Home > Pope Leo XII

In 1792 Pope Pius VI made him his private secretary, in 1793 creating him titular archbishop of TyreTyre (native Phoenician ur Akkadian urru Hebrew or , Greek Tyros Arabic as-Sur is an ancient Phoenician city in Lebanon on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, about 23 miles, in a direct line, north of Acre, and 20 south of Sidon. Sidon was the oldest Pho and despatching him to LucerneLucerne (German: Luzern is a city in Central Switzerland with a population of 60,274 (31 December 2003), capital of the canton of Lucerne. The city is located on the borders of Lake Lucerne Vierwaldstattersee with a famous wooden bridge and within sight o as nuncioA Papal Nuncio (also known as an Apostolic Nuncio is a permanent diplomatic representative (head of mission) of the Holy See to a state, having ambassadorial rank. Internuncios (also heads of missions) rank below nuncios, being of the rank of an envoy or. In 1794Events February 11 1st session of US Senate open to the public. March 14 Eli Whitney is granted a patent for the cotton gin. March 27 The United States Government established a permanent United States Navy and authorized the building of six vessels (in 17 he was transferred to the nunciature at CologneThe article about perfume can be found at Eau de Cologne. Cologne ( German: Koln [ˈkœln]) (population 965,954 as of December 31, 2003), is the fourth largest city in Germany and largest city of the North Rhine-Westphalia state. It is one of, but owing to the war had to make his residence in AugsburgAugsburg is a city in south central Germany. It is the capital of the Swabia region of Bavaria, and is located on the Lech river. Population: 276,193 (2004). Districts There are 17 districts Stadteile in Augsburg: Innenstadt Antonsviertel Barenkeller Berg. During the dozen or more years he spent in GermanyThe Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland is one of the world's leading industrialized countries, located in the middle of the European Union. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea, to the east he was entrusted with several honourable and difficult missions, which brought him into contact with the courts of DresdenDresden [ˈdreːsdn̩] ( Sorbian/Lusatian Drjezdzany , the capital city of the German federal state of Saxony, is situated in a valley on the river Elbe. The city’s population stood at 478,000 in 2004. At the same time, the total populat, Vienna, Munich and Württemberg, as well as with Napoleon. It is, however, charged at one time during this period that his finances were disordered, and his private life not above suspicion. After the abolition of the States of the Church, he was treated by the French as a state prisoner, and lived for some years at the abbey of Monticelli , solacing himself with music and with bird-shooting, pastimes which he did not eschew even after his election as pope.

In 1814 della Genga was chosen to carry the pope's congratulations to Louis XVIII of France; in 1816 he was created cardinal-priest of Santa Maria Maggiore, and appointed to the see of Sinigaglia , which he resigned in 1818. In 1820 Pope Pius VII gave him the distinguished post of cardinal vicar. In the conclave of 1823, in spite of the active opposition of France, he was elected pope by the zelanti on the 28th of September. His election had been facilitated because he was thought to be on the edge of the grave; but he unexpectedly rallied.

His foreign policy, entrusted at first to Giulio Maria della Somaglia and then to the more able Tommaso Bernetti , moved in general along lines laid down by Consalvi; and he negotiated certain concordats very advantageous to the papacy. Personally most frugal, Leo reduced taxes, made justice less costly, and was able to find money for certain public improvements; yet he left the finances more confused than he had found them, and even the elaborate jubilee of 1825 did not really mend matters.

His domestic policy was one of extreme reaction. He condemned the Bible societies, and under Jesuit influence reorganized the educational system. Severe ghetto laws led many of the Jews to emigrate. He hunted down the Carbonari and the Freemasons. He took the strongest measures against political agitation in theatres. A well-nigh ubiquitous system of espionage, perhaps most fruitful when directed against official corruption, sapped the foundations of public confidence. Leo, temperamentally stern, hard-working in spite of bodily infirmity, died at Rome on February 10, 1829. The news was received by the populace with unconcealed joy.

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. 1911 Britannica