The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-06-29
A Papal Audience-The Company Pres
ent-HOw Leo Differs from Plus.


Rome Correspondence of the Boston Transcript
On Monday | went to see the new
Pope, who receives only twice week,
Mondays and Thursdays. With a new
Pope, as with new King or any other
public character, one is apt to draw a
comparison between him and his imme-
date predecessor; and having been
present at many receptions held by that
genial old man who so long sat in St.
Peters chair, was curious to see how
Leo XIII received those whom motives
Vatican. The first difference noticeable
was the place chosen for the audience.
Plus TX, except upon rare occasions,
received visitors in kind of throne
room attach d to his private apartments.
The present Pope chooses the long cor
ridors forming the Loggie of Raphael.
Along these corridors benches are
placed, which if less comfortable than
the chairs and settees in the throne
room above mentioned, are not noticed
by the visitor, for the beauty of Raph-
aePs frescoes so attract the eye and
please the mind that the long delay,
which seems to be inevitable when one
goes to see Pope, is passed over with
out much physical discomfort Why it
is that people are hidden to come to
Papal audience at noon, when the
Pope does not enter the room till nearly
twop. m, is question not yet answered.
In this respect the late Pope and the
present one are certainly alike. Plus
TX always kept one waiting an hour
and half to two hours, and Leo follows
his example. However, with RaphaePs
exquisite frescoes to look at, one can
afford to be little patient. Quite a
number of people, for the most part
Italians, were present at the audience.
noticed two or three English and one
American family-evidently all here
tics, for they were chatting and talking
unconcernedly, thing which at Papal
audience the faithful never do. With
them, to be in the presence of the Pope
is serious matter, quite different from
a reception by a secular ruler, no mat
ter how grand or powerful. To true
believers the Pope represents Christ on
earth to them he is the embodiment of
the Almighty. Hence they are grave
and very qniet. If they speak at all it
is in a subdued tone, and they are all
impressed with the solemnity of the oc-
casion. Most of the true believers bring
crosses, crucifxes (some of the latter
are often very costly, and of massive
gold or silver, and as many rosaries as
they can carry, that they may be ali
blessed by the Pope, and thus become
sacred. / looked about me at all these
people, and compared them with those
| have often seen in the spacious room
adjoining the spacious library of Plus
TX, awaiting his coming as these now
sat expecting his successor. In its ele-
ments the company was the same.
There was the usual deputation from
some nuns school, the usual sprinkling
of priests, monks and friars, few rep
resentatives of the French burgeois
class, large number of Italian women
of every class, from ladies of rank to
waiting maids, few, but very few Ital-
ian men, number of so-called pill
grims, and, finally, several ladies we'll
known in Rome as fanatical adherent4
of the papacy, and who, not content
with private interviews of His Holiness,
go just SO often to public receptions,
and are particularly demonstrative in
their manifestations of respect and ador-
alton. All these made up the company
which assembled at noon in the Logic
of Raphael.
From time to time, as we were wait
ing, a chamberlain or other papal Of
fetal passed along the corridor, finding
place to sit for some late conner, but
otherwise there was little movement
until half-past one, when a kind of
tremor which passed along the line de-
noted that the Pope was coming As
Leo XIII entered the loggie, the differ
ence between his manner of entry and
that of Plus TX was at once manifest.
The late Pontiff was always a. tended,
prisoner" by numerous and snowy
retipue. Leo XIII was accompanied
simply by two prelates of his house
hold and an officer of the Noble Guard.
He was dressed in the traditional robe Of
white cloth, with cap of the same color,
and scarlet slippers on his feet. Be.
hind walked servant carrying his red
hat and cloak. The Pope, beginning
with the first group of people on his
right, who were presented to him by one
of the prelates in attendance, proceeded
slowly up the line, addressing word OF
two to each person or family in turn
ALI knelt, as he approached, and each
one kissed the Pope's hand, the more
devout prostrating themselves to kiss
his feet also. Leo XIII is not very talk.
alive. To monk near me, who pre-.
sented book to the Ponriff, begging
him to bless it, Leo replied, Let us
hope, my friend, that in this book you
have expounded the faith as it is, clearly
and fully" but with that exception
observed that he had very little CONVEX.
sation with those presented to him
Having made the round the Pope turned
to the end of the main corridor, and
raising his hand, gave the general bless
ing to the company, after which he re.
tired. Leo XIII has not the agreeable
presence of Plus TX. The latter was
personally most attractive, his winning
smile and genial manner awakening a
sympathetic feeling in all brought into
direct contact with him. One may re.
spect the present chief of the Church
but he will probably never evoke the
enthusiasm which fell to the lot of Plus
TX.