Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production
Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly
Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. Hey, there's a new pope.
Speaker 1: There is surprisingly fast. I felt it was pretty darn quick.
Speaker 1: This pope is Leo the fourteenth. That was his chosen name,
Speaker 1: and that was an interesting choice. The selection of the
Speaker 1: name that a person takes as pope is often an
Speaker 1: indicator of that pope's intentions, and as pope, Leo the
Speaker 1: thirteenth was invoked in this new pope's choice of name,
Speaker 1: like specifically people speaking for the Vatican mentioned it in interviews.
Speaker 1: It seemed like as good a time as any to
Speaker 1: look at his life because there were a lot of like,
Speaker 1: here's what the pope's name means, and it's like WHOA.
Speaker 1: Leo the thirteenth actually had a pretty long run. So
Speaker 1: we're obviously not going to hit a lot of the
Speaker 1: minutia of his time as pope here. And I want
Speaker 1: to just be very clear to level set, this is
Speaker 1: not intended to be any kind of religious scholarship with
Speaker 1: regards to the Catholic faith. We're looking at his biography
Speaker 1: and how he sought to find a way forward for
Speaker 1: the Catholic Church at a time when the world was
Speaker 1: rapidly changing and the Church was often at odds with
Speaker 1: those changes, which you could be said parallels what's going
Speaker 1: on now with Poplio the fourteenth. Vincenzo Jocchino Pecci was
Speaker 1: born on March second, eighteen ten, in the Carpineto Romano
Speaker 1: municipality and Rome. This was during a period when the
Speaker 1: Papal states were occupied by the French. Napoleon had taken
Speaker 1: control of Italy in eighteen hundred, but then had agreed
Speaker 1: through the Concorda of eighteen oh one, to allow the
Speaker 1: Roman Catholic Church and specifically the Pope, to retain control
Speaker 1: over the Papal states of Italy. The Concordat was not
Speaker 1: just about this. It also outlined ways in which the
Speaker 1: Catholic Church would be positioned in France, and it gave
Speaker 1: Napoleon a lot of power within the Church. Yeah, we
Speaker 1: won't get into all of the shifting of how Italy
Speaker 1: once again regained control of the area, but the important
Speaker 1: thing here is that he was born in the Papal
Speaker 1: States and is considered today Italian Vincenzo's parents were Domenico
Speaker 1: Lodovico Pecci, a colonel, and Anna Prosperi Buzzi, and Vincenzo
Speaker 1: was their sixth child. He went by his middle name, Jacquino,
Speaker 1: so that is what we will use to refer to
Speaker 1: him going forward. His older siblings were Carlo, Anna, Maria Caterina,
Speaker 1: Giovanni Battista, and Giuseppe. I will say, if you look
Speaker 1: up his biography, because a pope becomes a global figure,
Speaker 1: you will see those names, sometimes anglicized or written completely differently,
Speaker 1: but those are their Italian names. And when Jacquino was born,
Speaker 1: Domenico was forty one and Anna was thirty seven. They
Speaker 1: had been parents already for sixteen years. At that point,
Speaker 1: Carlo was sixteen years old, and then another child, Fernando,
Speaker 1: was born three years after Giacchino. The family was financially comfortable.
Speaker 1: The Pechies were said to have gained the favor of
Speaker 1: the papacy by standing against the Mediciese, and they had
Speaker 1: built their family's fortunes and social standing from there. In
Speaker 1: his early childhood, Gacquino stayed at home, but at the
Speaker 1: age of eight he was sent along with his brother
Speaker 1: Giuseppe to be Terribo, Italy to be educated by the Jesuits. There.
Speaker 1: Giuseppe would go on to become a professor at the
Speaker 1: Jesuit Seminary, although he eventually resigned due to some disagreements
Speaker 1: with the order. It was decided early on that Jacquino
Speaker 1: would follow a life in the church. Yes, I read
Speaker 1: one biography that made it clear that that was something
Speaker 1: his mother had wanted from day one. He next moved
Speaker 1: on to the Academy of Noble Ecclesiastics in Rome, and
Speaker 1: he studied law there and got his doctoral degree in
Speaker 1: eighteen thirty seven. That same year, at the age of
Speaker 1: twenty seven, he was ordained to the priesthood. He's often
Speaker 1: said to have been made a domestic prelate in his
Speaker 1: first year, meaning that he was given honorary inclusion in
Speaker 1: the papal household, although that specific term didn't exist yet
Speaker 1: it wouldn't until after Petchi's death, but he did have
Speaker 1: mentors and champions at very high levels of the Catholic Church,
Speaker 1: and his initial role as a priest was working in
Speaker 1: a diplomatic function for the papal states, so it would
Speaker 1: make sense that he would have had access to the
Speaker 1: inner workings of the Vatican. He was made a delegate
Speaker 1: to Benevento just a year into his career with the Church.
