It has been said that Blessed John Paul II was seen in person by more people than any other human being in the history of the world. Certainly, he was the most filmed pope in history. But who was the first?
The first pope to have a photograph taken was Pius IX. Officially, the second longest reigning pope (after St. Peter), he was pope from 1846 to 1878. During his pontificate, the Papal States were lost and the Pope became a "prisoner of the Vatican.
The first pope to be filmed was Pius' successor, Pope Leo XIII. Pope Leo was an older man when elected pope (like Pope Benedict XVI); and was considered initially as a "caretaker" pope (also like Benedict XVI). But Pope Leo confounded them all, by reigning as pope for twenty-five years (four longest reign behind St. Peter, Pius IX and Blessed John Paul II.) His famous encyclical "Rerum Novarum" is the basis of all modern Catholic social teaching.
Pope Leo was also the first pope to be filmed (and recorded). The following clip was made in 1896 (when Leo was 86), the voice recording (of the Ave Maria) was made after on a wax cylinder. Note how in those days, the papacy had more of an imperial quality to it (everybody kneels and kisses the Pope's hand.) Remember that this is the pope that St. Therese begged to allow her to enter the convent at a young age. In a local note, Pope Leo was the pope who established the Altoona-Johnstown diocese. Enjoy this papal blast from the past!
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