The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-07-23

NOuu6I 1AuSou uOW Leu 10 dOio w y
through his labors not merely with such
ease, but with such clearness of mind
and special attention to affairs brought
before him. You will often find six
bishops waiting to see him, perhaps one
from America, another from China, az
other from France and so on, and with
each and every one he speaks interest
ingly. And besides the different affairs
brought before him by the cardinals and
visitors, he has in mind the 7ast inter
ests of the Church at large with which
he busies himself inte]ligently, also the
preparation of encyclicals, etc. God has
blessed him with superior mind, there
can be no question about that.
Leo. XII. is to-day undoubtedly the
greatest statesman Of tho world, the man
who understands best the great ques-
tions agitating the world. He has Won
derful quickness Of perception, and
questions submitted for hours to an Or
dinary man are seen through in few
minutes; hence those having business
with him, if wise for themselves, will put
it in few comprehensive words, as a
lengthy exposition Will tire and annoy
him. Now, certainly, we Catholics in
terested in the welfare of the Church
,rnnst feel joy and pride that he who is
seated on the throne of the Church of
God is man of intellectual parts, Of
prudence, of such superior qualities. 1t
is not at all times and in all ages that
the chief pastors have been such eminent
mon, because on the human side of the
Church much is left by God to ecclesias-
tical. laws. Catholics certainly to-day
have every reason to be proud of those
who rule the Church within the walls Of
the Eternal City. Leo, SO great and
eminent, has been able to surround HIM
self with immediate advisers and co Ia
borers who also are intellectually among
the first men Of the world, and if [ were
to name any special ones, [ would name
the two nearest the Pope, who are, with
him, most concerned in the welfare Of
the Church-t the papal secretary OF
state, Cardinal Rampollo, and the pre-
feet of the congregation of the Propa-
ganda, Cardinal Ledochoweki. The
names Of Cardinals Parrochchi and
Vanutelli might also be mentioned
among those who have attracted special
attention by their talents while in r 'me,
and coming in contact with the Holy
Father, was struck especially by two
features of the pontitcate Of Leo. First
that Leo, as the representative of reli-
gion on earth, occupies himself with all
the interests of earth because (and this
is as it should be), religion is
not q matter by itself which can be
locked cut from all other matters and
closed into special department.. Bell
gion is like the SOIL of man. The sos,l Of
man prevades all man does. It gives
inspiration and motive for all human
acts. Religion is like the air we breathe
pervading all space. You will not won
der then that Leo, besides spreading the
teachings of religion. busies himself
with the intellectual development of the
world, encouraging indirectly the move
ments of the age, giving sanction to art
and to all good and elevating influences.
All this is the work of the great and on
lightened pontif. Leo comprehends the
functions OF religion in an eminent man
ner, and, if example can be learned from
HIM, tits this: That the spirit of religion
is everywhere. It is where good is to be
done for the material and intellectual
development of the world. There is the
place where the ministry of the Church
is to be found, SO that all may know that
the Church in her acts is as Catholic as
is her diffusion over the geographical
world.
The second. noticeable feature is this,
that Leo XIII. and his eminent council
understand thoroughly the world they
are dealing with. Let none imagine that
all movements Of the age do not cross the
threshold Of the Vatican; and this vast
comprehension of the age LEO uses to
show to the whole world, and to future
ages, that while all things on earth are
changing, Gods Church never changes.
God is Interchangeable, and when God
placed His Church on earth he decreed
not that the Church shall be continually
giving place to others. He made His
Church to last forever. It is asked, will
not the Church change? and mon who
have built up churches say; eyes, the
Church must change" We learn from
Leo that the Church Of God is not
linked with accident or human forms of
governm ent. 1t isa most significant
lesson. Human forms OF government
are changing. They have changed in
our time. We have empires, institutions
:of feudal government, then the workings
OF democracy. We have the free gov
$}ornn,ont nf tho rnnnh1ic as has Franco