Speaker 1: That was essentially a governor position, and Benevento was in
Speaker 1: what was at the time the Papal states in the
Speaker 1: Kingdom of Naples. This was an appointment that came with
Speaker 1: some challenges. Benevento at the time was experiencing a large
Speaker 1: amount of crime that was being carried out largely by
Speaker 1: people in the employ of the landed gentry of Naples. Basically,
Speaker 1: they all had money and they were trying to get more,
Speaker 1: and they were willing to do illegal things to get it.
Speaker 1: There was also a lot of smuggling that went through
Speaker 1: the area. But Pechi was aggressive in reforming Benevento, and
Speaker 1: within just a few years the subsidized crime problem there
Speaker 1: had dwindled to just about nothing. After Benevetto, he was
Speaker 1: moved into the same position in Perugia, although his title
Speaker 1: remained the same. This was considered a promotion since Perugia
Speaker 1: and Umbria was at a much more important spot in
Speaker 1: the hierarchy of the Papal States. It also had its
Speaker 1: share of problems, but once again Petchi was able to
Speaker 1: get control of the situation in time for a visit
Speaker 1: from Pope Gregory the sixteenth, which earned him both accolades
Speaker 1: and the favor of the Pope. Jacquino continued his rapid
Speaker 1: rise through the ranks of the Church when he was
Speaker 1: promoted to the role of Nuncio to Brussels. This was
Speaker 1: another diplomatic position of a very high rank, and it
Speaker 1: marked a point at which the young priest, just six
Speaker 1: years into his priesthood, was considered a career member of
Speaker 1: the papal states government. He became an archbishop not long
Speaker 1: into his appointment in Belgium, where he spent the next
Speaker 1: three years, and those three years are considered very influential
Speaker 1: in the way Jacquino Pechi viewed the role of the
Speaker 1: Church in the modernizing world. King Leopold the First of
Speaker 1: Belgium had started out on good terms with Pechi, but
Speaker 1: that shifted drastically. Unlike his predecessors and Brussels, Pecchi did
Speaker 1: not manage the careful maneuvering required to maintain the delicate
Speaker 1: political balance of multiple factions that were attempting to assert
Speaker 1: power and a dispute between the Church and the monarch
Speaker 1: over education Petchi sided with the local bishop, and in
Speaker 1: doing that he soured his relationship with Leopold. Frustrated at
Speaker 1: not having the archbishop at his command, Leopold asked Rome
Speaker 1: to recall Pechi. The church did exactly that, sending him
Speaker 1: back to Perugia, this time as a bishop. While this
Speaker 1: move to Perugia early in his career had been a
Speaker 1: step up, in this instance it was very clearly a
Speaker 1: step down. We will talk about the ways that Petchi
Speaker 1: fell under suspicion for his views after we first take
Speaker 1: a sponsor break. When the revolutions of eighteen forty eight
Speaker 1: began around Europe, Pechy did not help his standing in
Speaker 1: the church. So this movement, which could be a future episode, was,
Speaker 1: in the very briefest of terms, a series of uprisings
Speaker 1: against increasingly conservative governments throughout the continent, and this was
Speaker 1: catalyzed in the acute sense by a series of crop
Speaker 1: failures that impacted a lot of countries and led to
Speaker 1: food shortages. This also tied into world events that were
Speaker 1: happening far beyond Europe. But in terms of how this
Speaker 1: series of conflicts is Germane to Jacquino Pecci, he made
Speaker 1: the politically dangerous move of speaking out about the way
Speaker 1: the Papal States in particular handled it, although he was
Speaker 1: also vehemently against the revolution. To make matters worse, as
Speaker 1: Italy was seeking to unify all of its lands under
Speaker 1: one national identity, which meant papal states being ceded to
Speaker 1: Italian governance, Pecchi thought fighting in some of these cases
Speaker 1: was going to be counter productive. This brought a lot
Speaker 1: of suspicion on the bishop, as church authorities started to
Speaker 1: think he was too liberal. The little hilarious uh. This
Speaker 1: was a time of extreme shift in the Church's power,
Speaker 1: as the vast majority of the land of the Papal
Speaker 1: States was conquered by Italy, leaving the pope only a
