The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-21
POPE LEO XIII.

The world was prepared for the death
of the Pope. While his vitality enabled
him to live longer than seemed possible
two weeks ago, his physicians have held
out no hope that he could recover. The
spirit and the mind were strong, but the
functions of the body were too far spent
to enable him again to be well enough to
discharge the duties of his exalted station
The three most noted men of Europe
of their time were Gladstone, Bismarck
and Pecci. All of them did their greatest
work after they had passed their three
score of years, and much of their most
lasting achievements after the biblical
three score and ten. They were excep-
tions to the rule that is well nigh uni
versal The Pope was sixty eight years
old when elevated to that great office
He was frail and delicate and the younger
men of the sacred college did not be-
lieve he would live many years. They
did not reckon that he had been frail from
his youth and that the "creaking gate
did not believe he would live to be thirty.
He knew his frailty and he took the ut
most care of his health and strength all
his life 1t was his abstemiousness, his
well regulated diet, his regular habits, his
perfect mastery Of himself that enabled
r to live so long, and preserved his
mind to the last His life has taught
a lesson to those who would live long IN
the land of their fathers Tt is to eat
little and to partake of very small portions
of meat, to depend upon eggs, milk and
ripe fruit, and to drink nothing stronger
than very mild wine.
The Pope was diplomat, ranking with
the first in Europe: he was a scholar,
among the most learned men in Italy; he
was priest, esteemed among the most
pious and reverent. But he will not be
remembered for either of these three dis
tinguishing marks of greatness. He won
his goodness of heart, quality apart
from mere piety. Men may be pious in
the sense in which that word is used,
without having the quality of goodness
a goodness of heart that impresses all who
are looking for something better and
holier than professional piety and priestly
rI4a
will make him personally remembered is
his goodness of heart. He loved man.
kind he wished to see them better their
7ndition, he wished to be instrumental
their uplifting. This was manifested
.rikingly in his encyclcal on christian
Marriage" published in 1880 and his
eneyclical on 1.-The Condition of Work
men," issued in 1891. In both he shows
his deep interest in the sacredness of social
life and a desire to rescue labor from
the degradation which had been attached
to it."
His influence upon every sphere of life is
thus succintly stated by Cardinal Glib
DOnS IN an article III the cuFFent HuIHDer
of Golfers Weekly:
Deeper and broader investigation IN
the Scriptures and Science has been urged
by him with special insistence and en-
phasis, and to this effect have been issued
encyclicaIs remarkable for loftiness OF
thought as well as for the purity and ele-
gance of their style.
During these twenty-five years his
piety and zeal have been no less con-
spicuous than his enlightenment. Noting
the evils which must necessarily threaten
both individuals and society from the pre-
vaIence of divorce, he has described IN
words that burn the beauty and holiness
of Christian marriage. and impiored MS
children never to depart from those SUD-
lime ideals of the married state, which
have been the Church's glory during all
the years of her marvellous existence. In
like manner, equally alive to the dangers
that threaten society and governments
from lack of Christian education and from
the existence OF Communistie and Nj
hilstic organizations, which recognize no
rights, either of God or man, his far-reach-
ing voice has ever rung out in warning
condemnation. 1t is in his larger sphere
Of international life. in the affairs of ma
tions that his wisdom, prudence, and fore
sight have excited the admiration of the