Pope Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci aka Leo XIII
(20.02.1878 – 20.07.1903)
Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci was elected Pope on February 20, 1878.
Leo XIII wrote more than 20 encyclicals during his more than 25-year pontificate.
Continuing the policy of Pius IX, he condemned Freemasonry, socialism, and nihilism.
He also supported the centralization of ecclesiastical authority, among other things by strengthening the power of the nuncios, as well as the idea of Thomism.
In 1893, he established the feast of the Holy Family, which is celebrated in the octave of Christmas.
Seven years later, on the occasion of the Jubilee Year, he consecrated the human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Pope Leo XIII devoted great attention to social issues.
He became known as the author of the first and most important social encyclical, “Rerum Novarum”, in which the principles of Catholic social teaching were presented. This encyclical, published on May 15, 1891, contains views in favour of a just wage, workers’ rights, and trade unions.
From 1883 to 1898, Leo XIII issued twelve rosary encyclicals.
To these must be added two apostolic letters, one letter to the Vicar of Rome, other smaller documents, and a number of rosary statements which spontaneously appeared in the other utterances of Leo XIII in Marian, ascetical, and social contexts, being a sign of the Pope’s deep attachment to this prayer. He himself belonged to the Association of the Perpetual Rosary, choosing for himself, as his hour of rosary watch, every first day of the month from 22:00 to 23:00. He was greatly influenced by “The Secret of the Rosary” of Saint Louis Mary Grignion de Montfort, whom he himself beatified.
On October 13, 1884, Pope Leo XIII underwent a particular mystical experience.
During thanksgiving after Holy Mass, he briefly fell into ecstasy, during which he heard near the Tabernacle the following dialogue: Satan, full of rage, cried out in a harsh voice, and Christ answered in a gentle voice:
I can destroy Thy Church!
Thou canst? Then try.
To do so, I need more time and more power.
How much time? What power?
From 75 to 100 years, and greater power over those who will give themselves over to my service.
Thou hast the time, thou shalt have the power. Do with them what thou wilt.
After this experience, Leo XIII hastened to his office and composed this prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel, which he ordered bishops and priests to recite after Holy Mass:
Sancte Michaele Archangele, defende nos in proelio, contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur: tuque princeps militiae caelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen.
Encyclical “Mirae Caritatis” – On the Most Holy Eucharist
Most abundant, assuredly, are the salutary benefits which are stored up in this most venerable mystery, regarded as a Sacrifice; a Sacrifice which the Church is accordingly wont to offer daily “for the salvation of the whole world.”
(…)
Here then is a motive whereby the faithful may be stirred to a devout and earnest endeavour to appease God the avenger of sin, and to win from Him the help which is so needful in these calamitous times. And they should see that such blessings are to be sought principally by means of this Sacrifice. For it is only in virtue of the death which Christ suffered that men can satisfy, and that most abundantly, the demands of God’s justice, and can obtain the plenteous gifts of His clemency.
Encyclical “Satis cognitum” – On the Unity of the Church
The practice of the Church has always been the same, as is shown by the unanimous teaching of the Fathers, who were wont to hold as outside Catholic communion, and alien to the Church, whoever would recede in the least degree from any point of doctrine proposed by her authoritative Magisterium.
St. Hilary: Christ teaching from the ship signifies that those who are outside the Church can never grasp the divine teaching. For the ship typifies the Church where the word of life is deposited and preached. Those who are outside are like sterile and worthless sand: they cannot comprehend.
Encyclical “Humanum genus” – On Freemasonry
Their ultimate purpose forces itself into view – namely, the utter overthrow of that whole religious and political order of the world which Christian teaching has produced, and the substitution of a new state of things in accordance with their ideas, of which the foundations and laws shall be drawn from mere naturalism.
To use the words of St. Augustine:
men think, or would have it believed, that Christian teaching is not suited to the good of the State; for they wish the State to be founded not on solid virtue, but on the impunity of vice.
Encyclical “Dall’ alto” – On the war declared against the Church in Italy
It may be said that this happens not only in Italy, but that it is a system of government to which States generally conform.
Without exaggeration, this is the present condition and the future prospect of religion in Italy. To shrink from seeing the gravity of this would be a fatal error. To recognise things as they are, to confront them with evangelical prudence and fortitude, and to discern the duties which they impose upon all Catholics, and upon us especially, who as Pastors must watch over them and lead them to salvation, is to enter into the designs of Providence and to perform a work of wisdom and pastoral zeal.
