Leon XII

Annibale Sermattei della Genga (Genga, close to Ancône, August 22nd 1760 - Rome, February 10th 1829), 252e Pope under the name of Leon XII (in Latin Leo XII , in Italian Leone XII ), of 1823 with 1829.

Born in a family from pontifical nobility, he is the son of the Count Flavio Sermattei and the Countess Maria Luisa Periberti Di Fabriano of which they had 9 other children. He is ordered priest in 1783. In 1793, he becomes archbishop of Tyr and is then named Apostolic nuncio with Lucerne. Its diplomatic career lasted until in 1798.

In 1814, to the fall of the emperor, it was sent to carry the pontifical congratulations to Louis XVIII. In 1816, it reached the cardinal At, then in 1820, was named vicar of Rome. With died of Magpie VII, he was elected the September 28th 1823 by the conservative party.

Its pontificate will be marked, inter alia, by the departure of the pontifical court of the Quirinal in direction of the the Vatican.

An authoritative government

The first measurements taken by the new pope are significant of his desire to bring back the order in the Papal States: by police regulations, Leon XII starts again the fight against the endemic armed robbery in these mountainous regions of the center of Italy; with these measurements the patriots Carbonari are also concerned whose the carried out clandestine ones and the organization in secret societies worry the Saint Sits.

He obliges soon the Jewish population of the Papal States to regain in the cities the Ghettos that some of them had left following the French revolution.

Preserving doctrines

Falling under a preserving mobility that its successors will follow, Pie VIII then Gregoire XVI, Leon XII publishes in 1826, the apostolic letter Quo will graviora by which he condemns the Franc-maçonnerie.

Its doctrinal intervention the most outstanding residence however the apostolic letter Dirae Librorum, published on June 26th, 1827, in which he declares that " with the terrible mud torrent consisted the books left the dark dispensary of the irreligious people, without another goal, in their eloquent form and their perfidious salt, to corrupt the faith and manners and to teach the sin, the best remedy, one can about it be assured, is to oppose salutary writings to them and to spread them ".

Politically, Leon XII is regarded as the " pope of the the Holy Alliance " : its hostility with the Libéralisme makes of him the political heir to the Congrès of Vienna. Its political conservatism the conduit also to be interfered into the policy interns catholic States: he will thus ask for Louis XVIII of draw aside Villèle become president of the council of which he considers the policy too liberal.

Not very popular because of its hostility to the movement of nationalities, Leon XII dies in Rome on February 10th 1829.

See too

Cardinal created by Leon XII

----

Random links: