The Helena Independent

POPE LEO IN MARBLE.
The Noble Statue of the Pontiff to
Be Unveiled in Washington.
Great Gathering
of
Catholic
Churchmen at the Capital
Next Month.
Leading Dignitaries Who Will Be Present
-Count Loubat, the Donor, and
Luchetti. the Sculptor,
[Special Correspondence of The Independent.]
WASHINGTON. D. C., AUG. 26.-A
memorable occasion in the history
of the Catholic church in America,
equaled in importance only by the cele-
bration, in November, 1889, of the centennial
of the Catholic Hierarchy in the United
States,
will
be the unveiling of
the
magnificent marble statue of
the su-
preme
pontiff,
Leo
XIII.,
which
is
now
fixed
to
take
place
here
on
September
28th
next. Already the ar-
rangements for the ceremony are well under
way, and it is anticipated that there will
be present almost the entire Catholic hier-
archy, as during the same week the church
will celebrate, with unusual pomp, the cen-
tenary of St. Sulpice at Baltimore, and the
priests and prelates in attendance there
will doubtless avail themselves of the op-
portunity to attend the picturesque ceremo-
ny at Washington also.
The statue, which is the gift of Count
Joseph de Loubat to the Catholic university
of Washington, arrived at the national
capital early in August. Mr. Loubat is a
wealthy New Yorker, well known in society
and club circles. He is a devoted son
of
the church, and has at several times signal-
ized his fidelity to its interests by a lavish
generosity
to
its
institutions.
For
this
work
he
chose
Joseph
Lu-
chetti,
one
of
the
best
of
the
modern
school
of
Italian
sculptors,
who labored on the massive block of pure
Carrara a whole year under Mr. Loubat's
personal supervision, a clay model having
first been submitted to the pontiff and ap-
proved by him. The finished statue, which
is almost heroic in size, being fourteen feet
in height, including the pedestal, is a faith-
ful likeness of Pope Leo, not as he is to-
day, frail and attenuated, but as he ap-
peared in his mature prime, some years ago,
for the face is almost a counterpart of a
statue of his holiness that was exhibited at
the celebration of his golden jubilee as a
priest. The sculptor has presented the
pontiff seated on the papal chair or throne,
wearing the triple crown of tiara, and
vested with the cassock, the alb, the stole
and the cape. The cassock, or long frock
coat peculiar to the Catholic clergy, is
draped gracefully and but little concealed
by the folds of the cape, which hang from
the neck and over the shoulders; the stole,
long, narrow band of silk worn across
both shoulders, is visible underneath, while
the graceful folds of the alb reach to the
feet and lie on the top of the pedestal.
But the face, around which the chief in-
terest centers, is a remarkable study. It
wears an expression of gentle admonition,
like that of a father warning, yet rather ad-
vising than reproving his children. This
impression is heightened by the attitude of
the figure, the right arm raised slightly
with the hand open and palm turned up-
ward, as though inviting spiritual contem-
plation or invoking benediction. The left
hand reposes on the arm of a chair. The
face is very grave, yet kindly and even
familiar. It has been said of the present
Pontiff that he was never seen to smile;
and the restful pose and calm of this whole
figure would seem to corroborate this idea.
It needs but a smile to transfigure the mar-
ble into life.
The surroundings of the statue are in
keeping with the tone of its artistic treat-
ment. The background will be formed of
STATUE OF LEO XIII,
an elaborately carved niche or recess, on
either side of which is a panelled pillar with
carved capital, the two joined by an arch,
at the apex of which is the papal arms,
with cross and keys. The pedestal, which
is cubical, has three sides exposed, each
bearing an inscription on a square panel of
somewhat darker marble. The front panel
bears the dedicatory inscription: that to
the right of the statue is engraved with the
arms of the Pecci family, to which the pope
belongs, while the remaining panel has the
arms of Count Loubat, whose title was con-
ferred by the pontiff several years ago in
recognition of his distinguished services to
the church. The entire work cost some-
what more than $10,000 and afforded so
much satisfaction to the college of cardinals,
who viewed it repeatedly, that Luchetti has
been commissioned to duplicate it as a gift
to the town of Carpineto, the pope's birth-
place. Its importation was entrusted to
Mr. John A. McSorley, custom house broker
in New York, who on its arrival immedi-
ately transferred it to Washington, and it
is now in the "prayer room" of the univer-
sity, carefully covered up and secure from
prying eyes.
Thus far it has been seen by
few except
Cardinal Gibbons, Bishop
Keane (the rector of the Washington
university) and Archbishop Corrigan,
although the keenest curiosity has been felt
among churchmen to look upon the statue
which evoked so much admiration when it
was displayed at the Vatican Jubilee expo-
sition in Rome some time ago. The illus-
tration here is from a photograph secured
in Rome by the Catholic Review of New
York city, and which is believed to be the
only truthful representation of the statue
in the United States.
When the Catholic university was dedi-
cated two years ago, it was intimated that
it would, in future years become a Pantheon
wherein might be immortalized, in marble
and bronze, the great spirits of the church,
but more particularly those who had done
it the noblest service in America. The sug-
gestion brings up in the minds of church-
men such names as that of De Smet, the mar-
tyr priest, and Fathers Jogues and Segura,
who also gave their lives for their faith in
the early days of the church, Father Badin,
the first priest ordained in the United
States, Father Mazzuchelli, the organizer
of the Dominicans in this country, and a
long line of others whose memories are re-
garded with veneration. There is also a
brilliant list deserving of a like honor to be
found among
those who have been dis-
tinguished
in
the
service
of
the
church
since
the
formation
of
the
hierarchy
in
1789,
including
such
notable names as that of John Carroll,
the first bishop, the venerable Bishop Flaget of Bardstown, the learned Kendrick,
the pioneer Indian teacher Bishop Baraga,
Cardinal McCloskey, Cardinal Gibbons and
others illustrious in the annals of Catholic
literature. There are laymen, too, for
whom this great honor might also be
reserved. The university is already rich
with works of art in marble and on
canvas. Upon the walls of the great par-
lor are portraits of Pope Leo XIII, by
Ugolini of Rome, and of Bishop Carroll
and George Washington, by the famous
painter Gregory, of Notre Dame university,
a bust of St. Thomas, "The Angel of the
Schools," by Guglielmi, and several others
of rare merit. To those will be added as
DIVINITY BUILDINGS OF THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY.
the years pass other paintings and statues
after the manner of the great collections
in the leading church edifices of Europe.
The place assigned to the statue in the
prayer room of the university is merely
temporary one. It will ultimately be sta-
tioned in a commanding niche in the new
building which is to be erected near the
theological building. It is expected that
the unveiling ceremonial will be most elab-
orate, including addresses by Cardinal Gib-
bons, Bishop Keane, Archbishop Corrigan
and several other dignitaries. Among those
who will participate will be Monsignor
Preston, New York; Archbishop Williams,
of Boston; the Archbishops of Cincin-
nati, New York, Milwaukee and Philadel-
phia, Bishops Gilmore, Elder, Spalding,
Loughlin and Doane, with priests from
every state in the union. The throng at
Brookland, near Washington, where the
university is located, will be a decidedly
representative one, including white ves-
tured Dominicans, black-cassocked Jesuits,
Sulpicians, Franciscans, Christian Brothers
and many eminent laymen. A prominent
part of the programme will be the music.
These, and many other details in the ar-
rangements, will be fully announced at the
proper time.
GEORGE A. SANDISON.