Leona is 17 months old today, which is a tad embarassing for me because I've spent the last weeks telling everyone she is mere days away from the big 18, which it turns out is not until next month. This has inspired me to take the opportunity to tell you a little about Leo XIII after whom she is named. One of Ella's Polish relatives asked "If you want to name here after a Pope, why not the best Pope?".... I wonder which one they have in mind!

Let me tell you about Leo XIII...

Facts and Figures

He was born on March 2nd, a mere ten days before Leona's birthday. He died July 20th, a mere six days after my birthday.

He died the oldest Pope ever having lived to the ripe old age of 93 (John Paul II was 84 when he died).

He was Pope for 25 years and had the third longest reign of any Pope (John Paul II comes in second at 26 Years).

Leo XIII was the first Pope to be born in the 19th century. He was also the first to die in the 20th century.

He was the 256th Pope which means he was the first Pope you can't count in 8bit binary (11111111 is 255).

During his pontificate two hundred and forty-eight episcopal or archiepiscopal sees were created.

England

He beatified St John Fisher, St Thomas More, St Margaret Clitherow, St Edmund Campion and the other English Martyrs in 1886.

He was the Pope that made John Henry Newman a cardinal. Newman said of him: "In the successor of Pius I recognize a depth of thought, a tenderness of heart, a winning simplicity, and a power answering to the name of Leo, which prevent me from lamenting that Pius is no longer here."

He released a (not particularly ecumenical sounding) Papal Bull Apostolicae Curae (On the Nullity of Anglican Orders) in which he said:

Wherefore, strictly adhering, in this matter, to the decrees of the pontiffs, our predecessors, and confirming them most fully, and, as it were, renewing them by our authority, of our own initiative and certain knowledge, we pronounce and declare that ordinations carried out according to the Anglican rite have been, and are, absolutely null and utterly void.

He wrote a letter Ad Anglos (To the English People) in which he said:

We have heard that in England there are some who, being Catholics in name, do not show themselves so in practice; and that in your great towns there are vast numbere of people who know not the elements of the Christian faith, who never pray to God, and live in ignorance of His justice and of His mercy. We must pray to God, and pray yet more earnestly in this sad condition of things, since He alone can effect a remedy. May He show the measures proper to be taken; may He sustain the courage and strength of those who labor at this arduous task; may He deign to send laborers into His harvest.

[...]

We therefore humbly call on St. Gregory, whom the English have ever rejoiced to greet as the apostle of their race, on Augustine his disciple and his messenger, and on those other saints of God, through whose wonderful virtues and no less wonderful deeds England has merited the title of "Island of the Saints"; on St. Peter and St. George, those special patrons, and above all on Mary, the Holy Mother of God, whom Christ Himself from the Cross left to be the mother of mankind, to whom your kingdom was dedicated by your forefathers under that glorious title "The Dowry of Mary". All these with full confidence We call upon to be Our pleaders before the throne of God that, renewing the glory of ancient days, He may fill you with all joy and peace in believing: that you may abound in hope and in the power of the Holy Ghost.

[...]

Finally, We desire all manner of blessings from God for the whole of the British people, and with all Our heart We pray that those who seek the kingdom of Christ and salvation in the unity of faith may enter on the full realization of their desires.

Prayer for England

In the same letter, he offers an indulgence for praying daily a prayer you may have heard before:

Care should be taken that the prayers for unity already established amongst you Catholics on certain fixed days should be made more popular and recited with greater devotion. Especially that the pious practice of the Holy Rosary, which We Ourselves have so strongly recommended, should flourish, for it contains as it were a summary of the Gospel teaching, and has always been a most salutary institution for the people at large.

Moreover, We are pleased of Our own will and authority to add still another to the sacred Indulgences which have been granted from time to time by Our predecessors. We grant, that is, to all those who piously recite the prayer appended to this letter, to whatever nation they may belong, an indulgence of three hundred days; moreover, a plenary indulgence once a month on the observance of the usual conditions to those who have recited it daily.

