Warren sheaf., 1903-07-23
Short Sketch of His Life.

cnalr ana Will not even indicate a
preference ,. %..4E
a Short Sketch of His Life. ..
His late Holiness was born at Car
plento in the diocese OF Anagni, in the
papal states, on March 2, 1910, being
christened under the name OF Joachim
Vincent. The Society OF Jesus was en-
trusted with his eGucation, young Pecci
being sent at the age of eight years to
the Jesuit college at ViberDo, where he
remained until his fourteenth year. At
this time his mother died, and he short
~ afterwards proceeded to Rome to con-
tinue his studies at the Jesuit college in
that city. When he was 1S years old
he secured the first prize for chemistry
and physics. His aptitude for natural
science, however, in no way interfered
with his taste for literature and
classical studies, and even in those
early days he was remarkable for
the elegance and purity of his
Latin, which subsequently found such
notable expression, not only in his en-
cyclicals and ecclesiastical work, but in
the higher plane of poetry. He OBJ
tained, in 1881, the degree of doctor of di-
.vinity, 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 becoming convers-
ant with the system of the spiritual gov
ernment. 1t is from the ranks of this
official body that, in these days, a new
pontiff is almost invariably chosen In
1887 Joachim Pecci received the SUBJ
diaconate and diaconate, and on March
IA, of the same year., Gregory XVI.
made him a domestic pre]ate, his first
promotion, with the title of monsignor.
On December %, 1897, he was ordained
priest by Cardinal Odescalchi, saying
his first mass in the chapel Of ST. Stanis-
laus at the Jesuit noviciate of St. Andrea,
In 1843, Mgr. Pecci was consecrated
bishop of Damietta in partibus. and sent
to Brussels as papal nuncio. Mgr. Pecci
remained over three years in Belgium,
and on his recall to Italy was decorated
with the grand Gordon of the Order of
Leopold. After leaving Brussels the
nuncio paid visit to London. This
was in February, 1S46, and in the same
year he was consecrated archbishop of
Perugia. He continued in this position
for the 80 years which intervened before
his election to the highest position in the
church, his tenure of the episcopate CO.
inciding exactly with the 80 years of the
reign Of Plus TX. Atthe consistory held in
1877 Cardinal Pecci was appointed
camerlingo of the Roman church, which
gave him chief charge Of the temporal
tiles of the holy see. In this capacity it
fell to his task to make the necessary
arrangements for the conclave for the
election of a new pope after the death
of Plus TX, in February, 1873 The
conclave lasted 36 hours, and at the
third ballot Cardinal Pecci was elected
supreme pontiff and took the name of
Leo Kill, after the famous pope Leo x,
for whom he had a great veneration He
was crowned on March with the tiara,
or triple crown, the ceremony taking
place, not in st. Peters, where all his
predecessors but one had been crowned
since 1855, but in the Sistine chapel in
the vatican, where the conclave had
been held. Many notable encyclicals
were issued by the pope during his long
reign, the last one being dated October3O.
1902, land was designed to promote study
Of the Scriptures, and in February, of
this year, he wrote poem, dedicated
to friend whom the pontiff desired to
advise on the best means of prolonging
life. The twenty-fifth anniversary Of
the late pope's election to the chair Of
st. Peter was celebrated February 20, Of
this year, with elaborate pomp, IN the
Hall Of Beatification, above the portico
OF st. Peters, on which occasion the
venerable prelate was presented with q
gold tiara, costing $25 900, as the jubilee
present of the Catholic world, and with
large sums Of money from various
sources. The celebration Of the twenty
fifth anniversary Of the late pope's cor
onation occurred ii st. Peters,
March 8 last, with all the i'm
pressiveness and grandeur Of the
Catholic church, and on April %
the pontificate Of the late pope sur
passed in length that OF ST Peter, Leo
XIII. having then been elected pope 25
years. two months and seven days.
known al 81 he years of Pete q sss s5t