The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-03-02
Pope Leo XIII.

After his mass, which he saws early
Leo XIII. gives audiences to Carolina
Jacobini. Secretary of State, and for
merly Nuncio at Vienna, whose politica
learning is rare even in those of hi
official position. Ills place is then takel
by the Cardinal Secretary of Ecclesiast
ical Affairs, and by the congregation O
Cardinals, each of whom has its fixet
day. These several counsels generally
occupy the whole morning, until on,
hour after midday. The Pope's dinner
A potage, one dish of meat and som,
cheese; a few minutes suffice for its con
sumption. While he takes the air in the
afternoon-generally in his carriage-ht
usually reads the Bishops reports, all o
which come direct into his own hands
the dispatches from the nunciatures, ant
especially any news from Belgium. Tha
little kingdom, which has broken its
diplomatic relations with the HOLY See
is particularly near his heart. For it il
there that he himself was Nuncio from
1S43 to 1916, and there that he studied al
close quarters great politician, Leopold
/. Toward four o'clock the Pope gives
his private and public audiences, and the
evening hours are devoted to the recep.
ton of Bishops. This long day over,
Leo XIII. regains the solitude of his own
closet. Then at 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 he takes small
care. His austerity is extreme. The
spiritual sovereign of 200, 900, 900 Catho-
lies does not spend 100 francs month
for his table. The energy of 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
exhaustion and collapse; but little hap
piness, a piece of good news. or pleas
ant telegram, restores the life of his worn
frame. Suddenly well again, he takes
up once more his heavy burden, and be-
takes himself to that work of reconcilia-
ton and peace-making to which he has
devoted himself.
He is always grave or rather solemn;
always the Pope. The Italians call his
manners and surroundings ceremonious.
Gravity is inherent in 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 the patient attention with
which he listens-without Interruption
to all who speak to him. His audiences
are far less frequent than We're those of
Plus TX, but for that very reason they
take more time. He has not the bril-
liant side so noticeable in his prede-
cessor, the genial ease, the fine good
humor which endured, notwithstanding
the surprising vicissitudes of the last
pontificate; nor the frank, bold and
genial speech full of witty and happy
words, thrown off in that sonorous
voice which Plus IX. retained to his 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 orators gift, each has been endowed
with the authors Perhaps this SINH
larity explains the special sympathy and
esteem which the Pope entertains to-
toward Mgr. Guibert.
The pastorals in which the Arch
bishop of Purugia Chis was Cardinal
Pecci's Office before his election as Pope)
was wont to demonstrate the harmony
Of faith and reason. of religion and
growing like the flower
and fruit from the root of Christianity"
were much noticed by Italian publicists.
The prelate loved to treat the questions
Of the day and modern society. The
illustrious Bonghi said of him, that his
was lone of the most finally balanced |
and vigorous of characters" that he was
a man who had realized the ideal of a
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, so familiar at
once with classic and with contemporary
etters. At the present time, the two
qualities which Leo XIII. most prizes.
md aims most constantly at securing in
lis own writings, are simplicity and
moderation. His letters, his encyclicals,
Ire all submitted to the sacred college.
Nothing is more admirable than the
manner in which he elicits opinions and
Weighs objections. He has been known
o completely rewrite, after grave de-
,ates, encyclicals which he had already
As he suffers from sleep
essness, it is generally in the night
lours that he composes his most i'm
,Ortant work.
1t is by this active life, the monotony
It which would frighten many states
men, that the Holy Fata Or is able to man.
ge directly. in all their immensely of
etail, the affairs of the church. Those
fairs have multiplied greatly since the
rst third of the century. More than
90 bishdprics have been founded in
america. Plus lX. wrote little; he in
pired the writing of others. Leo XIII.
as his own hand in all. sees all with his
wn eyes and directs all. Moderation,
'hich, with austerity, is the dominant
ote in the sovereign pontiff7s conduct,
nd which he has made into a law for
imself, has. borne its fruits. At the
me of his accession the diplomatic corps
ccredited to the Vatican was reduced
about two embassadors-those of
rance and Austria. At present he re-
elves the ENJOYS or the ambassadors of
II the powers, save only Belgium and
ally. With regard to those two coun-
les there are no signs of any possible
understanding; but the establishment ,
diplomatic relations between the Holy
ee and almost all States guarantees for
lie present the existence of the Pope at s
ONE and his spiritual independence. ,
evertheless. we must not suppose that
lie present moderation denotes a change
: a backward movement from the doc |
ines of the late ponti6cate. 1 recall to j
ind the recent significant saying of a {
gnitary of the Roman curia: "Ail that
al to c cnid ha- | I,