On 7 Feb. 1878 Pius IX died. On Monday, 18 February, the cardinals met in conclave. Pecci, as Cardinal Camerlengo, walked last in the procession. On Wednesday, 20 February, by a vote of 45 out of 61, Cardinal Pecci be came Pope. From 20 Feb. 1878 to 20 July 1903, Leo XIII was constantly active. He restored the Catholic hierarchy to Scotland, early in 1878, and issued his first Encyclical, Inscru labile, against the forces at work for the disin tegration of society—putting strong accent on the disregard of the sacramental character of marriage. In 1878-79 Leo. XIII was in a most difficult position with the government of Ger many. This later year marks the beginning of the decay of the Kulturkampf which strength ened the Centre party in Germany and which made the name of Bismarck detested by Ger man Catholics at home and abroad. In 1879 came the Encyclical, Quot Apostolici, followed by the Patris — all encyclicals taking their names from the opening words. The first was aimed at that Socialism "which at tack's all that has been wisely decreed by human and divine laws the protection and orna ment of life"; the second is an exposition of the claims of Saint Thomas Aquinas as a philosopher.
Another important encyclical,— it is. not pos sible to name them all,— appeared on 12 Feb. 1880. It was the Arcanum, on Christian mar riage. Another, 29 June 1881, was the encycli cal Diuturnum in favor of rightful authority. "The Church," he said, "was everywhere the friend of honest liberty; she detested tyranny.' In 1882 he strove to keep the Irish movement within legal bounds. The encyclical Etsi Nos, of February 1882, gain rise to the rumor that he would leave Rome, so "intolerable" had the situation become. In 1890, the world gradually learned that kir six years every historical docu ment in the Vatican had been at the service of scholars. He omitted nothing that could. add to the progress of historical science. The en cyclical, Humanus Genus, was aimed at Free masonry, which assumes an atheistical and anti religious aspect in Latin countries.
Leo XIII was aroused to intense enthusiasm for the work of Cardinal Lavigerie.iti breaking down the slave-trade in Africa, and his In Plutimis, 5 May 1888, is evidence of his detestation of slavery. It is addressed to
the bishops of Brazil. The prudence with which Leo XIII handled the question.of the Knights of Labor was due tO the tact. JIT sessed of discovering the best advisers. There were forces at work urging the condemnation of this society; but, owing to the sanity and energy of Cardinal Gibbons, Cardinal Manning and Monsignor O'Connell, rector of the Catho lic University, a disaster by which suspicion and dislike to the Church might have been excited was avoided.
The relations between the late Pope and the United States of America were very close. He established the Catholic University at Washing ton, and constantly expressed interest in it. His solicitude for the Church in America was profoundly shown in the Apostolical letter, Tester Benevolentiw, on "Americanism;' in which he paternally determines and settles a point for some time in controversy among American Catholics. In the beginning of the year 1893, Monsignor Satolli, afterward Car dinal, became the first Apostolic Delegate to the United States. This is not a diplomatic but a purely ecclesiastical office. Cardinal Satolli was succeeded by Monsignor, later Car dinal, Martinelli, and (1903) by Monsignor, later Cardinal, Falconio.
The efforts of Leo XIII to direct attention to the study of the Scriptures are historic. Perhaps of all his letters which have a diplo matic character, that written to the French in 1892 caused the greatest discussion. It was received by French Royalists with ill-concealed disgust. There is no question that the pontifi cate of Leo XIII was of vital value in the history of the last quarter of the century.
As a poet, Leo XIII wrote exquisite Latin verse, a translation of which has been made by the Jesuit fathers at Woodstock, Md., and a later and fuller one by Dr. Hugh Henry, of Overbrook Seminary, in Pennsylvania. Con sult biographies by Bonghi (Citta di Castello 1884) ; Wienand (2d ed., Cologne 1892) ; Furey (New York 1904) ; and also Goetz, 'Leo XIII' (Gotha 1899). His encyclicals have'been published in Latin and German (Freiburg 1878-1904) ; and in English (New York 1902).