The Pope’s Jubilee.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 10, 2 July 1887, Page 4

The Pope’s Jubilee.

COSTLY GIFTS. While the Jubilee of Her Gracious Majesty is the sole topic throughout the British Dominions just now, something might be mentioned about the Pope's Jubilee of his ordination as a priest, which wtll be celebrated in December next. Immense preparations for this commemoration are being made all over Europe. The presents which are being sent to His Holiness are innumerable—in fact the collection of gifts will be. so enormous that the Vatiean will not be able to house them, and a large building is being built for their reception and exhibition, Eight Governments have requested the Italian Government to allow the offerings of their several peoples to pass the frontiers duty free, and the Italian Government has publicly notified that anything eent to His Holiness will be admitted to the country free. The gifts of sovereign rulers and grand personages are already being sent in. The Sultan has sent a diamond ring worth 0,500. The Empress of China is having a magnificent ring prepared by her own jeweller ; the German Emperor is having another made by a Berlin master of the craft. Queen Victoria’s gift an ancient copy of the Vulgate, will be specially bound with all the splendour of the bookbinder’s art. The Queen of Spain, who recently sent a ring with a superb ruby as a gift from the young king to his godfather, is having another ring prepared, as the Jubilee offering, with an enormous sapphire, surrounded by large diamonds. Austria and Portugal are each preparing splendid presents. M. Grevy has sent a magnificent Sevres vase, and an inkstand equally - magnificent as the gift of France. Nearly all the great towns in France are preparing gif ts of everything that figures in Catholic Churches Naples will contribute a solid throne of gold. Two thousand seven hundred and fifty Belgian parishes are each preparing a splendid gift. The Catholics of Germany are forming a collection of all the literary and scientific works that have appeared in that country during this Pontificate, so as to piece under the eyes of the Vatican the intellectual movement of the German mind during the present occupancy of the Papal throne ; and the 20,000 volumes of this collection are being superbly bound, with a specially ■nrenared catalogue. A CatholicEnglish lady of high rank has sent an “ Easter egg ” in ivory lined with satin, and containing a rubv worth over /’2OOO. This is a nice “ little list ” to start with.