Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1885-11-05

A bright writer on clerical affairs
calls the Vatican the most elevated of
observatories, whence the Pope can
note with precision the affairs of Homo
lulu as we'll as those of Paris or of St
Petersburg. The Pope listens with at
tention and even with curiosity to every
letter, and written or oral report In
him the ambition of the church does
not sleep He is as proud of spiritual
victory attained in Dakota as of one
which has been won in Germany. He
fully appreciates Catholic genius for
evangelization and believes that the
strength of his church is in the marvel
Gus discipline and organization which
it is his duty to supervise. The popu
lar Protestant idea of Pope is a mild
and genial elderly geRtleman, refined
in intellect, and of exalted spirituality,
who passes his time in grand ceremo-
malls, amid clouds Of incense and the
genuhection of elaborately costumed
prelatcs, and whose leisure is plentiful
enough to enable him to enjoy the
splendors of ancient and modern Rome,
by which he is surrounded. But the
real Pope is, as we have seen, an active,
responsible, energetic head, daily
awakening to new. duties, new crisises,
new situations, which demand imme
diate thought. He has to discuss affairs
in Europe, Africa, Oceanica, Asia and
America and daily, after his interiors
come in with their reports, and long
after they are gone, he leans over his
desk, which is heaped with documents
and letsers, and writes, reads, annotates
and muses. until 1880 o'clock, when
he is summoned to simple supper
Now and then the supper is cut short
by an excess of work, for the Pope goes
to bed with military precision at H.
Sometimes his chamberlain has found
him, worn out with thought and toll,
with his head buried in his hands,
asleep at his desk. 1t requires robust
physique and great strength of character
to support the constant and somewhat
monotonous round of daily duties to
which Pope gives his life when he
takes the reins of authority into his
own hands.
Since the invasion of Rome, as the
Catholics calls it, the Pope is not sup
posed to leave the Vatican. Plus TX
adhered sternly TO his decision not to
appear in any of the ceremonials once
SO familiar to the populace in the streets
Of Rome; and the present Pope is his
faithful follower in this respect Exer
else, however, he must have, and SO he
gets it now by pacing one of the grea
corridors Of the palace; now he is taker
down to the garden, in sedan chair
through the beautiful loggie Of Raphael
past the frescoes of the great "Schoo
of Athens" and "The Dispute; o.
now he drives little in the shady ALLEYS
of the garden or on the hanks Of the
neighboring hills When he goes ou
he is rarely accompanied by any per
sons save those on duty that day, ant
at a little distance small platoon o
the guard, composed of the Roman no
, bility, which does voluntary service a
his escort In these outdoor prone
, nades the Pope is never idle. He either
recites his breviary; opens ard reads
his dispatches, which he has brough
along with him; or, if he has invitec
, some prelate to accompany him, they
talk business and religion. But he al
ways, says one who is familiar with the
interior Of the Vatican, seems anxious
to get back to his work.
Leo XIII is very independent in hi
/ choice of functionaries and friends
As soon as he was made Pope he sen
for the Master of Ceremonies to pro
ceed with the division of the list Of EN-
ployes at the Papal court. The Master
Of Ceremonies read them off one by
one, and the Pope was ready with {
name to place opposite each title He
would hear of no objections to hi.
choice, and he set aside as useless somt
of the old.fashioned offices, much tC
the dismay and discomforture of pre-
lates who had hoped to have obtained
: them He was horror to sinecures
and pick them out with infallible vi
sion, expressinga keen delight in sup
pressing them. He would never make {
, Cardinal as Plus TX is said to have
done in the case ola certain French
prelate, because 'if l had not made {
Cardinal, of him he would have died o
chagrin." The tradition of the Vatican
is that when new Pope comes ou
from the conclave at which he has beer
elected, he places the Cardinals cal
upon the head of the person who served
as Secretary Of the assembly; but Lee
XIII did nothing Of the kind, much tC
the surprise OF the Scared College. |
was a year before the new Pope an
nouced his first promotion in the list o
cardinals. He cannot be reproachec
with having insisted upon the too
Italian character of the Sacred College
for he has made appointments in man!
: lands. ---Edaoard Aing.