The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-07-22
lection of future popes.

lection of future popes.
CHANGING back for moment at these
dates, we will see that the pope was
born in the year after Gladstone, that
he became a full priest near the close
of General Jackson's administration
and that he became archbishop Of Pc
rugia at the time of our Mexican war.
His habits did not differ at any time.
He was remarkably laborious. of a
spare frame. with a high, capacious
forehead. q large mouth. full, long
and expressive nose and an expression
Of thorough refinement, purity and
acuteness.
Being a nobleman of the best class of
Italian descent and of nation imme-
MORALLY ardent for knowledge and low
ing the arts. he was also destitute. of
sourness and had convictions without
being opinionated.
None could impeach his private life
He was ever accessible to his priests
and to those people who required him
as n spiritual friend, but he also had
high spirit and when browbeaten dis
closed something like military power
within. and he could use indignant
words. He was too worldly wise to be
cheated, too discreet to commit himself
in either word or deed except as his
Judgment and conscience Were touched,
and after the italians in 1860 overran
his state they found that he was diff
ficult man to handle in that he kept on
the side OF intelligent public opinion
In short he was a pope in spirit, rep.
resenting the antiquity and authority
of the church long before it was proba-
BILE that, he would fill the pontifical
chair. He rose to this distinction at
last by having deserved it,
Though it is probable that he was
not unmindful of the honor and influ-
ence of that great office, he knew too
we'll that to reach it in this dangerous
age he must deserve it by combina-
ton of character, of courage and Of
wisdom.
In 1866 the French troops We're with
drawn from Rome, and the pope was
left to such an army as he could him
self create. The italians, however, six
years previously had overrun Sicily
and Naples, annexed Tuscany and 9TH
err states, and finally Venice and We're
determined to occupy the papal states.
At this time Cardinal Pecci addressed
the priests in words which should be
common to all churches, saying:
THE moral conduct of the priests is
the mirror into which the people look
to find a model for their own demean
or. Every shadow, every stain, is re-
marked by the vulgar eye, and the
mere shadow is enough to make the
people lose their esteem of priestly
worth. 1t is impossible that priest
who lays himself open to such re-
proaches or suspicious, who has the
name of being self indulgent, interest
ed and of irregular living, should give
forth that fragrance of a pure life, that
sweet odor of Christ, which witnesses
to our worth and to our doctrine The
two great means which the Divine
Master declares to be indispensable in
our high ministry are holiness and
knowledge"
In 1869 he made an effort with the Z
king of Italy to rescue poor clerical
students from the military conscrip-
ton "The burden of military service .
he said, must inevitably fall on all
young men who have devoted them
selves to the clerical career We are
deeply saddened by this; we are
frightened by the thought that so
many parishes will ask us for pastors
while we shall have none to give them;
that so many pious populations will
ask for the food of Christian instruc-
ton and the comfort of the sacraments,
and that no one will be found to min
ts'er TO them, and that, such state OF
things continuing, there is nothing to
proven, religion from dying out in
these country places for the very lack
of hands to cultivate it,"