Pope Leo XIII (1810 - 1903) - Author Collection

Pope Leo XIII (2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903), born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was Pope from 20 February 1878 to his death in 1903. He was the oldest pope (reigning until the age of 93), and had the third longest pontificate, behind that of Pope Pius IX (his immediate predecessor) and Pope John Paul II. He is the most recent pontiff to date to take the pontifical name of "Leo" upon being elected to the pontificate.