Summary

Australia Victoria
Jubilee of Pope Leo XIII, 1837 - 1887 (AD)
Mint: Stokes & Martin
Other Details: Medal issued in 1887 in commemoration of the jubliee of the ordiantion of Pope Leo XIII. Pope Leo XIII changed the course of the papacy. He was a modern man, and he worked to bring Catholic attitudes into the modern era. His 1885 encyclical Immortale Dei explained the position of Catholics as citizens in modern secular, democratic states. Pope Leo XIII was also politically-minded. He tried to bring French Catholics to support the republic. He opposed the anti-Catholic government of Italy, and in 1887 managed to end the political struggle for the rights and self-government of the Catholic Church, carried out chiefly in Prussia and afterwards in Baden, Hesse, and Bavaria (Kulturkampf). In 1891 he explained the defficiencies of Marxism in Rerum novarum. He countered intellectual attacks on Christianity by advancing Thomism, with its insistence that there is conflict between science and faith, and founded the institute of Thomistic philosophy at the University of Louvain. Leo opened the Vatican secret archives to scholars, and he reminded Catholic historians of the importance of truth. He encouraged Bible study, set up the permanent Biblical Commission in 1902, and sponsored the Catholic University at Washington, DC, USA. Pope Leo XIII died on 20 July 1903 of natural causes.

Obverse Description

Within circle below papal mitre bust of Leo facing; above, POPE LEO; around within circle, JUBILEE 1887; around, ORDAINED 23D. DECEMBER 1837; below . XIII .

Reverse Description

Crusifiction with heart over star on right and lilly on left

Edge Description

Plain

Significance

Pope Leo XIII changed the course of the papacy. He was a modern man, and he worked to bring Catholic attitudes into the modern era. His 1885 encyclical Immortale Dei explained the position of Catholics as citizens in modern secular, democratic states. Pope Leo XIII was also politically-minded. He tried to bring French Catholics to support the republic. He opposed the anti-Catholic government of Italy, and managed to end the political struggle for the rights and self-government of the Catholic Church, carried out chiefly in Prussia and afterwards in Baden, Hesse, and Bavaria (Kulturkampf) in 1887. In 1891 he explained the defficiencies of Marxism in Rerum novarum. He countered intellectual attacks on Christianity by advancing Thomism, with its insistence that there is conflict between science and faith, and founded the institute of Thomistic philosophy at the University of Louvain. Leo opened the Vatican secret archives to scholars, and he reminded Catholic historians of the importance of truth. He encouraged Bible study, set up the permanent Biblical Commission in 1902, and sponsored the Catholic University at Washington, DC, USA. Pope Leo XIII died on 20 July 1903 of natural causes.
-Catholic Forum web site http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/pope0256.htm; New Advent web site http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09169a.htm. -D. Tout-Smith 24/11/2003.

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