The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-22
Some Tributes to the Memory
 of the Late Head of Catholicism

 favor of the weaker power. His success | in this arbitration induced the Pope to | declare his readiness to act az arbitrator
 for other disputes for the benefit of the | whole of Europe and of Christianity, but 1 for this His Holiness declared 1t to be | essential that he should be restored his
 liberty as an independent temporal sov- | ereign. This demand, However, met with | no response. as far as foreign govern | ments were concerned and the hopes which had been expressed In some guar | ters that the German Emperor's visit to
 the Pope in 1888 might lead to Germany
 advocating the temporal claim of the l Holy See were soon dissipated. erhe Pope
 himself. in letter to the German bish- | ops. declared that he regarded the pres-
 ence of Emperor William in Rome as the l guest of the Quirinal as ''deplorabie
 recognition of accomplished facts" l The interests of the triple alliance were
 not compatible with those of the Vati- can and even Catholic Austria could not
 afford to offend Italy by espousing the Pope's cause, although Emperor Francis
 Joseph abstained from visiting King Humbert in the city of Rome and there
 by openly recognizing the legality of the l Italian occupation.
 !, Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the late Pope's policy was the change In the attitude which the Vatican had hitherto reserved in regard to the French Republic.
 1 Consolidation of France. At the beginning of Pope Leos reign the Identification of the clergy with the royalist movement which gave rise to 1 Gambetti's famous remark: 'TLe cleri- | calsm vieia fennue," had caused an an- | tagonism to all that savored of religion 1 which al one time bid fair toward the early separation of church and state in France. Alive to the danger of the situ- ation the Pope sought to conciliate the republic by acknowledging 1t as the es- | tablished legal form of government and
 in 1891, the late Cardinal Lavigerie gave expression to His Holiness's views on | this subject to the great surprise of the Catholic press and the perturbation of not a few members of the French Episco-
 pate.
 | While thus engaged in political negoti- | ations with various countries recurring
 the greatest address and dexterity, the
 late Pope paid special attention to the
 actual work of propagating the Catho- l lie faith, and no pontifical reign since | the reformation mas witnessed such a re- crudescence of Catholicism or such an | extension of the spiritual dominion of | the Catholic church. especially in Eng 1 fsh-speaking countries. As an example | of this may be cited the numerous pif-
 grimages which came to the Eternal City
 from all parts of the world for instance | at the time of the celebration, December
 g. 1887. of the jubilee of the Pope's or
 dination to the priesthood. The jubilee
 service in St. Peters on that occasion | was attended by 5000 persons At the mass the Pope used golden ewer and
 basin presented to him D. t,le late Queen
 Victoria. and wore tiara given by the
 Emperor of Germany. His Holiness wore
 magnificent diamond ring sent him by
 the Sultan of Turkey as personal mark
 of his good will and pleasure.
 In February, 1900. the Pope issued an
 encyclical on Americanism which caused much discussion and in June. 1901, he is- sued letter on labor which also aroused
 much interest.
 March 3, 1902, the late Pope took part fin the public celebration in honor of the twenty-fourth anniversary of his corona tion by holding "Papal chapel" in the
 basiilca of St. Peters. on which occa-
 sion he was greeted by 5000 persons This was the first time a chapel had
 been held in the basilica since 1870, such
 ceremonies having heretofore taken place
 in the Sistine Chapel. Thirty cardinals
 were among those present. ct. r. Society and Divorce. @ The late Pontiff. March %, 1902, pub | IiSfeu d lOHB enCyCucdl lettefs the tone of which suggested testamentary recom- mendations. and in which he deplored the renewed attacks on the church and the l recent errors of humanity" instancing divorce. and picturing the present con- | dition of society as having drifted into state of anarchy.
 The twenty-fourth anniversary of Pope Leo's coronation was celebrated at the Vatican July 6, 1902. by the entire papal | nd nR sRf | the Catholic societies assembled in Rome l for the occasion.
 The last notable encyclical of Leo XIII. was dated October 90, 1902 and was designed to promote study of the l scriptures, and in February of this year he wrote a poem dedicated to a friend whom the pontiff desired to advise on the best means of prolonging life. The jtwenty-flfth aniversary of the late Pope's election to the chair of St. Peter was celebrated February 20 of this year with elaborate pomp in the Hal of Be- atification. above the portico of St. Pe- ter's. on which occasion the venerable prelate. was presented with a gold tiara costing $250OO, as the jubilee present of the Catholic world, and with large sums of money from various sources.
 The celebration of the twenty-fifth an- niversary of the late Pope's corona ton occurred in St. Peters March 3 last with all the impressIveness and grandeur of the Catholic church and April 2S the pontihcate of the late Pope surpassed in length of St. Peter. Leo XIII. having then been elected Pope twenty-five years, two months and seven days, known as 'tThe years of Peter.''
 King Edward visited the late Pope in the latter part of April, and Emperor William was received by the late pontiff early in May.
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