest loved to treat the question of the day
o and ,of modern society. Tho illustriou
t Bonghi said TO him that this was zone of tn,
v most finely balanced and vigorous of charac
> ters;" that he was :" Il man who had realized
u the ideal of cardinal such as st. Bernard con
j. ceived it," Since the eighteenth century
d since the time of Benedict XIV and Clemen
l. XIV Rome has not seen pope of so cul
:, tivatcd u mind, so accomplished in Latil
+ and Tuscan verse, so familiar at once will
# classic and with contemporary letters A
6 the present time the two qualities whicl
" Leo XIII most prizes, and aims most con
# stantly in securing in his writings, are sim
l. plicty and moderation. His letters, hi
t encyclicals all are submitted to the sacre'
r college. Nothing is moro admirable thai
n tho manner in which he elicits opinions AM
s. weighs objections. He has been known :
& completely rewrite, after grave debates, eli
% cyclcals which he had already completed
IS As he suffers from slcCplcssness, il is gcncr
10 ally in the night hours that he composes hi
D. most immortal work.
5, II is by this active life, the monotony O
IS which would frightcn many statesmen tina
st the holy father is able TO manage directly, Il
e all their immensity of detail, the affairs of tn
le church. Those affairs have multiplied greatl
10 since the first third of the century$ More thai
)" 100 bishoprics have been founded in Americl
u Plus TX wrote little. He inspired the writ
N tngs of others. Leo XIII has his own hand
e. in all, sees all with his own eyes, and direct
le ALL Moderation, which, with austerity, is tn
le dominant note in the sovereign conduct, an
s. which he has made into law for himsc
lg has borne its fruits At the tim
10 of his accession the diplomatic corr
Id accredited TO the Vatican was II
IN duced to about two embassadors-th
id France and Austria. At present he n
n ceives the ENJOYS or the ambassadors of a
Of the powers, save only Belgium and ltal.
1t With regard to these two countries there NJ
ie no signs of any possible understanding, br
es tho rc-establishmcnt of diplomatic relation
ar between the holy see and almost all state
Is guarantees for the present the existence
d. the pope at Rome and his spiritual indepenC
ty enco. Nevertheless, we must not suppose thi
to the present moderation denotes Il change or
n backward movement from the doctrines
T. the late pontifcate. i recall to mind the +
in cent significant saying of Il dignitary of IL
m Roman curia "All that had TO be said III
b. been said. The church never changes"
ic Catholic ReuielC.