Speaker 1: tiny portion of what he had once controlled. So for
Speaker 1: a man in the church's leadership to not take a
Speaker 1: hard stance to fight to retain that control was seen
Speaker 1: as inherently suspicious. He did speak out against the occupation
Speaker 1: of papal land and against the Italian government secularizing aspects
Speaker 1: of religious life such as marriage. Still, even though he
Speaker 1: caused some controversy, Pecchy was not entirely disliked. In eighteen
Speaker 1: fifty three, before the church lost so much territory. He
Speaker 1: was promoted to the rank of cardinal, but he was
Speaker 1: still relegated to a much less important area than he
Speaker 1: had seemed destined for in his early career. But he
Speaker 1: didn't really treat this like a demotion. He threw himself
Speaker 1: into his work and he focused on the diocese that
Speaker 1: he led. Among other efforts, he promoted a j tion,
Speaker 1: and he established a hospital, and in his spare time,
Speaker 1: Petchy engaged in his own intellectual and philosophical pursuits and
Speaker 1: turned the decades that he spent away from Rome into
Speaker 1: a time of personal growth. One of the conclusions that
Speaker 1: Pechy came to through his self directed scholarship was that
Speaker 1: the Church was hurting itself by working in opposition to
Speaker 1: the changing world. He was interested in technology and thought
Speaker 1: that an understanding of modern culture would help the Catholic
Speaker 1: Church find a point of reconciliation with it. In eighteen
Speaker 1: seventy seven, he was named as Camerlango, which came as
Speaker 1: a surprise. Though he had not had the favor of
Speaker 1: Pope Pious the ninth being named to this position showed
Speaker 1: that the Pope did have some confidence in Pecchi. This
Speaker 1: is a very important role and that it's the person
Speaker 1: who assumes the administrative responsibilities of handling things when the
Speaker 1: pope dies. This includes everything from ensuring that the body
Speaker 1: of the deceased is handled properly to making arrangements for
Speaker 1: the conclave that selects the next pope. It seems that
Speaker 1: Pope Pious knew that a need for the camer Lingo
Speaker 1: was coming, because less than a year after having been
Speaker 1: named into that role, Pechi was called to the duties
Speaker 1: of the job when Pope Pious the ninth died. So
Speaker 1: you have probably seen lots of coverage of how a
Speaker 1: conclave works between the recent Oscar winning film and the
Speaker 1: passing of Pope Francis and the selection of Pope Leo
Speaker 1: the fourteenth, but will do a quick refresher. So a
Speaker 1: conclave is called after the sea is vacated by death
Speaker 1: or resignation of the previous pope. It is a gathering
Speaker 1: of cardinals at the Vatican who confer and vote on
Speaker 1: who will be the next pope. The assembled cardinals have
Speaker 1: no contact with the outside world during the conclave, and
Speaker 1: there is no recording of the proceedings allowed. There is
Speaker 1: a pretty strictly regimented way in which the schedule plays out,
Speaker 1: although most of the rules about it were not officially
Speaker 1: a established until well after the conclave that selected Pope
Speaker 1: Leo the thirteenth. And here's a little surpriser in case
Speaker 1: you didn't know it. Technically a person does not have
Speaker 1: to be a member of the priesthood to become pope.
Speaker 1: They just have to be a baptized Catholic male. But
Speaker 1: the last non cardinal who was chosen for the job
Speaker 1: was Urban the sixth. That was in thirteen seventy eight
Speaker 1: during the Western Schism when the Church was split in
Speaker 1: two and there were two competing popes in Rome and Avignon,
Speaker 1: and spoiler alert, Urban's time on the Holy See did
Speaker 1: not go well, so they didn't really ever go back
Speaker 1: to that plan again. Since the fourteenth century, every pope
Speaker 1: has come from the pool of cardinals. Once the cardinals
Speaker 1: are assembled, a schedule of voting and discussion begins and
Speaker 1: continues until one of the possible successors receives a two
Speaker 1: thirds majority. After each vote, the ballots are burned. That
Speaker 1: is the smoke that everyone looks for to see if
Speaker 1: the pope has been chosen. Black, of course, means that
Speaker 1: the two thirds majority has not been reached in white
Speaker 1: means that it has and that a new pope is selected.
