British Sailors at the Vatican

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 32, 11 August 1904, Page 3

British Sailors at the Vatican

The Msit paid by British sailors to the Vatican recently created considerable attention in the Eternal City (wntes a Rome conespondent). There were three English audiences on the occasion of the Gregorian Ccvntenary a few weeks ago, but the/ three KngUsh audiences of the past week were of far greater interest tp the general British public. It is 'nearly te,n year*, since tlhe last event of the kind, when Leo Mil blessed the sailors and maiines jn the Sistine imt that was not. so markedly a visit tp t!ie Pope as the present. After a few yeafs, the event was about tp be repeated, and announcements of it were made in tine press, fcfcit it did not take pla,oe. Possibly this was out of consideration for Exeter Hall traditions • £ lfc was on acco " n t of reasons belonging to a different order. The arrangements were cancelled i^ett us nope thai the happening of the present visit so a DOW Pontlficate Wl . n P TOve ™ *Wry of reThe first contingent was of about twentyfo/ur it came on June 16. The second, of fifto, came on June 17 The men rose a t four, and farted until Holiness learned tin's, and aptHMly left the audience chamber, where several persons were waiting their turns to be received, so that the men should be allowed to break their fast as soon as possible This audience took place in the Consistory Hall ■ that of the IHewoife day m the hall called the Pope's Chapel of! the Throne Room On each occasion his Holiness gave .ouyemr medals to all the men, and spoke one of his brief and pleasing addresses, which Monsignor Prior translated into English. ' I thank you,' he said -sweet y, m receiving the fifty of June 17, ' I thank you bn,r VV s ddeafr f visit - He invoked u P° n the m every ho cost blevs'.ng of heaven; upon their tarn.lies and A H ndS , +llel Ie exhorted thc ™ to lead good Christran nes and at the same time to be loyal subjects. 'Be true he said, 'to the banner which allows you the consolation of this visit' Three officers were present in uniiorni, but it was known that more would come with the principal budy on June 18 Tim was to consist of threee hundred and fourteen men, all Catholics, but in the afternoon of June M ,t was learned that as many as three hundred and fifty might come They marched from the Piaz/a of the" Railway Station to r- I ?' iv olhcr words almost from one extremity oi Home to the other, with a band playing The Quirites aie out betimes m summer mornings, \so the sieht was not lost and St Peter's was populous when g at he altar and tomb of St. Gregory the Great Father Bellasis of the Oratory, said Mass to the music of E^hsh hymns-which the men sang After their deighlful audience m the Hall of Maps, they were enterIkm? n,, I'"" 01 "- '? ,! hC Pl]^™' "osJice of Santa Alaita, right against the enormous apse of St Peter's >n the prev.ous occasion of the sort entertainment had been pven in the ' Wing ' of Charlemagne, or southern branching of the Bernini Portico in frontJof St I Her s Iheic is also another difference On that occasion the work was m the hands of a committee formed in the colony This time, for the initiative and everything else must be thanked Monsignor Prior D D Domestic Prelate of his Holiness, who spared no pains' to make Ihe three days what they became-a complete success Dinner over, the Gardens and the collections of the \atu\an, dosed at that hour to the public were open to the men, and before they had done their' sightseeing the hour fixed for the private audience of the "Admiral and the officers had arrived. To this all these went in full uniform, accompanied by their families