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Pope Leo XIII was head of the Catholic Church from 1878 until his death in 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign and third-longest verified reign of any pope, behind those of St. Peter, Pius IX, and John Paul II.
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culture · Head of the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903 · Latin Catholic priest · Monsignor · nuncio · archbishop · writer · Catholic bishop · bishop · also Leo XIII, Pope Leo XIII, Gioacchino Vincenzo Pecci, Leo PP. XIII, XIII
Born 2 March 1810 · Died 20 July 1903 · Q43922
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“so that everyone might see clearly that the Church and her Pastors are not opposed to true and solid science, whether human or divine, but that they embrace it, encourage it, and promote it with the fullest possible devotion.”
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“If it were only of any use, but I do not believe it would be. The brief remainder of my life must be given to God”
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aleteia.org: Leo XIII to Leo XIV: 135 years of Catholic social teaching
Public attention spiked: 2,711 Wikipedia readers in one day, 3.3× the usual 829, with 0 article edits.
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Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost assumed the name Leo XIV in honor of Leo XIII
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To make way for construction of the Domus Sanctae Marthae
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His remains were transferred to the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran
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Between Pope Pius X and Antonio Mele-Virdis, the former is alleged to have said, "he should have been in my place"
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Died 1903-07-20.
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Attributed his longevity to the sparing use of meat and the consumption of eggs, milk and vegetables
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“Il peggior tipo di eretico è colui che, insegnando per la maggior parte la dottrina cattolica vera, aggiunge una parola di eresia come una goccia di veleno in un bicchiere d’acqua.”
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The pope informed Diomede that he would ignore his previous missive asking him to renounce his claim to the red hat, a position that Diomede was never then given
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Planned to name Agapito Panici as a cardinal at the next consistory, but Panici died before the nomination could take place in 1903
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Declared the Venerable Bede a Doctor of the Church
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When he suffered a previous serious illness
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Leo XIII hoped to nominate the Dominican procurator general Hyacinthe-Marie Cormier (later beatified) to the cardinalate; however, he was unable to do so because the French government did not favor a cardinal from a reli
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And for his encyclical of 1888 to the bishops of Brazil, In plurimis, on the abolition of slavery
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In which the United States, a then largely Protestant nation, took control of the Philippines from Spain
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Published the Apostolic Letter Trans Oceanum, which dealt with the privileges and ecclesiastical structure of the Catholic Church in Latin America
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The pope intended to name the Archbishop of Turin Davide Riccardi as a cardinal but the cardinal died before the promotion could take place
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That resulted in better conditions for the faithful and additional appointments of bishops
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On YouTube with recording of Leo XIII chanting the Ave Maria in Latin in 1903
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And 1895, while in April 1901 announcing the names of another two cardinals whom he had reserved in pectore in June 1899
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Elevated Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto to the cardinalate, who would go on to be his immediate successor, Pope Pius X in 1903
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And the Scapular of the Sacred Heart in 1900
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Pope Leo XIII opened the Vatican archives to William Eleroy Curtis, a special envoy planning the commemoration of Christopher Columbus at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition
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And again in 1897, the pope offered the cardinalate to Johannes Montel Edler von Treuenfels, the dean of the Sacred Rota, though he refused the honor (he refused again in 1908 when invited by Pope Pius X)
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Ordered the construction of a hospice inside the Vatican
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Which he entrusted to the Apostleship of Prayer (now the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network)
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Thérèse of Lisieux attended a general audience with Pope Leo XIII and asked him to allow her to enter the Carmelite order
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Approved the foundation of Missionaries of St
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And regulated some longstanding conflicts with the Portuguese authorities
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Including an account of a conversation with Leo XIII about his decision, say nothing of the alleged vision
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Approved the Scapular of the Holy Face, (also known as The Veronica) and elevated the Priests of the Holy Face to an archconfraternity
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The Polish priest and former Curial official Stefan Pawlicki was offered but refused an offer of elevation
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Named another cardinal in pectore, announcing the name later that same year
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The Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey in Catalonia celebrated 1000 years of existence
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The pope named three cardinals "in pectore", announcing them in 1882 and 1884
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Elevated his older brother, Giuseppe, to the cardinalate
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Catholic missionaries associated with the White Father Congregation (Society of the Missionaries of Africa) came to Uganda and others went to Tanganyika (present-day Tanzania) and Rwanda
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It was widely praised throughout the English-speaking world, not simply on the account of Newman's virtues and reputation, but on the basis that Leo XIII had a broader episcopal vision in mind than Pius IX ever did
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Was also noteworthy due to their roles in the short-lived Council
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Career landmark: Pope (1878–1903).
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The pope had started to experience a slight tremor in his hand due to a poorly undertaken bloodletting procedure for a previous malady
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Career landmark: Chamberlain of the Apostolic Chamber (1877–1878).
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Career landmark: cardinal (1853–1878).
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To reform the religious life in his dioceses in Spoleto and it was in this council that the need for a Syllabus of Errors was discussed
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Revolutionary movements developed throughout Western Europe, including France, Germany and Italy
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After Pope Pius IX granted unlimited freedom for the press in the Papal States, Pecci, who had been highly popular in the first years of his episcopate, became the object of attacks in the media and at his residence
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Put pause to that idea while the events that characterized the beginning of the papacy of Pius IX further postponed the idea of Pecci's elevation
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Career landmark: Roman Catholic Bishop of Perugia (1846–1880).
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Upon his initiative, a Belgian College in Rome was opened; 102 years later, in 1946, the future Pope John Paul II would begin his Roman studies there
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Career landmark: titular archbishop (1843).
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Pecci, at only 33, was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium, a position that guaranteed the cardinal's hat after completion of the tour
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Career landmark: apostolic nuncio to Belgium (1843–1846).
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Received his doctorate in theology and doctorates of civil and Canon Law in Rome
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Gave a student presentation, attended by several cardinals, on papal judgments
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The 18-year-old Vincenzo decided in favour of secular clergy, and Giuseppe entered the Jesuit order
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And Giuseppe were called to Rome, where their mother was dying
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Born 1810-03-02.
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May also be the earliest-born known person to appear in a film
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