The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-21


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 mon
signor.
Made War on Brigands.
on Dec. rs, 1887, he was ordained
priest by Cardinal Odescalchi, saying
his first mass in the chapel of ST. Stan
islaus at the Jesuit Novitiate of st.
Andrea. Early in 1888 Mgr. Pecci was
named governor of the papal province
of BeneVento, and, like Sixtus V, bus
led himself with the suppression OF
brigandage. In connection with this
work the following story was told OF
Mgr. Peccl: A certain Marquis called
one day to protest against what ne
considered the interference OF the gov
ernor and informed the latter that he
was just starting for Rome to procure
his recall.
Have you considered the step well,
Maruuis?" asked Mgr. Pecci
Yes, monsignor," said the other;
land I'm going at once"
To this the governor rejoined;
Resolutions of this kind should be
we'll considered at leisure. You will
do me the honor of staying here FOR
the present"
That same night the Marquis castle
was surrounded. and twenty-eight
brigands, of whom he was patron and
chief, were arrested or shot.
From Benevento Mgr. Pecci was
transferred to the governorship of Pc
rugia,. where he remained for year
and half
The young ecclesiastic in 1S43 was
called to exercise his talents In more
important post, being consecrated Bish-
op of Damiettd in Partibus and sent
to Brussels as papal nuncio. 1t was
as representative Of the Vatican in the
Belgian capital that he first gained the
political insight and experience which
have been one of the principal charac-
teristics Of his tenure off the pontif1cal
throne.
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 leov-
ing Brussels the nuncio paid a visit
to London. This was in February, 1916,
and in the same year he was conse-
Grated Archbishop of Perugia. He con-
tinued in this position for the thirty
two years which INTERVIEWED before
his election to the highest position in
the church, his tenure of the episco-
pate coinciding exactly with the thir-
ty-two years of the reign of Plus TX.
Elected supreme POnti6.
In his episcopal labors the archbishop
showed no less energy and zeal than
he had displayed as governor of a
pontifical state. Among other achieve
ments, he succeeded in purging the
archdiocese of br1gandage and at a
certain time all the prisons under his
spiritual jurisdiction were empty. Such
&C 1nf1nffppd and in
1850, Mgr. Pecci was elevated to the
dignity of cardinal priest. At the con-
sistory held in 1877 Cardinal Pecci was
appointed camerlingo of the Roman
Church, which gave him chief charge
Of the temporalities of the holy see.
In this capacity it fell to his task to
make the necessary arrangements for
the conclave for the election of new
Pope after the death of Plus TX, in
February 1873. The conclave lasted
thirty-six hours, and at the third ball
lot Cardinal Pecci was elected supreme
pontiff, and took the name of Leo XIII,
after the famous Pope Leo TX, for
whom he had great Veneration. He
was crowned on March 10, with tiara
or triple crown. the ceremony taking
place, not in ST. Peters, where all his
predecessors but one had been crown
ed since 1855, but in the Sistlne Chapel
| in the Vatican, where the conclave had
been held
Public opinion regarded the new
Pope as characterized above all things
by love of peace, and 1t was ex-
pected that, departing from that non
possumus policy of his predecessor, he
would speedily conclude compromise
with the Italian government and thus
put an end to the antagonism between
the Vatican and the Quirinal. But the
world was soon undeceived and in his
first encyclical, promulgated at the
Easter following his accession. Pope
Leo XIII unhesitatingly maintained
his demand, for the restoration of the
temporal power of the papacy, nor
did he ever recede from the position
then taken up.
Influence of the Vatican.
At the same time the policy of the
Roman curia certainly underwent a
development, in the decision of moder-
alton, which greatly contributed to in
creasing the influence of the Vatican
abroad. From the very outset the new
Pontiff displayed the greatest interest
in the social questions agitating the
world of to-day and in an encyclical
issued in December, 1873, appealed to
the intellectual forces of Catholic
ity to contest the propaganda of doc
trines which his holiness described as
subservient of social order abiding
especially to the socialists in Germany
and the Nihilist movement In Russia.
The cooperation afforded by the
Pope to the various governments in
opposing the growing forces of social
democracy paved the way for the set
Element of disputes existing between
these governments and the Vatican,
both spiritual and civil authorities be-
ing, as il were, called upon to merge
their differences and make common
cause against the common enemy. The
first great political achievement of the
Pope was the settlement of the differ
ences with Germany, which had given
rise to the famous Kulturkampf.
The rapid spread Of anarchic doc
trines in Germany and the attempts
made upon the Emperor's life in 1873
induced Prince Bismarck to make APP
proaches to the Ultramontane party
to secure their support for his eco
nomic policy. Herr Falk, the famous
author of the May laws, was removed
from office and other concessions were
made to the Catholics. Finally. din
lomatic relations with the Vatican
were resumed and the late Emperor
Frederick, then Crown Prince, signal
lied the restoration of an harmonious
understanding by visiting the Pope at
the Vatican. A still greater tribute
was paid by Germany to his holiness
by her selection of@ him as arbitrator
in the dispute with Spain regarding
the Caroline Islands and her deferen-
tial acceptance of his decision in favor
of the weaker power.
Acted az Arbitrator.
His success in this arbitration in