Speaker 1: In addition to being camer Lango, Petchi emerged as a
Speaker 1: front runner to succeed Pious the Ninth. He was not
Speaker 1: the prior Pope's personal pick, that was Cardinal Bilio, but
Speaker 1: he had plenty of detractors. On the flip side was
Speaker 1: liberal Cardinal Francie. In this mix, Pecchi was considered a moderate,
Speaker 1: and the cardinals from outside of Italy really rallied around him.
Speaker 1: They noted that because he had been living outside of
Speaker 1: Rome for three decades at that point, he was unlikely
Speaker 1: to be burdened by any kinds of machinations or gossip
Speaker 1: or influence efforts that had been playing out at the Vatican.
Speaker 1: He also had really gained a lot of respect for
Speaker 1: having devoted himself to his work in Perusia. There was
Speaker 1: one major factor working against him, and that was that
Speaker 1: he had a long history of health problems. There were
Speaker 1: concerns that he did not have the stress to lead,
Speaker 1: or that he would not live long enough to accomplish
Speaker 1: much if he were elected. Despite these concerns, though Petcha
Speaker 1: carried out the needed two thirds of the votes on
Speaker 1: the third round on the morning of February twentieth. The
Speaker 1: conclave had convened late on the eighteenth, and it was
Speaker 1: the shortest time for a papal election at that point
Speaker 1: in history. Leo the thirteenth took his papal name in
Speaker 1: reference to his Leo predecessor, Leo the twelfth. This was
Speaker 1: also an interesting choice, as Leo the twelfth, who was
Speaker 1: pope from eighteen twenty three to eighteen twenty nine, was
Speaker 1: pretty ruthless. He was elected in the backlash to his
Speaker 1: liberal predecessor, Pious the seventh. Leo the twelfth was an authoritarian,
Speaker 1: but he did eventually recognize that there needed to be
Speaker 1: a way to work with opponents instead of always being
Speaker 1: in conflict. This was not that dissimilar from Pious the ninth,
Speaker 1: who Leo the thirteenth was replacing. Leo the twelfth was
Speaker 1: also a proponent of education, which Leo the thirteenth wished
Speaker 1: to also champion as a cause. The news of the
Speaker 1: new pope was covered around the world. In the US,
Speaker 1: the Chicago Tribune ran coverage of it that took up
Speaker 1: two thirds of a page in a Sunday paper that
Speaker 1: only ran sixteen pages. Readers could learn all about the
Speaker 1: new pope, from his life story to the details of
Speaker 1: the conclave. Similarly, The New York Times dedicated two full
Speaker 1: front page columns to news of the new pope and
Speaker 1: information about the previous pope. Leo I wanted to include
Speaker 1: that because it's clear that this is not a new thing.
Speaker 1: Where we all go, what is his name? What was
Speaker 1: the previous one that was named that? Like, what's going
Speaker 1: on here? That's how it's always been handled in the press.
Speaker 1: From the outset. Leo the thirteenth found himself the leader
Speaker 1: of a Catholic church at a time when there was
Speaker 1: a lot of push and pull regarding the church's place
Speaker 1: in a modernizing world. In the book History of the Church,
Speaker 1: The Church and the Industrial Age, published in nineteen authors
Speaker 1: Hubert Jendon and John Patrick Dolan described the conflict this
Speaker 1: way quote. The problem of relations between the Church and
Speaker 1: the post revolutionary world articulated itself most strongly in the
Speaker 1: Holy City. Festive illuminations stood in contrast to protest demonstrations.
