THE POPE'S WEALTH.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 261, 7 March 1874, Page 4

THE POPE'S WEALTH.

There is reason to believe that Rome will,in time make good her claims to the proud title ot "Eternal City," arid that the future has a greatness in store for ' her which will hardly give her reason to regret the past. Not a little depends on the eventual reconciliation between the Vatican and Quirinal," a contingency to which men are looking forward upon the election of a new Pope. Upon a ■ mo-tus viveruli being established between Church and State, Jlome will become the residence of two Courts, the centre of two Empires. Indeed, she already bpnefits from the income of two Stntes, as the mass of the enormous wealth that is poured into the coffers of the Vatican by the collectors of Peter's Pence finds its way in a variety of manner into the pockets of the emancipated Romans. If mere wealth could pro • long the days of. an ailing octogenarian, Pope Pius IX. would have little reason to ! be apprehensive of his approaching end. Huge strong boxes laden with gold, and precious stones not unfrequently pass through the Italian Custom Houses on their way to the " Apostolic Captive." The Holy Father has, the story goes, little cups and saucers lying on his writing table before him, filled with unset geuis of great value, out of which he occasionally takes little pinches to give as presents to. his most favored attendants and visitors, making, as free with the glittering baubles as it he were merely dispensing pinches of snuff Well" may' he dispense with the 3,200,000f. allowed him by the Italian nation, and well mny he afford to refuse the additional 40l),000f. recently voted by the Italian Parliament, to defray the expenses of the Heads of Keligious Orders. The Sope is rich, enormously rich, richer than ever he was' when he disposed of the revenue of his illgoverned , State. , The treasures which reach him from all the communities of Europe and America are-unbounded, and whether the givers and the receivers of all this wealth like it or not, the " ungrateful populace" of Rome are none the worse for it. People find it natural that "if the church is to be universal, it should be maintained at the expense of the whole Catholic world," and that " if its seat is to be in Rome, this city should come in for an ample share of its good things." The new state of affairs, it must also be borne in mind, has had the effect of greatly . increasing the number of foreign visitors. The season has just reached its end, and has been uncommonly gay and splendid, and even better things are expected of the next, when most of the persons now crowding to the Vienna Ex-hibition-are expected to-'winter in Rome, and are already making preparations with that view. The Americans especially will muster strong. Many of the great hotels which used to be closed as Mfiy or June set in, are now keeping open houses throughout the summer,-and their tables d'hote are still numerously attended.