Morris tribune., 1903-07-25

! the Medici of Florence resolved tt
conquer and annex Siena. This indie
pendent republic, inspired with pas
sionate hatred against Florence, made
memorable defense, but the odds
were too strong.
Retiring into the state Of the church
the pope's family, named Pecci (pro
nounced PechD, formed new friend
] ships, and the pope's father was count
/ who either volunteered or was drafted
into Napoleon's service when he over
ran Italy. The pope's mother was a
countess, who brought property to her
| husband.
They lived in what is called palace
in Italy, large building rising from
the rocks, two stories and an attic high,
with flowers and terraces about its
base. 1t appears that the pope during
all his life has known no want, but has
enjoyed private revenue such as a
gentleman of noble descent would be
apt to have in any country who had
kept his estates.
licans had overrun Italy and been ev-
erywhere victorious and the greatest
change had taken place not only In the
Italian people, but even In the priest
hood.
The pope himself, Plus VII, had been
taken captive from Rome to France
and was only returned to Rome at the
fall OF Napoleon in 1914 He restored
the Jesuits, who were the secular school
masters within the church, but they
had fallen under the hostility of several
Of the kings and been for some time
suppressed Upon their return they
opened schools and gave the city of
Rome something of it's old clerical and
literary character.
In 1917 the late pope's mother took
her sons to Rome and the next year
put them at school at Viterbo, city o.
a hill but few hours carriage ride
from Rome. This lady belonged to one
of the orders of the Franciscans and
when she died was buried in their
brown cloak and cord. Her death was
nearly at the same time with that of
Plus VII
The next pope, Leo XII, branched
out as an educator. The Jesuits' college
was opened in Rome in 1924 with 400
students, and among these were the
two Pecci boys, of whom Joseph was a
Jesuit He was three years older than
his brother. These boys went home to
their mountain town on holidays, and
the pope was an active hunter and
fowler in the mountains. Rome was to
them like any American city to fami-
" which lived in the neighboring coun-
try and spent the winters in the city.
The name Of the pope was Joachim
Vincent Raphael Lodovico Pecci. He
always went by the name of Vincent
Pecci until at certain period after his
mothers death, when he became gen
orally known as Joachim Pecci.
He became fluent in the Latin and
wrote verses and orations in it and
gained prizes. After his mothers death
he lived with his uncle in the Mutt
palace in Rome. He somewhat knew
Pope Leo XII. and chose his papal
name with reference to that prelate.
He matriculated in 1880, graduated a
doctor of theology in 1882, which was
the time that he adopted the name Of
Joachim, and he entered the diplomatic
class in the university called Sapienza,
or Wisdom, in Rome. Among his
friends and classmates were such no.
bles as Duke Sforza of the old Milan
lords.
He was acquainted with Leo, as well
as with Plus VIII, who lived but a
short time, and then came Gregory
XVI, in whose household he was one
of the prelates.
He first attracted special attention !
during the cholera in Rome in 1887, |
when he was twenty seven years old,
He had nerve in an unusual degree.
and his intrepid services among the
cholera stricken people marked him.
among the more timid ecclesiastics as
q man who could be Of use to them in
the dangerous condition of the country.
Made full priest in the Church Of
st. Stanislaus, in Rome, Joachim Pecci
was made at the age of twenty-eight
governor Of Benevento, small state in
Naples about seven miles square and
only days journey from that city.
Benevento had given the title Of Prince
Of Benevento to Talleyrand, the cele-
brated French diplomatist, who In his
early life had been Catholic bishop.
The little state was full of reaction
ary guerrillas and brigands. The young
ruler went there under the general ex-
oectation that he would be the victim
Of violence. Fortunately for him, he
was almost Immediately taken i'll with
the typhoid fever, and his death was
to be certain. This calamity
softened the nature Of the people, and
they began to talk about this intellectu-
al young priest who had exposed his
life in Rome to the pestilence. Instead
If antagonizing him they formed pro-
SESSIONS and went to public prayers in
his behalf, and when he recovered 1t
vas looked upon as in the nature Of a
miracle.
HNhnxy ar4, nc ~ l