The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-07-24
TRIBUTE TO POPE LEO
Archbishop Ireland's Poetic Gem to
the Dead PreIate.
Magnificent EuIogy Pronounced by the
St. Paul Divine.
Declares the Late Pontiff One OF
the Greatest Popes.
Grateful for the Kind Words Said By
the Protestants.
From Tuesdays Daily.

Upon the receipt of the news of the
death of Pope Leo, Archbishop Ireland
paid the following tribute to the dead
prelate:
''In Leo truly great and good man
passes from earth. The extraordinary
the unparalleled trust with which the
world this last fortnight kept vigil
around the vatican where the old man
battled dramatically with grim death, is
magnificent tribute. In the death of
Leo humanity realizes that an orb of
light, such as is seldom seen to domi-
nate the high skies of its moral and in
tellectual armament, has fallen, making
mighty void which soon again may not
be filled.
''Great and good Leo truly was, fash
ioned so by nature and by grace divine.
What mind! Loftiest it was in vision,
reaching out to vastest horizons, soaring
upward to highest regions of thought
and truth. To have sat at his knee
and heard him tell of the sights he saw,
of the dreams he dreamed, of purpos-
ings, of plannings begotten of his sights
and dreams, was to be made to forget for
a moment earth's common limitations
and to behold human life and destiny
as prophets behold it. And how quick
in action the mind of Leo was, how
piercing in glance. Hours would have
been spent with others in setting prob
lem before them and detail would have to
follow detail, before they could grasp its
beauty. A few minutes with Leo, few
brief explanations, in answer to rapid
from himself, the problem
was understood and the solution given.
"How rich and varied the store of
knowledge! Rapidly as he conversed, he
would travel from literature to science
and art, from theology to diplomacy
everywhere the manifest master, every
where the cultured scholar. And, then,
he was ambitious to put to profit his
talents; ambitions to dominate things.
His Early Aim.
When he assembled the pontifcal throne
he resolved that so far as opportunity
came his would be historic pontifcate,
and to that end he worked constantly.
His greatness included goodness, for
without goodness, greatness is no boon
to humanity. Leo was good man; he
shone in every virtue; his life was un-
sullied. He was deeply imbued with
the spirit of faith. He lived and work
ed purely for God and for men. Most
high -minded disinterestedness of pur-
pose; most absolute subordination OF
self to the duties of his exalted office,
all his thoughts and acts.
Made he was to win the hearts of men.
He was simple and loving as child in
his intimate relations with people who
came into his presence, considerate and
tactful, sweet of temper and kindliest OF
word. He met kings and peasants, men
of highest social rank and of lowest
all bowed before his graciousness and
rendered to him words of affection and
devotion.
Leo's Great Opportunities.
A great man requires besides his ma
tive greatness, greatness in opportunl-
ties. All this was given in super album
dance to Leo. There is no other post OF
honor and duty so elevated, so sublime as
the Roman pontiicate, the treasury OF
centuries of inspiration, the worlds chair
of moral authority, ruling directly two
hundred and fifty millions of every tribe
and every nation, ruling indirectly by the
silent prestige of its name and power,
10y the vast spiritual force of its life and
teachings, entire humanity.
Into that pontifcate Leo entered; in 1T
he reigned as only two of his predeces-
sors reigned, a quarter of century
leaving posterity to say as he closed the
last pages of his record, that in him the
Catholic church has had one OF the most
wonderous of her wonderous soverelgns
and humanity one of its noblest think
ers and highest eXemplars of fidelity to
God-given duty.
His Best Achievements.
Volumes will be written to narrate
things done by Leo. In hurried eulogy
there is room only to note the general
results he has accomplished. Leo's serv-
ices were, of course, primarily to the
church. Leo made the church known to
the modern world, as she wished to be
made known, and as she had not before
been known. In one encyclicai after
another he discoursed on the vital moral
and dogmatic principles which consti-
tute its doctrinal life to the end, espec-
ially of making clear their social and
civic value. By dint of wise words and
acts he tore to shreds the thick wells OF
prejudice and misunderstanding which, as
the result of strifes and controversies
of centuries, had been hiding truth from
the ewes of millions of the non-Catholic
world. He brought close to the church
the new age of humanity and put beyond
all doubling the fact that the most cher
ished aspirations of the age not only re-
ceiyed countenance from the church but
Rad grown out of it's spirit and teach
ings. Liberty, civil and political, indi.
vidual rights, education, the progress OF
science and discovery, the material COM
fort of the masses-all these Leo, in the
name of the church, blessed and advo-
Gated. Today the Catholic church is uni
yersally admitted to be in the van of hui
manitv's forward march and for this Lee
is to be thanked.
Benefited All Humanity.
He was the powerful exponent of its
impulses and hopes, he figured in its sup
port, he swung the mighty power of the
whole Catholic church into its lines OF
onward march. All humanity has beer
benefited by him. His noble life has been
an exemplar of ideal conduct. He work