Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-19
THE BLESSING OF THE POPE.
An Interesting Occasion at the
Charleston Cathedral Sunday.
From the Negos and Courier.

M0SS lS CclSpl dtSO Ut Inc ITO-OdbuGuINt
at O'Clock every Sunday morning for
the Sunday school children. and 1t is
usual for one of the clergymeu, and oc-
casionally the Bishop, to address the
pupils and teachers and others who at
tend the mass. The Rev. P. l.. Duffy, to
whom the duty fell Sunday, announced
that instead of the regular instructions
he would take occasion to present
matter which he felt would be fruitful of
prayer and pious thought.
"'rhe test of our loyalty and faith"
said ne, sis personal devotion to the
Holy Father. II the matter upon which
| am about to speak now shall have the
effect Of qulckening that devotion, know
that shall not have spoken in vain.
About three months ago my personal
friend, and your good friend, Capt. h. W.
Dawson, called on me on the eve OF his
departure for Europe, and asked me in
what way he could serve me at Rome.
Among other things the Sunday school of
the Cathedral parish was especially men,
toned by him. Upon his return to Char
lesion a few days since, Capt, Dawson
gave me some account of his visit to
Rome, and a part OF this, covering his
visit to the Vatican and his efforts in
your behalf. has been hurriedly written
out by Capt. Dawson for you. l shall
read 1t TO you:" saf5
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE POPE.
Father Duffy then read as follows:
1t is by no means easy to obtain an au-
dience of his Holiness, Pope Leo Kill,
tor the reason that he insists upon giving
his personal attention to every matter of
importance, and is at work almost night
and day. To him it seems that it is, COM
paratively speaking, a waste of time, or
at least a loss of time, to receive visitors
who desire to look upon him, and to have
the honor of kissing his hand or the en-
Droidered cross upon the Pontiflcal slip
per. There has been no public audience
at the Vatican in several months, and
about the only opportunity that highly
favored persons have of seeing the Holy
Father is by being permitted, on some
especially solemn occasion. TO be present
at the mass which he celebrates in his
private chapel at the Vatican.
THE PoPE's PRIVATE MASS.
Applications for permission to be
present at the mass, and to perform in
this way what is esteemed a supreme
act of religion" are made to the Prefec l.
of the Pontifical Household, the learned
and distinguished MOnsgnOre Macchi,
but the number OF those who can attend
the mass will not exceed 20 or 80, and,
indeed, the Holy Father insists upon the
limitation of the number, so that it often
happens that those who are most worthy
ofthe honor are compelled to leave Rome
without seeing the Holy Father, although
they have waited for the purpose week
after week.
But whep the notification comes that
permission is given to be present at the
Holy Fathers private mass, it is seen at
once by the style of the notice and
the conditions attached to it that it
is no ordinary matter. The costume, for
example, is prescribed. Ladies must be
dressed in black, without bOnnets or hats,
and their heads should be covered with
the graceful black veil or mantilla. For
the men, who are not in official uniform,
the costume is the ordinary evening dress
black coat, and waistc0at and trousers,
and white necktie and no gloves. 1t
is the rule to give to those who are
admitted to the Holy Fathers private
mass the browning privilege of receiving
the holy communion at his hands. This is
stated In the of1cial notification.
THE ENTRANCE TO THE VATICAN.
The time when the visitor shall arrive
at the Vatican IS expressed in the notice,
and it is not likely that he will be tardy
in arriving. The usual entrance TO the
Vatican is by the grand staircase, one of
the grandest in tue world, called Scala
Regia, at the side of st. Peters 8, and which
is guarded always by the Swiss Guards,
IN their picturesque medieval costume of
red and yellow. This, indeed, is the
frontier of the POpe's dominions. Only
within the Vatican and st. Peters has he
any temporal sway, and the police OF the
Italian government walk their rounds
within bOw-shot of the Pontifical guard.
Passing up the Scala kegia, and from
courtyard to courtyard. and from stair
way to stairway, and through hall after
hail, the visitor reaches at last the ante
chamber of the Holy Fathers private
chapel. 1t will seem strange that 1T
should take so long, some ten minutes, at
least, to reach this spot; but you will un-
derstand it when tell you that the Vati-
can is the largest palace in the world, and
contains about as many rooms and halls
as there are houses of every kind, big and
little, in the city Of Charleston. 1t is a
vast plea little world in without
reference to the adjoining Basilica Of st.
Peters, or which there is no time to
speak.
THE SERVANTS OF THE PoPE's HOUSE,
HOLD.
Returning TO the vestibule the visitor is
relieved OF his outer garments by officials
who are deliberately CARRIED in crimson
silk, with knee breecbes. siken stockings
and buckled shoes. They are gorgeous
people, But they are not Princes nor
Dukes nor Marquises in disguise, they
are only the servants OF the household.
The visitor, having surrendered his au-
thorizatlon. is now nshered into the room
which constitutes the part Of the private
chapel which is allotted 10 visitors, and is
separated by folding doors from the sane
tnary. Principally at the time appointed
for the mass the folding doors are thrown
open, the congregation Is told to kneel
and the Holy Father appears before the
altar, giving his blessing TO the congrega-
ton and sprinKling them with holy water,
while he recites the Asperges. The Holy
Father is then rObed in the usual manner,
and the mass, which is a low mass and
is served by TWO of the domestic DFelates
OF the POnti6cal household. two OF the
"BlOnsignorin In fact, begins At once.
IL is nothing new TO you to be told that
the Vatican is one Of the greatest reposi-
tories Ofart treasures in the world. In
paintings, in sculpture, in ceramics, in
printing and binding, and in tapestries
and textile fabrics in general, the Vati-
can is signally and VIGOROUSLY rich.
There are, for instance, nowhere I'm the
world priestly vestments as elaborate in
their workmanship, as gorgeous in their
jeweled adOrnment as can be found ia
the sacristy OF St. Peters including the
jeweled cope worn by Pope Leo the Great
at the coronation OF Charlemagne as EN-
perOr OF the West, and there. too, are
sacred vessels which, as objects of art
and without reference 20 the uses 10 which