The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-20
SKETCH OF THE POPE.
A Long and Busy Life in the Service
of the Church.

His late holiness was born at Car
pinetO in the diocese of Anagni, in the
papal states, on March ?. 1870 being
christened under the name of Joachim
Vincent. The Society of Jesus, which
it was afterwards the first care of his
pontificate to restore tG its ancient po-
sition in the councils of the church, was
entrusted with his education, young
Pecci being sent at the age of eight
years to the Jesuit college at VibeIbo,
where he remained until his fourteenth
year. AT this time his mother died and
he shortly afterwards proceeded to
Rome to continue his studies at the
Jesuit college in that city. When he was
Is years old he secured the first prize
for chemistry and physics His apti~
tude for natural science, however, in
literature and classical studies, anu
even in those early days he was re-
markable for the elegance and purity
of his Latin, which subsequently found
such rotable expression not only in his
encyclicals and ecclesiastical work but
in the higher plane of poetry. He OBJ
tanned in 1881 the degree of doctor of
divinity and entered the academy OF
noble ecclesiastics to study law and
diplomacy and thus qualify himself for
joining what may be termed the papal
diplomatic service and became con-
versant with the system of the spiritual
government. 1t is from the. ranks OF
this official body that, in these days, a
new pontiff is almost invariably
chosen
HIS FIRST PROMOTION.
In 1897 Joachim Pecci received the
sub-diaconate and diaconate and on
March IA of the same year Gregory XVI
made him a domestic prelate, his first
promotion. with the title of monsignor.
On December %, 1887, he was ordained
priest by Cardinal Odeschalchi, saying
his first mass in the chapel of st. STAN
islaus at the Jesuit noviciate of st. An
drea. Early in 1888 Mgr. Pecci was
named governor of the papal province
of Benevento, and, like Sixtus V, busted
himself with the suppression of brig
andS-a.
In connection with this work the fol-
I lowing story was told of Mgr. Pecci-
A certain marquis called one day to
protest against what he considered the
interference of the governor and in.
formed the latter that he was just
starting for Rome to procure his re-
crs--.
Have you considered the step well,
marquis " asked Mgr. Pecci.
Yes, monsignOr,' said the other.
and I'm going at once.
To this the governor rejoined: 'sReso-
lutions of this kind should be well con~
sidered at leisure. You will do me the
honor of staying here for the present -
That same night the marquis castl-
was surrounded and % brigands, of
whom he was patron and chief. We're
arrested.
From Benevento Mgr Pecci was
transferred to the governorship of
Perugia. where he remained for a year
and a half The young ecclesiastic in
1S43 was recalled to exercise his talents
in a more important post, being conse-
Grated bishop of Damietta in Partibus,
and sent to Brussels as papal nuncio-
1t was as representative of the vatican
in the Belgian capital that he first gain
ed the political insight and experience
which have been one of the principal
characteristics of his tenure of the ponti
2 fical throne.
Mgr. Pecci remained over three years
in Relgium, and on his recall to Italy
was decorated with the grand Gordon
of the order of Leopold
VISITS LONDON
After leaving Brussels the Nuncio
paid a visit to London This was in
February, 1s46, and in the same year he
(Continued on Page Six.)