On 29 July, L’Osservatore Romano, the semi-official newspaper of the Holy See, which covers the Roman Pontiff’s public activities, issues editorials by eminent churchmen as well as runs official documents after being officially released, reported that Pope Benedict XVI will pay a brief visit to Carpineto Romano, the birthplace of Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, better known as Pope Leo XIII. The visit, which will be made on 5 September, will mark the bicentenary of Pope Pecci’s birth.

The Holy Father’s pastoral programme for the visit will include a reception by Bishop Lorenzo Loppa of Anagni-Alatri, the mayor and other authorities as he lands in Galeotti stadium, the Mass celebration in Monti Lepini Square, in the centre of Carpineto Romano and his greeting to approximately 30 persons who will be representing the local citizens. Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to this small Italian town of less than 5,000 people will be the third one by recent Popes, following those of Paul VI on 11 September, 1966 and John Paul II on 1 September, 1991.

Vincenzo Pecci was born in a noble family, in Carpineto Romano (in those days part of the Papal states) on 2 March, 1810. In 1837 he was ordained a priest whilst in 1843 he was consecrated bishop and was sent as a papal nuncio to Belgium. At a later date Archbishop Pecci was named bishop of Perusa and afterwards made a cardinal. He was elected as the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church in 1879, succeeding Blessed Pius IX.

Pope Leo XIII is notoriously known for the first great Christian social encyclical Rerum Novarum, which has extensively influenced the magisteria of the following Pontiffs as well as his impressive opening to the scientific world and his difficult enterprise of diplomatic negotiation between countries in conflict. Furthermore, the Italian Pontiff established theological and Biblical study centres and had the courage to open the Vatican Archives to both Catholic and non-Catholic researchers. Leo XIII was the first Pope to be recorded with a film project and the pioneer of ecumenical dialogue. He is remembered in Church history as the oldest reigning Pope, since he died on 30 July, 1903 at the old age of 93.

In their respective visits, Popes Paul VI and John Paul II commented on the enriching legacy of Leo XIII. During his visit to Carpineto Romano, Paul VI remarked that “two things characterised the 25 years of Leo XIII’s pontificate: the first was the vigorous affirmation of personal piety, which completes liturgical worship; the other is Christian social doctrine”. Leo XIII managed to revitalise a Church that was “despoiled of her temporal supports, diminished in her prestige”. Moreover, the Holy Father said that “the devotion to the Sacred Heart, recitation of the Holy Rosary, and devotion to St Joseph are directly linked to the work and teaching of Leo XIII.” Paul VI maintained that although Leo XIII was “isolated from the world, in a climate of rupture and estrangement, of inflamed controversies, of anti-clericalism,” he gave humanity “the great encyclicals on the everlasting values of liberty, of democracy and above all of the social issue”. The Bishop of Rome concluded his address by acknowledging that “the defence of the humble and the poor had never found until then such an authoritative voice” as that of the Carpineto Romano Pope.

Likewise, 25 years later Pope John Paul II observed that “in a historical period characterised by profound cultural transformations and social tensions, sparked by the new relationship between capital and labour, Leo XIII wished to give, in such an important field, a clear formulation of the thought of the Church”. The Polish Pope added that Leo XIII “did so with courage, almost defying not only the secular world, but the very conscience of the Catholic world. And with his prophetic intervention he fostered the consolidation of Christian social doctrine.”

The fons et culmen of Pope Leo XIII’s petrine ministry has surely been his ardent and strong conviction that “God is not only true, but Truth itself”. Inspired and guided by this formidable faith he led prophetically the Church of Christ into the challenging yet ever fruitful twentieth century.

Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap