by Serre Verweij
for Rorate Caeli
Pope Leo XIII is a widely known but not widely grasped Pope. Pope Leo XIV took his name (in part) as a tribute to Leo XIII. This instantly resulted in a renewed focus on Pope Leo XIII as the Pope who started addressing so called social issues with Rerum Novarum in 1891 and who cared about dealing with new developments in the world. This basic picture is true, but much is missing or misinterpreted in how Leo XIII is often described nowadays.
There is a mythical view of Pope Leo XIII as a liberal Pope who broke with the more reactionary tendencies of Pope Pius IX and embraced left-leaning stances on social issues. Aside from Rerum Novarum, this view is fueled by the fact that Pope Leo XIII tried to reconcile Catholics with the (third) French republic, after it seemed obvious that it had permanently triumphed over the monarchists. This alleged liberal and social Pope is not the real Pope Leo, however. He was not a theological, doctrinal, moral or even a political liberal.
Pope Leo XIII and the state
Pope Leo XIII’s ultimately unsuccessful attempts to reconcile with the anti-clerical third French Republic were indeed amongst his most liberal undertakings. The policy was the result of the disasterous influence of Cardinal Rampolla, who Pope Leo appointed as Secretary of State in 1887. It only served to split the French and weaken its influence, while failing to end the anti-clericalism of the French Republic.
His policy was largely driven by pragmatism rather than ideology though, as demonstrated by the fact that Pope Leo did not play soft with every liberal regime. He largely continued Pope Pius IX’s hardline stance with regards to Italy, for example. He also wound down the struggle between the Catholic Church and Otto Bismarck in Germany, known as the ‘Kulturkampf’, on terms largely favourable to the Church through a few gestures and concessions.
While emphasizing political accidentalism and the fact that the Church could exist within, and even support, a democratic republic, he was clear that legitimate authority came from God. He rejected a full separation of Church and state or unlimited press freedom.
Rerum Novarum was primarily a condemnation of socialism and an affirmation of private property and the traditional order (though the document is worth an analysis of its own). It also condemned women, specifically mothers, doing inappropriate industrial work and defended the wife’s place in the home.
Pope Leo, traditional doctrine and theology
Pope Leo XIII also strongly condemned Freemasonry, promoted Mariology, encouraged greater devotion to the Archangel Michael and dedicated multiple encyclicals to criticizing the introduction of civil marriage and civil divorce. In fact his encyclical Arcanum started the trend of papal encyclicals dealing with marital issues, just as Rerum Novarum started the tradition of encyclicals regarding economic issues. It reaffirmed male headship and rejected progressive attempts to attack the family. It is a beautiful text that should still be read today and which inspired Pope Pius XI to release Casti Connubii 40 years later.
While it drew some renewed attention that Pope Leo XIII condemned the heresy of ‘Americanism’ after Leo XIV became the first American Pope, it’s essential to remember that Americanism was a liberal heresy. Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae, Leo XIII’s anti-Americanist encyclical, did not condemn American nationalism but attempts to water down doctrine, downplay supernatural virtue or to adapt Catholicism to liberal democracy and pluralism. The condemnation in fact prefigured the condemnation of modernism by Pope Saint Pius X in Pascendi Dominici Gregis and Lamentabili Sane Exitu, for which progressives still hate him.
Aeterni Patris and its promotion of a scholastic revival might have been his greatest contribution overall. Pope Leo XIII did not reject science or see it as contrary to faith, but instead believed one could never contradict the other and that natural reason could never disprove the faith. The promotion of scholasticism provided an alternative to secular and rationalist philosophy, was key to the later anti-modernist struggle and remained the norm in the Church till it was undermined at the Second Vatican Council. Providentissimus Deus perfectly build on this by promoting a historical and scientific analysis of the scriptures, but one that does not deny its infallibility or inerrancy and respects both the unanimous consent of the Church Fathers as well as the Magisterium. It’s another encyclical worth recommending, unfortunately the Second Vatican Council document dealing with divine revelation, Dei Verbum, was vague on whether it was consistent with or overrode Providentissimus Deus. While Pope Leo XIV understandably sidestepped this 60 years old controversy during his recent catechesis on Vatican II, we can pray he will address this later in his pontificate.
Pope Leo XIII and the reactionaries
Before his election, Pope Leo XIII was known as Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci. He was a loyal and beloved nuncio to the ultraconservative Pope Gregory XVI, who even wanted to make him a cardinal but died before he could do so. As nuncio he supported conservative Catholics in Belgium who struggled against the liberal government in a school struggle.
While there were baseless stories that Pope Pius IX would have disliked Pecci for being too liberal and therefore would have exiled him by having him serve as Archbishop of Perugia for many years, the opposite is true. Pius IX tried multiple times during the early years of his pontificate to have Pecci come to Rome but he himself preferred to stay in Perugia. Despite the stubborn refusal, Pope Pius IX still made Pecci cardinal in 1853. As Archbishop, Pecci promoted Thomism at the seminary and enforced doctrinal orthodoxy while at the same time expanding the Church’s charitable network and pastoral outreach. To him there was no conflict between the two.
Cardinal Pecci supported Pope Pius IX during the anti-Catholic attacks by liberal revolutionaries and Italian nationalists. Pope Pius IX would even entrust the future Pope Leo XIII’s brother (and teacher at his archdiocesan seminary), Giuseppe Pecci, with a leading role at the First Vatican Council. Finally in 1877 Pope Pius IX even honoured Pecci by making him the new camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, one of the most prestigious offices any cardinal can hold. Pecci was a reliable and honourable cardinal and someone Pope Pius IX both respected and valued.
Conclusion
Pope Leo XIII is often poorly or only partially understood. He was orthodox, devout and a firm antisocialist. Additionally he was an effective nuncio, faithful cardinal, smart theologian and an effective leader. He had been freely promoted to the highest offices by Pope Pius IX and showed how to mix being pragmatic and principled.
Pope Leo showed how it’s possible to be active in the world and to be a peacemaker without becoming worldly; to convert the world rather than be converted to it. He was a worthy Pope of Pope Leo XIV to pay tribute to.
