THE LATE POPE

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 34, 20 August 1903, Page 29

THE LATE POPE

How Leo XIII. Wrote His Encyclicals. From an interesting article on the late Pope, which appeared a few months ago in an American magazine, we take the following account regarding Leo XIII. 's method of writing :— ' The Pope is in the habit of dictating, and does so from closely-written squares of paper on which he has jotted his notes, afterwards tearing them up into minute shreds, so as to prevent the scandalous commerce which, under the easy-going rule of Pio Nono, made the sale of Papal autographs a source of .illgotten gains to the dependents of the Vatican. When the secretaries have finished they read the manuscripts aloud, and the subject has been so thoroughly mastered by the* Pope that a correction is hardly ever required. The documents are then translated into Latin by three monsignori equally versed in the dead languages, and even the encyclical letters sent to foreign countries are put at the Vatican into the language of the respective lands for which they are prepared, lest in the translations abroad the exact intention and meaning of thePope should not be kept in its integrity. 1 An Interesting Incident. An interesting incident occurred at a'i reception given by the Holy Father a few years ago. When the Pope approached the American group several Catholic women prostrated themselves before him and kissed his slipper. When he had given his blessing he passed on to several others who were not Cathol cs and extended his hand, two of the women kissed his ring,. but a young girl who was with them, although kneeling, very plainly manifested her determination not to do as the others had done, and, ignoring the outstretched hand, contented herself with inclining her head as the aged man stood before her. There was something very like a smothered murmur of consternation throughout the hall. The Pope could not have helped noticing the girl's attitude An amused smile passed over his face, and he said to the young woman in Italian, ' You are one of my children, just like the others, even if you do not like me ' Then the gentleness and tenderness of his face increased as he looked down at the girl and ga\e her his blessing. When he bad passed on to the next group somebody translated to the rebellious young woman what the Pope had said She knelt there for a minute or so, looking at the aged man's face ; then she rose hastily and rushed over where he was standing, threw herself impulsively on her knees before him, and said :'I am ashamed. lam sorry ! Please let me kiss your hand ' The Pope, of course, could not understand the words, but the girl's meaning was clear from her manner, and Ihe little, thin, trembling hand of the Pontiff was raised to bless her again, when the girl bent over and reverently kissed it. ' Everything is well when the heart is light,' said the Pope, tenderly ; and there was a suspicion of a tear in his eyes as he mo\ed on to the next kneeling figure. A Morning at the Vatican M. Narfon, in his work, ' Life of the Pope,' published about four years ago, gives the following account of how Leo XIII. used to spend his mornings :—: — It is a few minutes before six. Outside the room is standing a man who, more than any other, is in closest contact with the sleeping Pontiff, this is the Chevalier Pio Centra, a man unknown to fame, but well known in the Vatican as the Pope's valet Rome years ago he was a hatter in Rome, but, entering the Pope's service, he displayed so much devotion that the Pope made him a Cheva'ier of the Order of St. Gregory. Pincio— to give him the name by which he is familiarly called in the Vatican household — has come from his rooms, in which he lives with his family close to the Pope's private chambers. It is his duty to call the Pope of a morning at six o'clock. Punctually at that hour he enters the apart-

raent, and arouses the sleeper. The Pope is a light sleeper, and is often awake and at work before Pincio enters the room. The moment the Pope rises Pincio partly dresses him, and the Pope offers his first daily prayer. Then, returning from the prie-dieu, he surrenders himself to his valet, who brushes his hair and shaves him The room is fragrant with eau-de-cologne, which the Pope uses in his ablutions. Then, his toilet being complete the Pope followed by his valet, passes into a small apartment adjoining his bedroom. The altar is raised only one step ; on either side of the case in which the pyx is kept are some marvellously artistic candelabra and two statues of saints. The Pope says Mass slowly, with deep reverence, his valet, Pincio, acting as acolyte! The Pope then attends another Mass, which is said by the chaplain on duty for the day. This is his thanksgiving. Mass having been said, the Pope breakfasts on a little chocolate or cafe au lait, the milk for which comes from a flock of goats presented to him by the villagers of his native place. They are penned within the myrtle hedges of the Vatican gardens, and are great favorites of the Pope, who often goes to them and talks familiarly with their shepherd. Breakfast over, Cardinal Rampolla arrives at eight o'clock, and the business of the working day begins. After Cardinal Rampolla has gone, the Pope goes out for a short walk in the Vatican gardens. Leo is much interested in horticulture, and does not forget to admonish the gardener when the plants under his charge are not prospering. M. Narfon tells us that on one occasion when some ivy was languishing, and the gardener excused himself on the ground that the soil was bad, the Pope replied : c You don't know what you are talking about, or else you think we believe everything you are pleased to tell us,' after which admonition the Pope gave the gardener a regular lecture, which made him exclaim as soon as the Pontiff's back was turned, 4 He can teach everyone, from the Cardinals to the gardejners. You can't get over him.' Spiritual and Temporal Realms. Leo XIII. was the only sovereign in the history of the world (says a writer in the ' Aye Maria ') whose captivity began with his reign. Neither had any other sovereign ever had so many subjects and so small a realm. Leo XIII. reigned over 230,000,000 souls, and ins kingdom consisted merely of a palace, a park, and the Basilica of St. Peter. A carriage driven at a trot can pass over the entire pontifical domain in twenty minutes. On the right of the dome of St. Peter's, and overlooked by it, stands the Vatican, its massive walls pierced by many windows. The superb colonnade which makes the entire circuit of the church serves as an avenue leading up to the Bronze Door, the main entrance of the Pope's palace. On the steps before the great door the two powers installed at Rome are represented — below, the royal police circulate ; above are the Swiss or the Papal Guard. As soon as one crosses the threshold of the Bronze Door, which is brightened by the multi-colored costumes of the Swiss Guards, he is within the domain of the Poim 1 , where no soldier of the King is ever allowed to set his foot. The Vatican possesses all the prerogatives of a kingdom : the Pope is master in this narrow realm as, prior to 1870, he was in Rome. The visitor has to climb long and far before he roaches the apartments occupied by his Holiness. BeIween the Bronze Door and the St. Damascus Court, the culminating point of the Vatican hill, there are two landings ; between the St. Damascus Court and the Pope's apartments there are two more. In his capacity of guardian of the entire Christian world, it would seem as if the Holy Father had taken up his lofty lodgings so that |c might see farther ; that his vision, like his intelligence, might embrace the universe.