Editing Pope Leo XIII (section)

== Archbishop-Bishop of Perugia (1846–1878) ==
=== Papal assistant ===

[[File:Leo entryperugia.jpg|thumb|Archbishop Pecci enters [[Perugia]] in 1846.]]

In 1843, Pecci had been named [[Assistant at the Pontifical Throne|papal assistant]]. From 1846 to 1877, he was considered a popular and successful [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Perugia–Città della Pieve|Archbishop of Perugia]]. In 1847, after [[Pope Pius IX]] granted unlimited freedom for the press in the Papal States,<ref>Kühne 62</ref> Pecci, who had been highly popular in the first years of his episcopate, became the object of attacks in the media and at his residence.{{Sfn|Kühne|1880|p=66}} In 1848, [[revolutions of 1848|revolutionary movements]] developed throughout Western Europe, including France, Germany and Italy. [[Austrian Empire|Austrian]], [[Second French Republic|French]] and [[History of Spain (1808-1874)|Spanish]] troops reversed the revolutionary gains but at a price for Pecci and the Catholic Church, who could not regain their former popularity.

=== Provincial council ===

Pecci called a provincial council in 1849 to reform the religious life in his dioceses in [[Spoleto]] and it was in this council that the need for a [[Syllabus of Errors]] was discussed.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lang |first=Ariella |title=A Modern Inquisition and the Unification of Italy |publisher=Palgrave MacMillan |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-349-37407-6 |edition=1st |location=United Kingdom |pages=178 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=1888 |title=Notices of books |journal=The Dublin Review |volume=104 |pages=483}}</ref> He invested in enlarging the seminary for future priests and in hiring new and prominent professors, preferably [[Thomist]]s. He called on his brother [[Giuseppe Pecci]], a noted Thomist scholar, to resign his professorship in Rome and to teach in Perugia instead.{{Sfn|Kühne|1880|p=76}} His own residence was next to the seminary, which facilitated his daily contacts with the students.
[[File:Archbishop Pecci aids the poor.jpg|thumb|Archbishop Pecci aids the poor in Perugia.]]

=== Charitable Activities ===

While archbishop, Pecci developed several activities in support of various [[Catholic charities]]. He founded [[homeless shelter]]s for boys, girls and elderly women. Throughout his dioceses, he opened branches of a ''Bank, Monte di Pietà'', which focused on low-income people and provided [[low-interest loan]]s.{{Sfn|Kühne|1880|p=78}} He created [[soup kitchen]]s, which were run by the Capuchins. Upon his elevation to the cardinalate in late 1853, and in light of continuing [[earthquakes]] and floods, he donated all resources for the festivities of his elevation to the victims. Much of the public attention turned on the conflict between the [[Papal States]] and [[Italian nationalism]], which aimed at the Papal States' annihilation to achieve the [[Unification of Italy]].

=== Cardinalate ===

In the consistory of 19 December 1853, he was elevated to the [[College of Cardinals]], as [[Cardinal-Priest]] of [[San Crisogono]]. Pope Gregory XVI originally intended to name him as a cardinal; however, his death in 1846 put pause to that idea while the events that characterized the beginning of the papacy of Pius IX further postponed the idea of Pecci's elevation. By the time that Gregory XVI died, [[Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany|Leopold II]] repeatedly asked that Pecci be named as a cardinal.<ref name=NA>{{cite web|url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09169a.htm|title=Pope Leo XIII|publisher=New Advent|date=1910|author=|accessdate=12 February 2022}}</ref> While Pius IX strongly desired having Pecci as close to Rome as possible, and repeatedly offered him a [[suburbicarian diocese]], Pecci continually refused due to his preference for Perugia. It is possible that the archbishop did not share the views of the [[Cardinal Secretary of State]], [[Giacomo Antonelli]]. It is not true that Pius IX deliberately sent him to Perugia as a way of exiling him from Rome simply because Pecci's views were perceived to be liberalistic and conciliatory, as opposed to the conservatism of the papal court.<ref name=NA/>

Allegedly, Pecci had been a cardinal reserved "''[[in pectore]]''" by Gregory XVI in the consistory of 19 January 1846, with the pope's death just over four months later invalidating the appointment since his name was never actually revealed publicly.<ref name=LAT/>

==== Defending the papacy ====

Pecci defended the papacy and its claims. When [[Kingdom of Italy|Italian]] authorities expropriated convents and monasteries of Catholic orders, turning them into administration or military buildings, Pecci protested but acted moderately. When the Italian state took over Catholic schools, Pecci, fearing for his theological seminary, simply added all secular topics from other schools and opened the seminary to non-theologians.{{Sfn|Kühne|1880|p=102}} The new government also levied taxes on the Catholic Church and issued legislation according to which all episcopal or papal utterances were to be approved by the government before their publication.{{Sfn|Kühne|1880|p=105}}

==== Organization of the First Vatican Council ====

On 8 December 1869, an [[Catholic Ecumenical Councils|ecumenical council]], which became known as the [[First Vatican Council]], was to take place in the Vatican per [[Pope Pius IX]]. Pecci was likely well informed since the pope named his brother Giuseppe to help prepare the event.

During the 1870s, in his last years in Perugia, Pecci addressed the role of the church in modern society several times, defining the church as ''the mother of material civilization'' because it upheld human dignity of working people, opposed the excesses of industrialization and developed large-scale charities for the needy.{{Sfn|Kühne|1880|p=129}}

In August 1877, on the death of Cardinal [[Filippo de Angelis]], Pope Pius IX appointed him [[Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church|Camerlengo]], which required him to reside in Rome.<ref name="Oreilly">{{Cite book|last=O'Reilly, D.D.|first=Bernard|url=http://archive.org/details/lifepopeleoxiii00ldgoog|title=Life of Pope Leo XIII|date=1886|others=Jubilee edition|language=en}}</ref> Reportedly, Pius IX is alleged to have said to Pecci: "Monsignor, I have decided to summon you to the Senate of the Church. I feel sure this will be the first act of my pontificate that you will not feel called upon to criticize." These comments were reported to have been said due to the stories that Pecci and Pius IX had a mutual animosity for each other and disagreed with each other in terms of policy; however, this purported animosity has never been proven. It was further alleged that by this stage Pecci desired a change of scenery from Perugia and hoped for either the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Albano|bishopric of Albano]] or the position of datary of the [[Apostolic Dataria]]. It has also been said that Pecci was reportedly in line to succeed Cardinal [[Alessandro Barnabò]] as the prefect for [[Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples|Propaganda Fide]]; however, it was stymied by his opponent, Cardinal Antonelli.<ref name=LAT/>