In his next series of articles, Father Ho examines the papacy of Pope Leo XIII, upon whom Pope Leo XIV based his choice of papal name.

On May 10, our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV addressed the Cardinals and explained his choice of name.

The Holy Father said, “I would like us to renew together today our complete commitment to the path that the universal Church has now followed for decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council.”

He continued, “Sensing myself called to continue in this same path, I chose to take the name Leo XIV. There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour.”

Pope Leo XIII led the Church from 1878 to 1903. Leo XIII is known as “The Pope of the Rosary.” From 1883-1898, Leo XIII wrote eleven encyclicals on the Holy Rosary. The first one was promulgated on Sept. 1, 1883.

This encyclical is known as Supremi Apostolatus Officio as it began with: “The supreme Apostolic office which we discharge and the exceedingly difficult condition of these times, daily warn and almost compel Us to watch carefully over the integrity of the Church, the more that the calamities from which she suffers are greater.”

This encyclical helped to establish in the universal Church the practice of dedicating the whole month of October as the Month of the Holy Rosary. In fact, most of the Rosary encyclicals of Leo XIII were written in preparation for the month of October.

Regarding Pope Leo XIII, Father Donald Calloway commented: “In his youth, he had been very familiar with farm life and knew that October was the month for harvesting. That’s why, during his papacy, he chose to promote the Rosary in October to signify that the Rosary is a way of reaping an abundant harvest of souls.”

Leo XIII recalled how St. Dominic combated the Albigensian heresy with the help of the Holy Rosary. He wrote, “Great in the integrity of his doctrine, in his example of virtue, and by his apostolic labours, he proceeded undauntedly to attack the enemies of the Catholic Church, not by force of arms; but trusting wholly to that devotion which he was the first to institute under the name of the Holy Rosary, which was disseminated through the length and breadth of the earth by him and his pupils.”

Leo XIII continued: “Guided, in fact, by divine inspiration and grace, he foresaw that this devotion, like a most powerful warlike weapon, would be the means of putting the enemy to flight, and of confounding their audacity and mad impiety. Such was indeed its result.”

Father Calloway commented: “For Pope Leo XIII, it was clear who had founded the Rosary: St. Dominic. Following in the footsteps of his papal predecessors, he repeatedly affirmed the pious tradition. Almost all of his 11 Rosary encyclicals refer to St. Dominic as the founder of the Rosary.”

Leo XIII also recalled the Battle of Lepanto on Oct. 7, 1571: “Christ’s faithful warriors, prepared to sacrifice their life and blood for the salvation of their faith and their country, proceeded undauntedly to meet their foe near the Gulf of Corinth, while those who were unable to take part formed a pious band of supplicants, who called on Mary, and unitedly saluted her again and again in the words of the Rosary, imploring her to grant the victory to their companions engaged in battle.”

Leo XIII quoted different Popes on the Holy Rosary:

Pope Urban IV: “Every day the Rosary obtained fresh boon for Christianity.”

Pope Sixtus IV: it “redounded to the honour of God and the Blessed Virgin, and was well suited to obviate impending dangers.”

Pope Leo X: “it was instituted to oppose pernicious heresiarchs and heresies.”

Pope Julius III called it “the glory of the Church.”

Pope St. Pius V: “with the spread of this devotion the meditations of the faithful have begun to be more inflamed, their prayers more fervent, and they have suddenly become different men; the darkness of heresy has been dissipated, and the light of Catholic faith has broken forth again.”

Pope Gregory XIII: “the Rosary had been instituted by St. Dominic to appease the anger of God and to implore the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

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良十三世訂立玫瑰月

在5月10日，教宗良十四世向樞機主教團發表談話，解釋他選擇此聖名的原因。教宗表示：「我願與各位一同再次更新我們對普世教會自梵蒂岡第二屆大公會議以來所走之道路的全心委身…。我深感蒙召繼續這條道路，因此我選擇取名為良十四世。此名的選擇有多重原因，最主要的，是因為教宗良十三世在其歷史性的通諭《新事通諭》（Rerum Novarum）中，以首次工業革命為背景，回應社會問題。而在我們這個時代，教會同樣以其社會訓導的寶庫，回應另一場工業革命，以及人工智能的發展，這些對於人性尊嚴、公義與勞工帶來了新挑戰。」

教宗良十三世於1878年至1903年領導教會。他被尊稱為「玫瑰教宗」。在1883年至1898年間，他共發表了十一道關於玫瑰經的通諭。第一道通諭於1883年9月1日公布。

這道通諭名為《至高宗徒使命》（Supremi Apostolatus Officio），開首寫道：「我們所履行的至高宗徒職責，以及當前時局之艱難處境，日復一日地警醒並幾乎迫使我們更警惕地守護教會的完整性，尤其是她所受的災難越大，這責任就越迫切。」

這道通諭促成普世教會開始實踐將整個十月獻於聖母玫瑰經的敬禮，即「玫瑰月」。事實上，教宗良十三世大部分有關玫瑰經的通諭，都是為十月的準備而撰寫。

關於教宗良十三世， Donald Calloway神父評論道：「他年輕時熟悉農耕生活，知道十月是收穫的月份。因此，在其教宗任內，他選擇於十月推廣玫瑰經，象徵玫瑰經是一種收穫靈魂豐盛莊稼的方式。」

教宗良十三世回顧聖道明如何藉聖母玫瑰經對抗阿爾比異端（Albigensian Heresy）。教宗寫道：「道明在教義上堅定純正，以德表率，努力傳教，他勇敢地迎擊天主教會的敵人，不是靠武力，而是完全仰賴他首先建立的這項敬禮 – 即以『玫瑰經』之名所稱的敬禮，並由他與門徒推廣至世界各地。事實上，在天主的啟示與恩寵引導下，他預見這敬禮將成為極有力的屬靈武器，可驅逐敵人，使他們的狂妄與褻瀆蒙羞受挫。事實上，這正是其結果。」

Calloway神父評論道：「對教宗良十三世而言，玫瑰經的創立者十分明確 – 即聖道明。他秉承歷任教宗的傳統，一再肯定這項虔敬傳承。良十三世的十一道玫瑰經通諭幾乎都提到聖道明為玫瑰經的創立者。」

教宗良十三世亦提及1571年10月7日的勒班陀海戰（Battle of Lepanto）：「基督宗信的戰士們，為信仰與祖國之救援，準備犧牲性命與熱血，毫無懼色地前往格林多灣附近迎敵。那些無法參戰的人則組成虔敬的祈禱團體，不斷以玫瑰經之語呼求聖母瑪利亞，懇求她賜予前線同伴勝利。」

教宗良十三世援引多位教宗對玫瑰經的讚頌之語：教宗伍朋四世（Urban IV）：「玫瑰經每天為基督信仰帶來新的恩惠。」教宗思道四世（Sixtus IV）：「玫瑰經使天主與聖母瑪利亞蒙受光榮，並極為適合化解迫切危難。」教宗良十世（Leo X）：「玫瑰經的設立，是為了對抗邪惡的異端領袖與異端邪說。」教宗猶利三世（Julius III）稱玫瑰經為「教會的光榮」。聖庇護五世（St. Pius V）：「隨著此敬禮的推廣，信友們的默想愈發熱切，祈禱更加懇切，他們頓時成為新人；異端的黑暗被驅散，天主教信仰之光再度照耀。」教宗額我略十三世（Gregory XIII）：「玫瑰經乃由聖道明所創，為安撫天主義怒，並祈求聖母瑪利亞的轉禱。」

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