Leo XIII and Modern Civilization

While the booming cannons-and pealing bells were announcing during the past year that a quarter of a century had fled since the defeat of the temporal power of the Papal Government by force of arms at the Porta Pia, is it not an appropriate time to give a few thoughts also to the victory which the Papacy won in that same year, in the spiritual field? The war concerning the prerogatives of the Pope which was ended by this victory in favor of infallibility was a long one, extending over centuries, prosecuted on one side against enormous odds with all the sagacity and vigor which has become identified with the name of the Society of Jesus, and on the other hand with all the learning and piety associated with the name of Gallicanism. Twenty-five years may seem perhaps too short a time to estimate the full effect of a victory, so important that men have been willing to toil through centuries for its achievement; but the task is lightened by the fact that the Roman Catholic Church. during the greater part of this time, had for its head a pontiff of the extraordinary enterprise, vigor and learning of Leo XIII., who has not hesitated to use to its fullest extent what was probably the greatest opportunity for the exercise of power ever given to mortal man, by outlining the future of Roman Catholic thought, in all the chief departments of human life. As Leo XIII. possesses also the unrestricted power of selecting the men who will nominate his successor, and has had the similar right.of nominating directly or indirectly the bishops, clergy and teachers for the whole Church during the long period of his pontificate, it seems most improbable that any attempt to alter the plan laid out by him for the Church's development would be made, even if the very idea of the infallibility of its author did not negative the possibility of a retreat or of even a criticism. Moreover irresolution is certainly not a vice of the school which has struggled so long and successfully for papal predominance, and when we see the first use made of this power to be in furtherance of the primary doctrines of De Maistre, Cortes and Gousset, we can safely assume that this course will not be changed until the attempt has been made to realize in practice their ultimate conclusions.