Pope Leo XIII

Gioacchino Pecci was pope from 1878 to 1903 and the first pope who no longer exercised territorial jurisdiction over Jews. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia his influence was nevertheless prejudicial to them: he encouraged anti-Semitism by bestowing distinctions on leading anti-Semitic politicians and authors such as Lueger and Drumont. He refused to intervene on behalf of Captain Dreyfus or to issue a statement against the blood accusation, and in an official document denounced Jews, Freemasons and anarchists as enemies of the Church.

Life dates

1810-1903 (about 93 years old)

Country

France, Italy, Vatican City, Austria

Institutions

Holy See

Category

Anti-Judaism

Level of evidence

B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?

Background

Course of events

1. Gioacchino Pecci was born at Carpineto on 2 March 1810, elected pope after the death of Pius IX in 1878 and died on 20 July 1903.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „was born at Carpineto on the 2nd of March 1810“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „pope from 1878 to 1903“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „he died on the 20th of July following“

Response of the Church

1. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia Leo XIII was the first pope who exercised no territorial jurisdiction over Jews, but his influence was nevertheless prejudicial to them. He encouraged anti-Semitism by bestowing distinctions on leading anti-Semitic politicians and authors such as Lueger and Drumont.
   Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901 bis 1906), Artikel Popes, The, Abschnitt Leo XIII.

   „was the first pope who exercised no territorial jurisdiction over the Jews. His influence, nevertheless, was prejudicial to them.“

   Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901 bis 1906), Artikel Popes, The, Abschnitt Leo XIII.

   „He encouraged anti-Semitism by bestowing distinctions on leading anti-Semitic politicians and authors, as Lueger and Drumont“

2. He refused to intervene on behalf of Captain Dreyfus or to issue a statement against the blood accusation. In an official document he denounced Jews, Freemasons and anarchists as the enemies of the Church.
   Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901 bis 1906), Artikel Popes, The, Abschnitt Leo XIII.

   „he refused to interfere in behalf of Captain Dreyfus or to issue a statement against the blood accusation“

   Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901 bis 1906), Artikel Popes, The, Abschnitt Leo XIII.

   „In an official document he denounced Jews, freemasons, and anarchists as the enemies of the Church.“

See also

• Person 1792-1878 · about 86 years old

  Pope Pius IX (Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti)

  • Italy
  • Vatican City
  • Anti-Judaism
  • Torture
  • Censorship
• 1893-1910 · 17 years

  Persecution of Modernism 1893 to 1910: Alfred Loisy is dismissed, placed on the Index and excommunicated; Pius X orders censors and secret Councils of Vigilance in every diocese and requires the anti-modernist oath from the clergy

  • France
  • Italy
  • Vatican City
  • Heresy trials
  • Censorship

Scholarly literature and reference works

1. Reference work
   Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): Leo XIII, 1 January 1911. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
2. Reference work
   Jewish Encyclopedia (1901 bis 1906): Popes, The (Gotthard Deutsch, Joseph Jacobs). Original (retrieved 15 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.