The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-03-16
LEO XIII.
The Pope's Habits of Life and His Character

Inc N0ps hdblth Oh Lie ana HIS character,
Tall, thin, spare, with his pale, and deeply
lined face, the Pope usually has delicate
health, Of which he takes small care. His
austerity is extreme. The spiritual sovereign
Of zoe, 000, 900 Catholics does not spend 100
francs month for his table. The energy of
a strongly developed nervous system alone
enables him TO resist the fatigue Of his labor
and of his vast responsibilities. At times
those about him perceive moment of ex-
haustion and collapse, but q little happiness,
| piece of good news, or pleasant telegram,
restores the life of his worn frame. Sudden
ly we'll again, he takes up once more his
heavy burden, and betakes himself 10 that
work of reconciliation and peace-making to
which he has devoted himself.
He Is always grave, or rather solemn; al
ways the Pope. The Italians call his man
ner and surroundings ceremonious. Gravity
is inherent to his nature, as those aver who
have known him from his earliest youth He
never abasdons himself, laughs rarely. He
might be thought stern did he not temper his
severity by the patient attention with which
he lstens-without interruption-to all who
speak to him. His audiences are far less
frequent than were those of Plus TX, but for
that very reason they take up more time.
He has not the brilliant side SO noticeable In
his predecessor, the genial ease, the fine good
humor which endured, notwithstanding the
notwithstanding the surprising vicissitudes
of the last Ponti6cate; nor the frank, bold,
and genial speech, full of witty and happy
words, thrown Off In that sonorons voice
which Plus TX. retained TO 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
the special sympathy and esteem which the
Pope entertains toward Monsiegner Guibert.
The pastorals in which the Archbishop of
Perugia (this was Cardinal Pecci's Office be-
fore his election as Pope) was wont to DEM
onstrate the harmony Of faith and reason of
religion and civilization, growing like the
flower and fruit from the root of Christiani-
ty," were much noted by Italian publicists.
The prelate loved TO treat the questions Of
the day and Of modern society The illus
trious Bongbi said to him that his was "one
of the most finely balanced and vigorous of
characters - that he was /" man who had
realized the ideal Of Cardinal such as st.
Bernard conceived it." Since the eighteenth
century, since the time Of Benedict XVI and
Clement XVI, Rome has not seen Pope of
so cultivated mind, SO accomplished in
Latin and Tuscan verse, 80 familiar at once
with classic and with contemporaneous let |
tiers. At the present time the two qualities |
which Leo XIII. most prizes, and aims most |
constantly 1t securing In his own writings, |
are simplicity and moderation. His letters,
his encyclicals, all are submitted to the So
cred college. Nothing is more admirable |
than the manner in which he ELECTS opinions
and weighs objections. He has been known
to completely rewrite, after grave debates,
encyclicals which he had already completed.
As he suffers from sleeplesspess, 1t is gener-
ally in the night hours that he composes his
most important works.
1t Is by this active life, the monotony Of
which would frighten many statesmen, that
the holy father Is able to manage directly, in
all their immensity or detail, the affairs Of
the church.