The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-21
LEO xiii. WAS ss YEARS OLD.
FAD BEEN ON TIE PAPAL THRONE
A QUARTER OF A CENTURY.
Was the Son OF Count Luigi pccci--"kfter
To-day Can Die Happy" He Said on
tho Twcnty-ffth Anniversary OF HIS
Corona tlon--Hncltients In Hts Career.

tho Twcnty.fifth Anniversary OF HIS
Coronation incidents In Hfs Career.
Leo XIII. was the 25sth occupant Of the
chair of St. Peter. He was the son OF Count
Luigi Pecci and his wife, Anna Prospect He
was born on March 2, 1910. in the old family
palace at Carpineto, near Sigma, In Italy.
He was baptized Joachim Vincent Raphael
Aloysius, but dropped the last names at
about the time no entered manhood. and
was thereafter known as Joachim Pecci.
From his birth he lived in religious atmos-
phere. His mother, one of the most devout
and cultured women OF her day, was the
sole early guide OF the almost precocious
talents Of the knowledge-thirsty child
At the age Of 8 he was much in the care
Of the Jesuit fathers at Viterbo. II was
there that was born in him the affection
for the society which led him soon after
his ascension g. the Papal throne to restore
to the Jesuits the privileges of which they
had been deprived.
On the death Of his mother, in 1924, the
boy OF II was sent to Rome. Soon he en-
tered the Roman College and passed in
due course into the Academy Of Noble
envy may be said to live under the eye
Of the Pope. and Gregory XVI. soon recog-
nized in the young student those qualities
Of mind and heart which afterward made
him presminent among the prelates of
his Church. While yet in minor orders,
he was attached to the Papal household
as domestic prelate. and n few months
later. in 1897, he received the priesthood at
the hands Of Cardinal Prince Odescalchi
CAREER IN PoLITIcc
From the first the young prelate's tastes
we're strongly political az we'll as literary.
His knowledge, combined with wonder
FIJI natural diplomacy. brought him uni
form success in all the difficult and delicate
missions which Gregory XVI and Plus
TX placed in his hands The first post
assigned him was the Governorship of the
Province Of Benevento Brigandage was
rife in the district. and the task Of sup
pressing it was an arduous one, On one
occasion certain noble who was suspected
Of secret sympathy with the bands of rob
hers that were terrorizing the country
came before the delegate with an air of
plain TO Rome Of the interference with his
authority over his tenants.
Have you given the matter enough
thought" asked Monsignor quietly.
Certainly" replied the Marquis.
IL don't agree with you responded the
Pope's representative In these matters
one cannot reflect too much. and you will
favor me by remaining here as my prisoner "
That night the mobiles castle was sur
rounded and twenty-eight brigands who
made it their headquarters, were killed or
made prisoners.
In 1S4l Mgr. Pecci was assigned to the
important post Of overnor Of Perugia.
There he encountered many Of the same
difficulties which he had faced in the smaller
province, and he overcame them with the
same signal success The bakers OF the
city had the habit Of selling loaves under
weight Monsignor one day inspected the
bakeries and weighed the loaves there
displayed. Such as were Of short weight
we're taken to the market place and dis
tributed 10 the poor The evil was cured
forthwith and others were dealt with in
ways equally effective.
Y,
Mgr Pecci was made Archbishop of Dami-
eta and was sent as Apostolic Nuncio to
Brussels. His rare tact and remarkable
gift of diplomatic power soon won for him
position and influence in the Protestant
court Of King Leopold l. At the dinner
table and in the drawing room he was al
once the dignified representative Of his
Church and the keenly observant man Of
affairs Any who in pleasantly sought to
pierce the clerical armor were sure TO retire
discounted. II is related that al dinner
a certain Marquis handed to the Nuncio
for his inspection an elegant snuffboS
having upon the cover the figure of very
lovely Venus The members Of the party
watched the progress of the joke with
lively interest, and the Marquis was quite
unable to restrain his amusement. The
Nuncio examined the trinket gravely, and
then deferentally passed it back with the
remark: Very pretty 1s it the portrait
Of your wife, the Marquise3"
During his sojourn at the Belgian capital
he gained a considerable knowledge Of the
English people. and some little acquaintance
with the language as well He got glimpse
too, of England itself during months
visit TO London in ls48 Al the end of three
wears the Nuncio's health compelled him
10 seek reease from the rather unfavorable
climate Of Brussels, His leave taking from
the King was characteristic
II am 80 sorry, said King Leopold, that
I cannot be converted; but you are so win
ming theologian that I shall ask the Pope
to give you Cardinals hat
All" said the Nuncio, but that would
be a poor substitute since you mention
it-.for an impression on your heart"
Il have no heart, said the King.
Then on your head" were the Nuncio's
parting words
THIRTY YEARS AT PERUGIA.
He reached Rome only to find that the
Pope was dead, but the Pontif who ruled in
his place was not long in recognizing the
abilities Of Archbishop Pecci. After a
few months rest ne was appointed Arch
bishop of Perugia. The people received
their former Civil Governor in his new
capacity with the most afectionate per
sonal welcome, and he began most aus
piciously his eventful thirty years admin
istration. Perugia was the centre Of tho
the three efforts Of ls4s. 1850 and 1870,
besides less formidable uprisings mean
time.
Valiant and firm in his support Of both
the temporal and spiritual Church, the
Archbishop was one of the most prominent
A0urea In the trouhlous times in which his