The sun., 1898-02-20
YOUNG GIOACCHIN0 PECCI.
PORE LEO IIIE's sIxTTETH FEAR
IN THE PRIESTHOOD.

NJ, We, the F,ther to the NIan-Hsther
ana Mother nnd Promsnitieps That re
vysuia ne Pepe-The secret er His Character.
RoNR. Feb b.--The celebration Of leo KILLS
diamond jubilee has begun; 1t will conclude
with tho solemn functions on March and .,
tho anniversaries OF the Holy Fathers birth and
coronation. 1t is therefore. perhaps. the right
moment to study the Popo IN inc young priest
of sixty years ago.
Young pecci was In his twentyeighth year
1vhen he celebra ted his first mass. lie boro in
his ancient Roman soul those fundamental
ideas which practice in affairs and the exercise
of supreme vicegcrents power have expanded
In their sublime splendor. In his conscientious
utudes on the French Revolution. M. Albert
eorel dwells with pleasure on Bonapartes
sojourn at Milan after the poaco Of Campo For
mis-. He shows us the General while his genius
was fcrmenting and tho idea Of his future reign
yvns taking shape. All the ideas OF the Consul
and of the Emperor date from that ardent and
fruitful youth: peace between parties. the con-
cordat, legislation. the conquest OF Europc. He
was negotiating with Rome the preliminaries Of
tho future charter OF reconciliation between
France and the Church. The Abbato Gioacch-
no Pecci, as he approaches tho steps Of tho altar
whore he is about TO offer up to God the holy
sacriAce, resembles him. His moral and intel.
ilectual education is finished; his political and
administrative education is to come.
The striking characteristic in his letters to his
family from tho timo he entered the college at
viterbo till he left the Academia del Nobili
Ecclesiastical Is the universally Of his mind, the
universally which he will carry with him into
his labors at Pcrugia and into his actions as
Pope. He is poet: he writes verses In Italian
and in Latin. He has literary ideals. He
loves Cicero. Tacitus, Sallust the divine
and gentle Virgil whom he prefers. He
neElecta the excessive humanism. the pure
worship of form Of the Greeks. He is
Latin and Roman. Dilettanteism has
nevcr obtained hold on this mind that sees in
knowledge and elevated language not an amuse-
mcnt for the wits. an intellectual Epicurianism
but the lower springs Of the apostolRto and Of
action. Letters not for him merely great
CONSIDERS" in Provost Paradols meaning Of the
phrase; they arc the ornament OF the mind. an
instrument OF government. He belongs to the
family Of the Romans who cong uered the world
He Is leader.
In his philosophy and theology this turn OF
mind is still more marked. He is n passionate
admirer OF the Latin Fathers and Of st. Thomas,
st. Augustine. St. Cyprian. St. Leo. st. Am
brosc Tcrtullian; their works are his constant
companions. OF the Greek Fathers he barely
cites st. John Chrysostom. He likes the breadth,
tho sober. practical spirit of the Romans. He
combines the two forms OF antiquity into q
and of Bossuet. The two cultures. the two
civilizations the two cities" one Of God. the
other Of man. m eet in this full, synthetic nature,
symphonidiis dnina. according to the happy
expression of our great Victor OF Marseilles.
Whatever is exclusive. partial. fragmentary
and incomplete shocks and repels him. He is
already the future Pope. who never wearics in
the presence Of a labor till he has discovered
the mysterious link that joins things and
A-t. - ttl.. - g.
clearness, for grace. and for force. he contents
himself with no makeshifts the plaques or men
OF knowledge and Of government
Such is tho rough mould Of the statue. But
Leo XIII. docs not limit his ambition to thus ap-
propriating the two traditions and the two
masterships Of Western civilization. To bring
out the full force OF this adhesion to the Latin
spirit. OF this faithfulneSs to tho ecclesi
asticus. their perspective point. their applica-
tion to the conditions of tho century must
be found. He not only studies contem.
power Of thought is awakened he follows with
AMI of events. His letters to his parents and
his brothers. his only corresponding. real
allows himself a DEPRESSION; he abstnlns from
noting personal feelings. Hero also he shows
ters are mpersonal The rGie at the end is the the
Sn,y expression T.. q his heart He does not share
tho taste Tor intimate corresponTencc. which
the depth and CAIN of 's the ''Di itaii'n H1a
o.ES Es Of Gss TSa aGn disease in it. tho
the same distance between i'm and our displays
tween st. AMBROSE and our periot. II his
treasures of feeling. his infinite delicacy. his
horror Of all injustice were not known, we
might almost suspect heartlessness in this
Olympian equanimity. No, 1t is sclfpossession.
the 9ivine mastery OF the soul. the knowedEe
OF Tho Scriptures. which teach -
our hearts in our hands"
While he closes the sanctuary OF his soul he
external things. The revolution OF July, tho
Ear in Spain; the relations Of the Papacy to
ments in Germany the finances of Turkey,
pothing escapes his curiosity for all things. He
belongs to his time. just as he belongs 10 his
Church. Ono day he let's out the secret OF this
broaa life He has Just read St. Francis de sales.
him. The gentle light. the strong. good sense,
the governing mind. tho penetrating. simple
10 my .ideai!' Yes. tnat expresses completely
priest, that is. to refer everything God and to
the Church; 10 be preiate to govern men and
as Be- the dsa OF his life is
taking form In his mind; TO know his time, its
SI ms ana ana 81 n M E te
principles OF the Gospel and OF tradition. to
make iaultless decision between what is true
Ana what Is false in the stream Of modern civ.
iiiHati9n; 10 place at the service Of the Church
the lights OF science and the results OF politics.
not TO confttso what is absolute with what
10 relative. and not TO place the latter
on tho same level as tho former; to
carr.ei out; to be true to tradition, n Catholic
ami friend Of prosress-that is the basis OF his
Intelligence; that also is the key TO his ponlih-
cate. his mind. his glory Negotiations with
courts aud sith republics TO bring about peace
once more; the impulse given to historical study,
70 the philosophy OF ST. Thomas. 10 high literary
culture; his harmonious ency yclcals living. une.
qualled dcncycloprdlas; his efforts Tor the rces-
about the increase of the Church 5 substance
and TO bring Catholicism in harmony with the
otate OF men s minds and the advance OF history
all these spring from this source Such will 10
The philosophical explanation or his pontihcate.
This higher unity, this surprising univorsaIity,
mark his mind in every period OF his long lie
With the characteristic OF originality. Man and
Pope, IL is TO this quality OF his soul that he
ewes his place in the history of great Popes.
In the nonni aims OF Carpnclo they tell the
story that before his birth his other had u
presentimen!, that she WAS bearing a Pope In
her womb. His father. too, prophesiod this OF
him. IL Is because from his earliest childhood
he worshiped the Papacy. The greatness of the
GlIa -