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American Reform – Was Leo XIII, as is Often Said, a Liberal Pope? — Fèvre, 1907

“For a moment, some intelligent people… seemed to admit that the Encyclical Immortale Dei supported Dupanloup’s position. The Encyclical Libertas shattered these illusions. No, no, no; Leo XIII never uttered a single word, not a single word, that the partisans of liberalism could rightfully claim as their own.”>

Leonine Revisionism

Those misguided persons today who, in earlier times would be branded with the name “liberal Catholics”, sometimes attempt to present Pope Leo XIII (reigning from February 20, 1878, until his death on July 20, 1903) as an agent of liberalism, which is an absurdity to anyone with even a cursory knowledge of his pontificate. Others, more intelligent but possibly lacking in integrity, concede that Leo XIII was thoroughly anti-liberal in his magisterium, his doctrinal pronouncements and in the exercise of the papacy, but attempt to represent the august pontiff as sympathetic to their cause in the practical order. The Ralliement “Rallying” to the French Republic is the most [in]famous example. That said, is there any merit to this latter view and, if yes, to what extent?>Rest assured, the facts of history do not bear this out,1 nor will the contemporary testimony of our featured author, Monsignor Justin Fèvre, confirm this. Rather, his 1907 analysis dispels any such notion of liberalism on the part of Pope Leo XIII, either in the theoretical order (of course, impossible in his divinely assisted magisterium), or in the practical order. Importantly, Monsignor Fèvre begins his treatment by distinguishing between a liberal, properly understood and characterized by the adherence to revolutionary, rationalist and individualistic ideas, from the liberal man who displays the true virtue of liberality. The latter case is legitimate and not really the thrust of the accusation as we will see.

Originally published in The Journal of American Reform. Read original article