Speaker 1: Popelia the thirteenth actually had his coronation in the Sistine Chapel,
Speaker 1: rather than the custom of having the ceremony in Saint
Speaker 1: Peter's because there was believed to be a very real
Speaker 1: danger to those present and the authorities didn't feel like
Speaker 1: they could guarantee security. Next we will talk about encyclicals
Speaker 1: and how Leo the thirteenth wrote a lot of them,
Speaker 1: but first we will hear from some sponsors that keep
Speaker 1: stuff you miss in history class. Going throughout his time
Speaker 1: as Pope, Leo the thirteenth became well known for the
Speaker 1: contents of his in cyclical letters, so that just means
Speaker 1: letters that are sent to all of the church's bishops,
Speaker 1: which often are about the church's official position on a
Speaker 1: given topic or issue. The first encyclical was written in
Speaker 1: seventeen forty by Pope Benedict the fourteenth. Not all popes
Speaker 1: write them. For example, Pope John Paul, who was pope
Speaker 1: briefly in nineteen seventy eight, did not write any, but
Speaker 1: most popes in the last century and change have written
Speaker 1: at least a couple of them. They have been favored
Speaker 1: by some popes because they create an official record, whereas
Speaker 1: personal letters would not. The recently deceased Pope Francis wrote
Speaker 1: just four of them, including one about climate change and
Speaker 1: conservation in twenty fifteen, but Pope Leo the thirteenth loved
Speaker 1: and encyclical according to the Pew Research Center as of
Speaker 1: twenty fifteen, so they wrote this rite before that Climate
Speaker 1: Change in cyclical from Francis. Leo the thirteenth had written
Speaker 1: ninety in cyclicals, which made up a full one third
Speaker 1: of the total number issued by all popes. So he
Speaker 1: clearly saw this means of communication as a very effective tool.
Speaker 1: And so we're going to take a look at his
Speaker 1: papacy by talking about just a few of the key ones.
Speaker 1: The first of his encyclicals, on the Evils of Society,
Speaker 1: outlines the many issues readily seen in the world at
Speaker 1: the time of the writing, which was in eighteen seventy eight,
Speaker 1: not long after Leo the thirteenth became pope. He notes
Speaker 1: the various problems the world faces, how there's bloodshed and
Speaker 1: civil strife all around, and the reason for this letter
Speaker 1: is the lack of religious devotion. Leo wrote, quote, now,
Speaker 1: the source of these evils lies chiefly. We are convinced
Speaker 1: in this that the Holy and venerable authority of the Church,
Speaker 1: which in God's neighborls mankind, upholding and defending all lawful
Speaker 1: authority has been despised and set aside. The enemies of
Speaker 1: public order, being fully aware of this, have thought nothing
Speaker 1: better suited to destroy the foundations of society than to
Speaker 1: make an unflagging attack upon the Church of God, to
Speaker 1: bring her into discredit and odium by spreading infamous calumnies
Speaker 1: and accusing her of being opposed to genuine progress. As
Speaker 1: the nineteenth century came to a close, Pope Leo the
Speaker 1: thirteenth chose to address what many perceived as a growing
Speaker 1: problem for the Catholic Church, and that was Americanism. This ideology,
Speaker 1: which actually remains controversial today, embraces the idea that social
Speaker 1: mores of the Church need to change and adapt with
Speaker 1: the social changes of the world, rather than create a
Speaker 1: division or gap that could lose followers. A lot of
Speaker 1: the language around this effort for reform in the eighteen
Speaker 1: nineties invoked the phrase greater liberty, suggesting that Catholics might
Speaker 1: have more freedom in the ways they conducted their daily
Speaker 1: lives than old world Catholicism might allow. Leo the thirteenth
Speaker 1: response to Americanism was contained in his writing Testam benevolentier Nostre.
Speaker 1: It was not favorable. This is a letter that is
Speaker 1: addressed to the Archbishop of Baltimore at the time, James Gibbons,
Speaker 1: but as an encyclical copies were also sent to every
Speaker 1: bishop in the US. It's a long document, but in
Speaker 1: it he sums up the issue quote. The underlying principle
Speaker 1: of these new opinions is that, in order to more
Speaker 1: easily attract those who differ from her, the Church should
Speaker 1: shape her teachings more in accord with the spirit of
Speaker 1: the age, and relax some of her ancient severity, and
Speaker 1: make some concessions to new opinions. Many think that these
Speaker 1: concessions should be made not only in regard to ways
Speaker 1: of living, but even in regard to doctrines which belong
Speaker 1: to the deposit of the faith. They contend that it
Speaker 1: would be opportune, in order to gain those who differ
Speaker 1: from us, to omit certain points of her teaching which
Speaker 1: are of lesser importance, and to tone down the meaning
Speaker 1: which the Church has always attached to them. So Leo
Speaker 1: the thirteenth makes the case that there is just no
Speaker 1: way that the Church can soften any of its doctrines
Speaker 1: in the pursuit of more followers, stating, quote, let it
Speaker 1: be far from anyone's mind to suppress for any reason
Speaker 1: any doctrine that has been handed down. Such a policy
Speaker 1: would tend rather to separate Catholics from the Church than
Speaker 1: to bring in those who differ. There is nothing closer
Speaker 1: to our heart than to have those who are separated
Speaker 1: from the fold of Christ returned to it, but in
Speaker 1: no other way than the way pointed out by Christ.
