New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-05-18

"REMINISCENCES OF PITS N.
IY ANEX STUDENT OF a ROMAN COLLEGE.
When frs; saw Piux IN, papal Rome
wac. POLITICALLY and religi0usly. under his
control. The Candy equipages OF cardinals
rolled daily through the grand villa on the
Piucia Hill. or through the Borghese pa:k.
TIE fashionable Curs". or the spacious
piazza. Files Of students, IN couples. ar
ranged and moving with automatic exact
ness, dotted their triangular hats whenever
the ecclesiastical princes approached. AT
tina, ,ime-the autumn OF !SG6-eyery thing
N Rene seemed sacerdotal and austere.
Take into account that the ''seas"D had
bad 10, vet begun, and the seven billed
CITY. still undsturbed by the rush and
,,us-le of her annual thousands of foreign
visitors. remained in her normal condition.
TIE pensive. humble ri .r was encountered
in every direction, and plump paris b priests,
in broad clo;h and silk knee-breeches.
strongly attracted the strangers cuf,osl1y.
Then tie battles of Mentana and Monte
Kotondo haG not been fought. nor had any
OF the hierarchy of the Vatican We: dreamed
of the intending III OF the temporal 20 yer.
| had seen s.. Peters. the Pantheon. -
.1ohn Of Lateran, the Roman Forum. the
Cataco,ubs and the Coliseum. hut long ed
most of all 20 see the acknowledged spirit
uai ruler Of three hdndred millions. for
without lisrespect TO the venerable tatho-
lie world. ] regarded Pho Nouo as the prime
lion" OF Rome. had been already three
dave in IL. E,erna; City without seeing hi.
holiness. and. on the morning OF theft ur:h.
| assumed the uniform o! the - College.
At three IN the afternoon the old 1amllas
bell babe US muster in Tor !he evening walk.
We were 70 visit the Church OF .Sart0 Ht;ria
deia I.Ecria and afterward 60 in The di-
rection of Por;a Pa. Before we had
formed into line after oar VISIT TO che
church. Francis H.. ex.kIus OF Naples. and
his beautiful Qieen Passed us. Doing as
all ecclesiastical people in Rome d". or al
leas: as they did at that time. we gave the
bapisheG Bourbon an obseQuious salute OF
,riauputar hats. We had not proceeded lar
when |. the jl:iior of the ca"GyGi'". Was
alarmed by :ne dashing speed of horse
man IN The distance. with !.'umed nat.
Amos: with one accord nv te.!ow students
exc.ai med: "!.ene ;iPapG!
Presently a yerv handsome young cavalier
cant.lei by. lie Wore d cooked hat with
blue feathers and the uniform OF a colone!
Of the line. He was the outIider OF 'he
pone, whose duty it was 20 give notice OF
the coming of the Holy Father. Then Two
heavy ard richly adorned carriages. drawn
by black ;horoug!breds. came dnwn the
Porta ri. road. aud saw Pope P.u. IN.
TOR The first time.
Nearly every one genotl"cted AS The car
riages containing the poutlhcal escort Grew
near, and uot far ahead OF US knel! the ex.
King Francis and his Qge.n. That"f it.
self was very uncommon episode. ior may
thew not have been the last monarchs who
would ever kneel in the streets to receive
uapai hentGction To CdIhoilcs II was
scene deeply solemn and suggestive. mas.
much as It gave an tmpha!ir example Of
the Pope's supremacy.
With facia! expression indicative both
of earnest sanctity and IA raternal DISPOSE.
zion Pas TX. waved his fingers IN The shape
uf a cross. repeating the words OF th, bene.
fiction. His winning smile. Il rid com.
.,lexion and soft. blue eyes woul1 have as
readily enlisted me among those who be.
:.eve him 20 be a great. pure and GENIAL
n,l.st. had be been only the :nl.itAin OF an
unriviiized tribe. Cnlts. we utterly dl>T".
gard the looks ana manners ut men "a cE:.
1e, ia of their nature and pr"e.iv!rles. Plus
IN. must be ranked a,n"ng the ln"st es'i-
m..be OF our kind. N"r has h.A record.
during r.: IN the longest .nce that OF his
first Predecessor. heliei his nat:v" appear.
ance and WAYS. Abou, his religious tsnets
an! his Iigh: 20 rule over Rome. Will H,ke
10 reference. Plus IN when socially con.
HidereU. viii be found to y" an ornament 20
human nature. s" far AS ph:'a lttropy. cour'
age. wisdom and purity Ot morals. are ca
pahie ui adjoining our common estate. And
Upon these attributes eli the sovereign pom
iii no one has cast the least aspers!on.
The second time | had the pleasure o!
meetin. this remarkabl man was IN front
o. the church of 81. John of Laterar. Tue
walk assigned TO our edni,'dtd on that day
was .he Polta San Giovanni. When his
holiness arrived AT the Santa Scala. which
is opposite ST. Johns. a dlvis'on OF little
fellows from the Propaganda College ten
dered him quite a manly saIutation. The
Pope. ever ready 20 seize an opportunity OF
communicating with young folk, 71itiinated
to Carolina! Patrizi. who accompanied hun.
his desire to interview the juvenile came
rate. The can,erato was entirely composed
of small boye from Orienta! countries. who
were either bequeathed TO the Propaganda
by their dying parents. or sent I" Rome
by Asiatc bishops. '.t,t"nt, 'tscOft SAID
the Pope, as the little fellows drew up in
front of his coach. what a lot Of bishops
take care. Holy Father" said an eccle-
eiastical urchin. uu.y twelve years CID: "be-
cause the last Pope. Gregory All., once
said the same 70 a comerUtd OF SINAI! boys.
an! they all became bishops
The Pope was delighted with the little
fellows pertness. which an evidence o!
good memory and readiness 90 reply had
rendered excusaO Die The boy was a Turk.
The college to which l belonged in Rome
was presided over by Monsignor Kirby.
who also had the honor OF being a private
cham berlan to the Pope. DR.. Kirby is the
Roman agent Of the Irish Bishops, and his
knowledge of many unwritten episodes of
the popes life was by No means limited.
One incident is particularly interesting, as
il proved the Pope's fidelity under all cir
cumstances to the friends and pleasant as
sociations of bis early life. 1t was related
to us after dinner one day, during our vaca-
ton, at Tivoli.
Among the bands Of prisoners brought
from the field of Montana by the papal
zouaves and their French allies, was an old,
hazel-eyed. slim and sinewy veteran. named
Giuseppe Clitoni.
He looked more ike bandit than a soi-
der. and he wore the red shirt of the Carl.
He was well known among the
rebels. and he was feared by the papai
yendarmie as q very dangerous man. He
lad been in Rome previous to the disturb.
ances OF 1913, plotting in favor of the revo
utionists, and on many occasions since that
memorable year he had acted the spy for
Mazzini and Garibaldi. Critoni had a
charmed life, SO far as escaping keen and
;rsfty policemen is concerned. He was