The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-22

cause he stands for the great simplicities. those universals of Christianity, called Love, Peace and Good Will.
 His ambition was one of the noblest possible to the mind of man-viz., to so spirituaiize his Church as to make it | worthy to control the destiny of the mil lions who followed him. Above all else, to use the expression of the prophets. He was a man who feared God" being of goodness. all compact.
 And now that his career is ended the world beholds Leo standing forth in the form of a man without admixture of meanness or vice or crime, but clothed with justice and virtue and goodness as ! with garments. We can say of Leo as was said of Bernard We thank Thee, Lord, that thou has counted the world worthy to have had him so long,"
 Leo's Place in History. Because of his achievements for the Church all scholars have already given Leo a place among the greatest of the Popes. Strictly speaking. the giant Popes are six in number. It was the glory of Leo the Great that he founded the Papacy and organized that vast system whose lines from Rome, web-like. stretched out over all the earth.
 Then came Gregory-the Missionary Pope-who, in 590, sent his teachers to the inhospitable shore of England. where they won over the savage ancestors of Shake speare and conquered King Ethelbert by | their plea for immortality. Later came Hildebrand, that Gregory who was not content that the Pope should be the equal of kings and princes. It was his ambition to exalt the spiritual power above all temporal power. Emperors, kings and, queens must be subject to the worlds spiritual ruler. He denied to Henry the Fourth of Germany the right of inves- titure of bishops, and when Henry insist ed Gregory promptly communicated him, forbade any of his subjects to serve him. In that hour Hildebrand proved that the Pope was the king over all em- perors, ruler of all temporal monarchs, and from that day Gregory was master and Henry subject. All the servants in Henrys palaee fled. The monarch had coal, but no one to kindle fire; flour, but no one to make a loaf; horses. but no man | to tend them. When the King appeared on the streets all men fled. and every shop door was locked in his face. At last Hen ry took a staff and made his way to Italy, but the Pope refused to SC him. For three days and three nights. barefooted and bareheaded. amid the blasts of winter
 Henry stood knocking at the door before he received audience and pardon. Then
 for centuries, the Pope was a sovereign. Then came the great Popes of the De
 Medici period, who built the cathredrals
 who were the patrons of men like Bra | mante. Michael Angelo Raphael, Titan and Da Vinci, and that great company of immortal artists. In that era when the | Pontiff was secular prince came the Reformation also, that rent the Church in twain; and long after came Plus with his decree of infallibility: and last of all came Leo the Good, who accomplished the impossible even in Luther's own country
 What His Efforts Have Accomplished Ifs any man doubts let him ask this question:
 l (Which churches are the more crowded the Lutheran churches in Berlin or the | Catholic churches? And in New York City itself, what shall we more say than that under Leo's direction the churches
 where the faith he holds Is taught are full to the doors?
 1 Wonderful indeed, this great organlza- tion. with it's fifteen centuries of history. What cathredrafs it has built What Madonnas and Transfigurations it has painted! What solemn Te Deums it has written! What saints named Fenelon and Thomas Kempis! What philanthropists like Francis of Assist! What heroes like Bernard! Little wonder that 1t has ruled princes and peasants alike! That 1t has controlled political institutions and shaped the destiny of states!
 Take it all in all, the Catholic has been | the most marvellous political force of the | last 15O0 years, has survived empires, states and civilizations. And the new po- sition and influence that the Catholic Church now holds is largely due to the wisdom and noble character of Leo the Pontiff.
 He was not a great theologian. like Au- gustine, giving us a vast body of divinity. He was not a great orator. like Chrysos- tom, swaylng the thousands weeping in the CathredraI of St. Sophia He did not have the military instinct and iron will of Hildebrand.
 But he was a great bishop, like Am prose, who ruled by love. He was a great propagandist like Gregory, sendings Lis missionaries into the uttermost parts of the earth. He was a great statesman who proved himself a match for the most astute diplomats. He held himself to be a sovereign and spoke of himself as a prisoner in the Vatican. and he was the equal of princes and ambassadors whom he met.
 But. great as he was, we forget his greatness when We remember his good ness.
 The English Cardinal who wrote for the world his Lead, Kindly Light" was not more venerated for the purity and simplicity of his character. The Pope Whose Interests Were Uni
 versal.
 In the noblest sense of the term Leo was a man whose interests were world | wide. In reading his letters and addresses | we are impressed with the universality | of his themes. He writes and speaks not | from the viewpoint of an Italian but ] from the viewpoint of the citizen of all | countries.
 Always he strikes the universal note | that appeals to all people. The most i'm portant of his encyclicals deal with the | condition of the working classes, chief | duties of Christians as citizens. on mar riage and divorce. on socialism and an- archy. on workingmen's clubs and trades | unions. In these noble papers he speaks | not from the viewpoint of the prelate, | but from the viewpoint of the Christian. |
 He always pleads the cause of the poor; his heart was knitted in with the inter- | ests of his kind.
 He has tried to make his name a shield | for the weak. and his influence a bulwark | for their defense.
 In cOndemning the oppressor he spoke | no soft words he descended upon the | strong mans sins and crimes with the | might of an avalanche. His words burn | like a flame of fire against every form of | iniquity. He came forth, and To! the scourge was in his hand.
 What a mine of wisdom is found in | thes addresses to the working classesl He | points out for the people the paths that l lead to prosperity and peace.
 It has often been said that the strength |