Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-09-09
QQQoreester Daily Spp.
POPE Plus NINTH.

Cavour's conlessor, of which the following ex-
tracts will be found interesting
THE FIRST INTERVIEW.
The pope, am told, received the frar with
an expression of playful l ought to say iaunt-
ing, Haunting disdain, with his head thrown
backwards, his volumnous chest and "corpo
ration" pulled for ward and with a sneer, which
has lately come hahilual, curling his lip
"Weli Brother Giac0mo," he began, when all
the preliminary ceremonies of an interview OF
that nature had been performed, "well, we ex.
pect 80 hear something out of the common
way from you, have you your declaration in
writing 2" Declaration y quoth the monk,
"Hoy Father, what am | expected to de-
clare 2" "Surely," the pontiti insisted you
know what you were summoned here for
what took place between you and your Illus
trious penitent 3"
Il hope your holiness will show indulgence
to a poor monk, retorted the friar, "but who
could expect anything should transpire as to
what occurred between a penitent and his
confessor That is a secret for God alone
to search into" certainly, certainly, Broth
er Gacomo," the pope fastened to say, "stll,
-" The monk needed not the Interrupt
ton. "All can freely say, and am happy
TO say, without breach of duty, is that Count
Cavour died as Il good, very good catholic
only wish all my parishoners could die as
holy and peaceful death as Count Cavour
died"
The slippered foot of the pope had been
slightly stamping the ground with Impotence
all the time the friar spoke, he cut him short
at the end with bitter sarcastic tone. Real.
ly, Frate Gacomo, if it be so, | can congrat-
ulate you on the very exemplary flock you
have got down there in Turin. A nice set of
Pensioners, nice set y
The friar east down his eyes, the head of
the church so playfully sceptic about the
Omnipotence of grace and mercy, so plainly
increduous us to time revulsion of feeling
the contrtion, repentance, ANA happy release
of even the most hardened sinner, and SO
ready to draw from his own little faith argu.
ments against the religious disposition of a
whole congregation OF christians, sorely dis
composed, puzzled and perpexed the simple
frar.
And" the pope proceeded, after pause,
during which he fumbled a good deal with
the folds OF his white robe land the sacra.
ment-viatico, which you administered to the
dying minister Why, what an egregi0us
farce ('che graziosa commeda' were the precise
words,) what an egregious play was that !''
The monk was staggered. "The sacra-
ments, holy father, were administered in the
presence of the Counts brother, the Marquis
Gustavo, his daughter and son n-law, Count
and Countess Alieri, and other persons whose
deep catholic feelings no man ever doubted.
They can bear witness"
enough said; enough said," interrupted
the pope, tartly; "you will please TO prepare
the declaration in writing that we demand OF
you. You understand, and you will not fail
to present yourself before the general II your
THE TERRoRs OF TIE HOLY OFFICE
With this the interview, which took far
more time than is required to describe it, ter
minated. At the General OF the Franciscan
ORDERS and at the Holy Office scenes of the
same nature took place. 1t was plain that the
court OF Rome hoped, either by the awe in
spired by the person OF the pOmtiif, or by the
terrors of monastic or inquistorial discipline
to bring the poor monk to reveal as much of
Count Cavour's confession as could by all the
ingenuity of priesty chcane be construed into
no matter how pale ghost OF recantatior, on
the counts part, of his political errors Nor
would this have implied breach OF the invio-
liable seal OF confession, for retraction, in or.
der to be efficacous and to have any merit in
the eyes of God, must be as public as the doc.
trines or deeds from which the scandal arose
and the recantlng pentent must allow, and,
indeed, instruct his spiritua! director to repair
as openly as possible the evil of which he ac.
knowledges himself the author. But the real
fact is that Cavour had nothing to retract-
had not only no inclination, but no leisure
and, above all things, no Self-cOnsciOusuess to
make any retraction whatever In spite OF all
the idle talk that went about the newspapers
tn court of Rome must have known as well as
we did here that Father Giaeomo had nothing
to reveal and the summons of the poor triar
to Rome could have no OTHER object than mere
bravado, and wish TO see whether intimida-
ton and moral torture could wrench from the
oHm mi Wll hon a
ground.
WHAT KIND OF A MAN is FATHER GIACOMo
Father Giacomo is no man OF genius, and is
10 hero. lie is an honest monk, fond of good
living, glad to be at peace with the whole
world and with himself. But however greatly
hustered and disconnected in his inward soul.
The used to cling to both arms of Piedmontese
friend of mine, then in Rome, and "hope he
would not forsake him." however often a
prey TO serious qualms and aghasI at the ugly
scrape he had unwittingly got into he rallied
whenever the hour OF trial came round, and
always showed his enemies as free and easy
and secure, though humble and respectful a
front, as we have seen he did before the pope
The monks of his order IN Rome, who had
been prejudiced against him, took pride in his
firm and digniied behavior, and treated
him with great regard and difference, looking
upon him as a brave tellow-a credit to the
cloth.
He had a parting interview with the pope,
in which the latter behaved with less harsh
ness, though with even greater supercilous-
ness and affected to treat the monk and the
GRAND upon which he had been called as below
his notice. He still harped about the old
subject of a "declaraion," word now almost
entirely void of meaning, and at length signi
fed his good p easure to allow Giacomo to
depart in peace.
Nothing can equal the joy of the good friar
in seeing himself Out of the clutches of the
Roman court, and breathing again, as he saws,
''the free air of his own country" He is a
native oil Poirnc small town on the road
between Turin and Asti | do not hear that
any measures have been taken as yet concern
ing his parish.
Plus DOES NOT MELLOW WITH AGE
Adversely evidently works no good upon
the mind of the once benevolent Pho Mono.
He has been goaded by the taunts of the press,
which charged him with iucapacity or, at
least, Incidence, in the exercise of his sove.
reign duties, to take great deal of the mat
tiers connected with the temporal government
upon itself. He acts as chief OF his own po-
lice sees spies and other WORTHLESS every morn
ing, and siuffS himself with a great deal of
idle, unwhoesome, aud perilous political gos
sip. DE delights in sudden coupS detat, and it
was to one OF these sudden outbursts of his
energetic character that Cardinal d'Andrea
fell victim The pope repeated to him, word
for WORD, the criticisms which the Cardinal
allowed himself in the sanctity of private con.
versation, criticisms touching many abuses
which rendered the papal government a by
word among civilized communities and the