LEO XIII. (GIOACCHINO PEcci), Pope; born in Carpineto, Italy, March 2, 1810. He was the son of Count Ludovico Pecci. Educated first at the Jesuit College of Viterbo and the schools of the Collegio Romano, he proceeded to the College of Noble Ecclesiastics. He greatly signal ized himself in mathematics, physics, and philosophy. Having become Doctor of Laws, he was appointed by Pope Gregory XVI., a domestic prelate and Referendary of the Segnatura in 1837. He then took holy orders, received from the Pope the title of prothonotary apostolic, and was appointed in succession apostolic delegate at Benevento, Perugia, and Spoleto. Sent to Belgium as nuncio in 1843, he was created Archbishop of Damietta to qualify him for the office. Three years later he was nominat,ed Bishop of Per ugia, and in the consistory of Dec. 19, 1853, he was created a cardinal by Pius IX. In September, 1877, he was select ed by the Pope to fill the office of Cardi nal Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. On the death of Pius IX. in 1878 Cardinal Pecci was elected as the representative of the Moderates. He assumed the title of Leo XIII. He re stored the hierarchy in Scotland, and composed the religious difficulty with Germany, so that when a dispute arose in 1885 between Germany and Spain as to the ownership of the Caroline Islands he was requested by Prince Bismarck to act as arbitrator. In political matters
Leo permitted the Irish bishops to in dulge their own views. In 1887-1888 there were great rejoicings at Rome to celebrate his Jubilee. In May, 1888, the Pope issued a decree denouncing in gen eral terms the methods adopted by some of the Irish leaders in the Plan of Cam paign. The following October he re ceived a visit from the German emperor, William II. He regarded himself as the despoiled sovereign of Rome and as a prisoner at the Vatican; refused the in come voted him by the Italian Parlia ment; and persistently declined to recog nize the law of guarantees. In 1892— 1893 he effected the establishment of a delegation to the Roman Catholic Church in the United States in the face of oppo sition by certain American prelates. In 1899 he issued a letter condemning Americanism as set forth by Father Hecker. He died in 1903.
Also the name of various kings of the Armenians, as follows :