[...]

To THE Blessed Virgin. Prayer for England.

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother, look down in mercy upon England thy "Dowry" and upon us all who greatly hope and trust in thee. By thee it was that Jesus our Saviour and our hope was given unto the world; and He has given thee to us that we might hope still more. Plead for us thy children, whom thou didst receive and accept at the foot of the cross. O sorrowful Mother! intercede for our separated brethren, that with us in the one true fold they may be united to the supreme Shepherd, the Vicar of thy Son. Pray for us all, dear Mother, that by faith fruitful in good works we may all deserve to see and praise God, together with thee, in our heavenly home. Amen.

Prayer to St Michael

As well as the Prayer for England above, he also wrote another prayer that you may have heard of...

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the Divine Power of God - cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

There's quite a back story to that one.

Prayer to Mary

He was known as the Rosary Pope because he released a record eleven encyclicals on the rosary.

He instituted the practice of praying the rosary in October.

Science and Technology and Education

In 1883 Pope Leo XIII opened the Vatican Secret Archives (dated 1815 or earlier) to non-clerical scholars for the first time.

In 1891 he formally re-founded the Vatican Observatory.

He founded the Potifical Biblical Commission.

He was the first Pope to have his voice recorded...

He was the first Pope to be filmed...

While he was Pope, the Vatican got it's first phones. "The Vatican started out in 1886 with 10 phones that could only make internal calls" [link].

Leo XIII was Pope was Pope when the first electricity was produced in the Vatican...

The production of electricity in the Vatican dates back to 1897 with a project to harness the flow of water descending from the Bracciano aqueduct.

[...]

The water flow also went by tunnel to the "Fontana dell'Aquilone" (Fountain of the Eagle) where it descended fifteen meters to enter a conduit containing a turbine which it would turn, thereby allowing for the production of electricity. The construction of what would become the Vatican's first power station took place from 1897-1898 and was inaugurated by Pope Leo XIII in 1899.

[link]

Encyclicals

Leo XIII wrote a frightening number of encyclical letters...

Ad Extremas, Adiutricem , Aeterni Patris, Affari Vos , Annum Sacrum, Arcanum Divinae, Augustissimae Virginis Mariae, Au Milieu Des Sollicitudes, Auspicato Concessum, Caritatis, Caritatis Studium, Catholicae Ecclesiae, Christi Nomen, Constanti Hungarorum, Cum Multa, Custodi di quella Fede, Dall'alto dell'Apostolico Seggio, Depuis le Jour, Diuturni Temporis, Diuturnum, Divinum Illud Munus, Dum Multa, Etsi Cunctas, Etsi Nos, Exeunte Iam Anno, Fidentem Piumque Animum, Fin dal Principio, Grande Munus, Graves de Communi Re, Gravissimas , Humanum Genus, Iampridem, Immortale Dei, In Amplissimo, Inimica Vis, In Ipso, In Plurimis, Inscrutabili Dei Consilio, Insignes, Inter Graves, Iucunda Semper Expectatione, Laetitiae Sanctae, Libertas, Licet Multa, Litteras a Vobis, Longinqua, Magnae Dei Matris, Magni Nobis, Militantis Ecclesiae, Mirae Caritatis, Nobilissima Gallorum Gens, Non Mediocri, Octobri Mense, Officio Sanctissimo, Omnibus Compertum, Pastoralis , Pastoralis Officii, Paternae, Paterna Caritas, Pergrata, Permoti Nos, Providentissimus Deus, Quae Ad Nos, Quam Aerumnosa, Quamquam Pluries , Quam Religiosa, Quarto Abeunte Saeculo, Quod Anniversarius, Quod Apostolici Muneris, Quod Auctoritate, Quod Multum, Quod Votis , Quum Diuturnum, Reputantibus , Rerum Novarum, Saepe Nos, Sancta Dei Civitas, Sapientiae Christianae, Satis Cognitum, Spectata Fides, Spesse Volte, Superiore Anno, Supremi Apostolatus Officio, Tametsi Futura Prospicientibus, Urbanitatis Veteris and Vi è Ben Noto

That' more than eighty! Count'em. Pope John Paul II (who was Pope for a year longer) only managed 14, one of which (Centesimus Annus) was written to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum.

