The Grange advance., 1874-12-01
The sPopE'S DAILY LIFE.
1nstresting Narrative sfOf His Per
s E soa,aI Habtts. a' I'd I'd
Bernadille in the Catholic Review ]

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Bernadille in the Catholic ls Reyiew.] 3
Y formed in Rome the acquaintance
. ,ralet d. gc].a,pbrs; Of tine holy
father, who has benin his service ten
Years, and has never left him.5s He
Possesses the confidence Of his venerable
| master. and he deserves it. I can
mention more than one monsignore who
has not his influence, and he is courted
by persons from the foar quarters Of
the globe. He ought to have a secrc.
tary to- attend to his correspondence !;
he is constantly receiving visits and
requests, and ne is asked fer audiences
as If he were Il minister. Bankers worth
millions, depaties and great ladies come
to see him with letters of introduction.
Generals and ministers, and high otfi-
cials send him their photographs, with
which he lines the wallis CT his cham
ber. All this does not spoil him: he
has remained humble, gentle, polite,
serviccable, obiiSing and even
,unem barrassed by the attentions he
receives, and never for moment for.
getting bis humble station or: seeking
to abuse the confidence placed in him.
I have often spoken with this clerical
Calcb--and always Of Plus TX. The
sovereign pontift has no reason to fear
the provcrb which declares that no man
is hero to his valet. 1t is, thanks to
his confidence, enriched by the indis-
crction Of some other persons attached
to the papal court, that am a6lc to
give the following account Of how Plus
TX. passes his day.
Winter and summer, the Pope, not
wi;lis sand.ng his cighty-1hree years,
rises a. $50 clock. and dresses him.
self without assistance. lie nearly al
ways avnise,ls himself. After a short
prayer. l,e enters one Of his private
chapel*. where the blessed sacrament
is always preserved, and which contains
some precious relies, among which are
a fragment Of the crib Of Bethlehem,
and another of the true cross; a piece
of the skull Of St. John the Baptist,
and some of the teeth Of St. Peter.
Then he prepares to say mass. At 7
O'Clock he dcscends 20 a smaller and
less adorned chapel, where he says
mass, and where those who have per-
mission TO Go SO receive communion
from his hands. He celebrates mass
with great devotion, and with such "a
piety that he is often moved to tears.
The holy father next hears another
mass: said by one oE7his chaplains, and
then, after giving his benediction to the
priest and his assistants, he retlres, 1t
is now 8:45 o'clock, and his holiness
takes his breakfast, which consists Of a
basin Of broth and n cup Of black cof-
fee. Cardinal Antonclli now comes to
confer with him, except on Tuesdays
and Fridays, when he is replaced by
his subs titute, Mensignor Marino MAJ
ini. At 10 o clock the Pope reads his
letters. which, as will be easily i'm
agincd, are usually very numerous. He
then looks over the Osservatore Ro7
mano and Voce della Verita, but very
rarely, am sorry to say, does he ever
undo the bands Of the French papers,
which reach him regularly. Then be-
gin the special audiences. The men
come in evening dress, with cravats.
They gcnAAect: thrice on entering, and
then knecl before the Pope, who raises
them up. The Pope is seated; his vis-
itors stand OR kneel. Cardinals and
princes alone have the right to sit in
the Pope's presence. This is one of
the most fatiguing parts Of the Pope's $
duty. The secretary's department is
literally inundated with demands en-
treating audiences, and, during the
winter season, the number is incredi.
BILE. At II O. clock the Pope takes a
basin of soup and glass OF Bordeaux
wine, which is sent to him by the nuns
of St. Joseph, and is made from a vine
especially devoted to MS use. Form
elly, Plus TX used only to drink com,
mon white wine, and he had reached
his eightieth year before he could be
induced to drink Bordeaux or Capri.
Men only are permitted to enter the
Pope's apartments. When an audience
is over, the sovereign ponti1' rings a bell
, is admitted by the prelate who is {: on
duty that Gay. 40 It. ''-> w. !
At about IL or 1890, the pope leaves
his chamber to walk in the garden of
the Vatican or in the library, or per-
haps in Raphael's stanze and loggie; on
his passage he sometimes meets num-
ber Of families, deputations, and per-
sons who are received in public audi.
ences.s He blesses& their medals. rosa.
ries and the crosses which they bring
in abundance. He exchanges a few
words with them, and listens to their
questions, and often pronounces a short
allocution. AT 1880 the pope returns
from his walk. He dismisses his court,
and re.enters one of the chapels, where
he remains until 2 clock in alteration
4 before the blessed sacrament. aAt3 he
dimes, The dinner consists invariably
of soup, fowl and boiled meat, which
are served up together with vegetables