Speaker 1: Toward the end, he flatly denounces Americanism. Quote from the foregoing,
Speaker 1: it is manifest, beloved son, that we are not able
Speaker 1: to give approval to these views, which, in their collective sense,
Speaker 1: are called by some Americanism. If this is to be
Speaker 1: so understood, the doctrines which have been adverted to above
Speaker 1: are not only indicated, but exalted. There can be no
Speaker 1: manner of doubt that our venerable brethren, the bishops of America,
Speaker 1: would be the first to repudiate and condemn it as
Speaker 1: being most injurious to themselves and to their country, For
Speaker 1: it would give rise to the suspicion that there are
Speaker 1: among you some who conceive and would have the Church
Speaker 1: in America to be different from what it is in
Speaker 1: the rest of the world. So this was a hot
Speaker 1: button issue and The reason this idea of some Catholics
Speaker 1: wanting to appeal to a wider range of followers had
Speaker 1: gained so much attention is tied to the loss of
Speaker 1: political power for the Church. So starting in the late
Speaker 1: eighteenth century, Catholicism had started losing a lot of its
Speaker 1: political power. But as various countries changed their religious affiliations,
Speaker 1: and as the papal states had been taken over by Italy,
Speaker 1: it became an increasing concern that the Church was going
Speaker 1: to need to bolster its standing in its numbers somehow,
Speaker 1: and the Church recognized well before Leo's time is Pope
Speaker 1: that tying so much of their identity and power to
Speaker 1: being the national religion for various countries was only going
Speaker 1: to become problematic, and for some that meant they needed
Speaker 1: to reform to gain numbers at the individual level in
Speaker 1: an effort to regain some of that lost dominance. But
Speaker 1: as Leo's letter indicated, the Holy See was not in
Speaker 1: agreement with that. There was also ongoing work on Leo's
Speaker 1: part to reconcile the ideas of the Church with philosophy
Speaker 1: and science. As early as eighteen seventy nine, Leo was
Speaker 1: writing about this potential reconciliation, suggesting that philosophy could actually
Speaker 1: enhance faith. In an encyclical titled on the Restoration of
Speaker 1: Christian Philosophy, he wrote of science, quote, Divine providence itself
Speaker 1: requires that in calling back the people to the paths
Speaker 1: of faith and salvation, advantage should be taken of human science,
Speaker 1: also unapproved and wise practice, which history testifies was observed
Speaker 1: by the most illustrious fathers of the Church. In that
Speaker 1: same in cyclical, he wrote of philosophy quote, In the
Speaker 1: first place, philosophy, if rightly made use of by the
Speaker 1: wise in certain way, tends to smooth and fortify the
Speaker 1: road to true faith, and to prepare the souls of
Speaker 1: its disciples for the fit reception of revelation, for which
Speaker 1: reason it is well called by ancient writers, sometimes a
Speaker 1: stepping stone to the Christian faith, sometimes the prelude and
Speaker 1: help of Christianity, sometimes the Gospel teacher. The writing of
Speaker 1: Leo the thirteenth that has gotten the most attention recently
Speaker 1: is his work Rerum Novarum, which he wrote in May
Speaker 1: of eighteen ninety one. So that name literally translates from
Speaker 1: the Latin to new things, but it has often been
Speaker 1: translated into English ra as revolutionary change. And this was
Speaker 1: an open letter with the heading Rights and Duties of
Speaker 1: Capital and Labor. And this document opens with this paragraph quote,
Speaker 1: that the spirit of revolutionary change, which has long been
Speaker 1: disturbing the nations of the world, should have passed beyond
Speaker 1: the sphere of politics and made its influence felt in
Speaker 1: the cognate sphere of practical economics. Is not surprising. The
Speaker 1: elements of the conflict now raging are unmistakable in the
Speaker 1: vast expansion of industrial pursuits and the marvelous discoveries of science.