Drink

He enjoyed Vin Mariani tonic wine (which contained 6mg per ounce cocaine) so much that he awarded a Vatican gold medal to the wine and appeared on a poster for it.

Arms

Pope Leo XIII's coat of arms (taken from here):

They can be seen hammered out in lead on the dome of St. Peter's Basilica...

But, Leo XIII is not buried in St Peter's Basilica. He is buried in St John Lateran.

St Therese of Lisieux

Pope Leo XIII met St Therese in 1887...

The great day of the audience with Pope Leo XIII came at the end of their week in Rome. On Sunday, November 20, 1887, "they told us on the Pope's behalf that it was forbidden to speak as this would prolong the audience too much. I turned toward my dear Celine for advice: 'Speak!' she said. A moment later I was at the Holy Father's feet....Lifting tear-filled eyes to his face I cried out: 'Most Holy Father, I have a great favor to ask you!....Holy Father, in honor of your jubilee, permit me to enter Carmel at the age of fifteen.'"

Father Reverony, the leader of the French pilgrimage, stared stonily at this bold little girl, in surprise and displeasure. "Most Holy Father," the priest said coldly, "this is a child who wants to enter Carmel at the age of fifteen. The superiors are considering the matter at the moment." "Well, my child," the Holy Father replied, "do what the superiors tell you." "Resting my hands on his knees," Therese continued, "I made a final effort, saying, 'Oh, Holy Father, if you say yes, everybody will agree!' He gazed at me speaking these words and stressing each syllable: 'Go - go - you will enter if God wills it.'"

Therese did not want to leave the Holy Father's presence, so the papal guards had to lift her up and carry the tearful young girl to the door. There they gave her a medal of Leo XIII.

[link]

St Thomas Aquinas

Pope Leo XIII was big in to St Thomas and founded the Pontifical Academy of St Thomas Aquinas.

His Encyclical Aeterni Patris (given on my brothers birthday) says...

We exhort you, venerable brethren, in all earnestness to restore the golden wisdom of St. Thomas, and to spread it far and wide for the defense and beauty of the Catholic faith, for the good of society, and for the advantage of all the sciences.

Further Reading...

Like all the best Popes, Leo XIII has a Wikipedia Page and a page in the Catholic Encyclopaedia. He is (at present) the earliest Pope to have a Homepage on the Vatican Website. It wouldn't hurt to read some of his encyclicals.

So... there you have it. The legend that is Leo XIII.

Leona is nine months old today. We can't bleieve how the time has flown by and I will defnitely be showing you pictures of how she has grown later. In the meantime, as you may be aware, Leona is named for Leo XIII and I wanted to share some Leo XIII fun.

Firstly, did you know that Leo XIII was the pope who had the first electric lights installed in St. Peter's Cathedral? He was also the first pope to be caught on video! Here he is (they hadn't invented sound yet)...

While they hadn't invented sound with video yet, they had invented sound. Leo XIII is also the first pope to have been recorded and you can hear him chanting away here...

Fantastic stuff. Finally, you may recall my unhappiness with the Catholic Youth Service's choice of quote for this years Youth Sunday. They chose a quote from Ghandi who also once famously when asked if he was a Hindu he replied "Yes I am. I am also a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist and a Jew.". Leo XIII has something to say about that...

To hold, therefore, that there is no difference in matters of religion between forms that are unlike each other, and even contrary to each other, most clearly leads in the end to the rejection of all religion in both theory and practice. And this is the same thing as atheism, however it may differ from it in name. Men who really believe in the existence of God must, in order to be consistent with themselves and to avoid absurd conclusions, understand that differing modes of divine worship involving dissimilarity and conflict even on most important points cannot all be equally probable, equally good, and equally acceptable to God.

Roar!