Leo XIII Pecci

Leo XIII
Born	Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci 2 March 1810 Carpineto Romano, Rome, French Empire
Died	20 July 1903 (aged 93) Apostolic Palace, Rome, Italy

Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci (2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church as Pope Leo XIII from 1878 until his death in 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter, Pius IX (his predecessor), and John Paul II. He was also the first Pope to complete his full pontificate since Rome was captured by the Kingdom of Italy in 1870.

Pecci is best known for his attempts to define the position of the church in the modern era and his encyclical Rerum novarum represented the Catholic Church's first attempt to adapt to the industrial Revolution and the rise of liberalism. He appealed to the proletariat by recognising their poor working conditions and supported the creation of trade unions while condeming the worst excesses of capitalism. However, he also supported the bourgeoisie in crushing any attempts at rectifying these problems through socialist revolution and defended their right to private property.