Speaker 1: In the changed relations between masters and workmen, in the
Speaker 1: enormous fortunes of some few individuals and the utter poverty
Speaker 1: of the masses, the increased self reliance and closer mutual
Speaker 1: combination of the working classes, as also finally, in the
Speaker 1: prevailing moral degeneracy. The momentous gravity of the state of
Speaker 1: things now obtaining fills every mind with painful apprehension. Wise
Speaker 1: men are discussing it, Practical men are proposing schemes, popular meetings,
Speaker 1: legislatures and rulers of nations are all busied with it. Actually,
Speaker 1: there is no question which has taken deeper hold on
Speaker 1: the public mind. From there, Leo the thirteenth walks through
Speaker 1: the issues of economic disparity and suffering, and noted quote,
Speaker 1: that some opportune and remedy must be found quickly for
Speaker 1: the misery and wretchedness pressing so unjustly on the majority
Speaker 1: of the working class. For the ancient workingmen's guilds were
Speaker 1: abolished in the last century, and no other protective organization
Speaker 1: took their place. He also states his issues with various
Speaker 1: reform movements and notes that the contentions of socialism quote
Speaker 1: are so clearly powerless to end the controversy, that where
Speaker 1: they carried into effect, the working man himself would be
Speaker 1: among the first to suffer. They are moreover emphatically unjust,
Speaker 1: for they would rob the lawful possessor, distort the functions
Speaker 1: of the state, and create utter confusion in the community.
Speaker 1: But then he does make the case for labor unions,
Speaker 1: writing quote to sum up, then we may lay it
Speaker 1: down as a general and lasting law, that working men's
Speaker 1: associations should be so organized and governed as to furnish
Speaker 1: the best and most suitable means for attaining what is
Speaker 1: aimed at, that is to say, for helping each individual
Speaker 1: member to better his condition to the utmost in body, soul,
Speaker 1: and property. It is clear that they must pay special
Speaker 1: and chief attention to the duties of religion and morality,
Speaker 1: and that social betterment should have this chiefly in view.
Speaker 1: Otherwise they would lose wholly their special character and end
Speaker 1: by becoming little better than those societies which take no
Speaker 1: account whatever of religion. What advantage can it be to
Speaker 1: a workingman to obtain by means of a society material
Speaker 1: well being if he endangers his soul lack of spiritual food.
Speaker 1: So the legacy of Poplio the thirteenth isn't exactly as
Speaker 1: open minded in all aspects of his philosophy as some
Speaker 1: accounts might make it seem. He didn't exactly make a
Speaker 1: lot of change within the Church, although he certainly inherited
Speaker 1: it at a time when change was all around it.
Speaker 1: In a lot of ways, he was a staunch defender
Speaker 1: of the Church's traditions, even when those traditions had lost
Speaker 1: their cultural relevancy in the eyes of a lot of Christians.
Speaker 1: But he was also a scholar, and he was able
Speaker 1: to view the world through that lens, which meant that
Speaker 1: he could be open minded when seeking for a relationship
Speaker 1: between the Church and a changing world, and he recognized
Speaker 1: that not everyone in the world was or ever would
Speaker 1: be Catholic. He was willing to develop relationships with non
Speaker 1: Catholic and even non Christian countries, and he was able
Speaker 1: to wield a great deal of political power because of
Speaker 1: his ability to connect with a wide range of leaders.
Speaker 1: In the early spring of nineteen oh three, Leo the
Speaker 1: thirteenth twenty five year Jubilee was celebrated, something that most
Speaker 1: people had never expected of a man that was perceived
Speaker 1: as being extremely frail when he first became pope. Pope
Speaker 1: Leo the thirteenth died on July twentieth, nineteen oh three.
Speaker 1: He had developed pneumonia earlier in the month and never recovered.
Speaker 1: As he neared the end of his life, he told
Speaker 1: the Secretary of Apostolic Briefs, Cardinal Mackie, quote, I am
Speaker 1: near the end. I do not know if all I
Speaker 1: have done has been good, but I have obeyed my
Speaker 1: conscience and our holy faith. In the book History of
Speaker 1: the Church The Church in the Industrial Age, which we
Speaker 1: mentioned earlier in this episode, there is a really great
Speaker 1: passage in the description of his time as Pope which
Speaker 1: I think sums things up nicely, so that is where
Speaker 1: we will lead it leave it. It is quote Pope Leo
Speaker 1: the thirteenth led the Catholic Church into a world which
Speaker 1: had risen from real with an attitude which can only
Speaker 1: adequately be termed optimistic. He attempted to reconcile an uncompromised
Speaker 1: tradition with the modern spirit. There we go. That is
Speaker 1: Pope Leo tweak talk about a lot behind the scenes,
Speaker 1: guess and listener mail I do. This is a listener
Speaker 1: mail that is in reference to our recent episode on
Speaker 1: the Meiji Shrine. It's from our listener Brian, who writes, Hello,
Speaker 1: Holly and Tracy. I have been a longtime listener, but
Speaker 1: I have never felt I could offer enough to write in.
Speaker 1: You know what, You don't have to ever feel like
Speaker 1: you owe us anything. If you just want to write
Speaker 1: and say hey, people can don't feel obligated to have
Speaker 1: a thing. Brian writes, I am an Australian working in
Speaker 1: Japan as an English instructor and have a deep love
Speaker 1: for Japanese history and culture. The festivals are some of
Speaker 1: the most fun, chaotic events you will ever attend. Unfortunately,
Speaker 1: there has been a bit of poor behavior by tourists
Speaker 1: at shrines as of late, with one tourist carving their
Speaker 1: name into the tour eGate at Meiji Shrine and others
Speaker 1: doing pull ups on the gates at other shrines. The
Speaker 1: way I blanched when I first read this email, Brian continues, Holly,
Speaker 1: I actually live near where Star Wars celebration was held
Speaker 1: and had many friends come to Japan for it, so
Speaker 1: I'm glad you had a great time. If you get
Speaker 1: a chance to come back. There is a district in
Speaker 1: Tokyo called Nippori, but it is also called Fabric Town.
Speaker 1: It has many shops selling fabric buttons, buckles and other
Speaker 1: things related to sewing, which I know is right up
Speaker 1: your alley. It is also where I work. Well see
Speaker 1: you soon, Brian. He continue is I don't have my
Speaker 1: own pets, so I am including pictures of my nephew Dmitri.
Speaker 1: He is a big Russian blue who loves chicken so
Speaker 1: much he has taught himself how to undo cling wrap
Speaker 1: and even open cooler boxes. Eski's in Australia. Love the
Speaker 1: work and the different views you provide. He also writes, PS,
Speaker 1: thank you for the message about working on the weekends,
Speaker 1: as I am one of those people that has to
Speaker 1: work weekends. This cat is so funny to me. There's
Speaker 1: one particular picture of the cat stand on the counter
Speaker 1: rifling through the cupboard, and it fills my soul with
Speaker 1: bliss because I've had cats that do that and they're
Speaker 1: terribly naughty. But I just adore it. Thank you so much, Brian.
Speaker 1: I'm horrified that people are misbehaving. It shrines, as I
Speaker 1: said in our behind the scenes, and I think during
Speaker 1: the episode, I found that visit incredibly moving. Yeah, and
Speaker 1: really lovely. So it troubles me that people behave like jerks.
Speaker 1: Stop it. But thank you for writing us and sharing that.
Speaker 1: And also I had heard whispers about fabric Town, but
Speaker 1: I was scared. Oh yeah, listen. I did Russian nesting
Speaker 1: suitcases where I pack one suitcase and put it inside
Speaker 1: other suitcases. But even so, we were pushing the limit
Speaker 1: when we actually checked our bags. Yeah. Yeah, got on
Speaker 1: the flight, and I didn't want to make it any scarier.
Speaker 1: My bigger thing was not even the flight. It was
Speaker 1: the car ride from the hotel to the airport because
Speaker 1: there were three of us and we all had multiple things. Yeah,
Speaker 1: and it had been dicey coming in before, or the
Speaker 1: Russian nesting suitcases had exploded, right, So I was like,
Speaker 1: I don't think this is the trip to go to Fabrictown.
Speaker 1: But next time I'll just show up with nothing but
Speaker 1: one pair of pants and a dream. Yeah. Buy everything
Speaker 1: in Fabrictown, wash everything in the sink every night. Yeah.
Speaker 1: If you would like to write to us, you can
Speaker 1: do that at History Podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. If
Speaker 1: you haven't subscribed to the show and you think that
Speaker 1: sounds like a good time, you can do that really
Speaker 1: easily on the iHeart app, or you can also do
Speaker 1: that wherever else you listen to podcasts. It's super easy, peasy.
Speaker 1: Stuff you missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio.
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