The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-07-23
THE POPE OF ROME
Graphically Described by Arch
bishop Ireland jua Discourse
to His Flock.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LEO,
The Holy Father Blesses and En-
courages Everything Tending
to Intelligent Progress


After al absence of six months, spent
principally in the Eternal City, Arch
bishop Ireland last Sunday preached an
interesting discourse on Pope Leo in his
cathedral at St. Paul. II thought it
would be ungracious on my part" said
he "and somewhat ungrateful to Al
mighty God, if did not hasten to ap-
pear in the cathedral of st. Paul on my
return home. It is certainly duty for
me, in this place, to return thanks to
God for the safe journeyings since I left
you, and for the many graces and favors
with which Providence has visited me.
And / owe 1t, furthermore. to the dear
people of this congrega ton to say to
them how pleased and delighted T. am to
stand again in this pulpit and look down
on we'll known faces, on wel]-be}oved
congregation. This morning is for me
ono Of the mot pleasing moments I have
experienced in the last six months. I
have, of course, during that time rested
my eyes on many an altar, and seen
around me- many gatherings, but these
gatherings, these audiences, were not the
old-time congregations of Catholics of
st. Paul. They did not show to me the
many friends and co-laborers in the
cause of Christ with whom, during many
q long year, I have striven and labored
for the kingdom of the church. During
that time I have seen many a splendid
edltice, many noble pile, but believe
me, neither the Basilica of Rome nor
the grand churches of Paris spoke to my
soul and awakened my thoughts and
feelings such as the walls of the cathe-
dral of St. Paul.
Let me speak few words on the Holy
See, and of him VINO today rules 4he-
Church of Almighty God, Leo XIII. If
it is any consolation and pleasure to you
to say that Leo XIII. is we'll aware that
there is such place as st. Paul, I as
sure you he knows that fact we'll, and
will not soon forget it. II it is any
pleasure to you to know that he takes a
deep, abiding interest in the welfare of
the Church in these remote regi MS, IN
the welfare of the Church in The United
States, in the welfare generally, temporal
as we'll as spiritual of our beloved repub-
lie, can assure you he t!oes take such
deep and abiding interest in all that
concerns it.
Leo to-day is what would naturally be
called an aged man. He is eighty-two
years old, but, surprising to say, in this
advanced stage of life, he has all the
energy of body and mind which we
would expect in man younger by de-
cades of years. All you may hear and
read about the Pope being on the thresh-
old of death has no foundation in fact.
Those who see him for the first time are
somewhat struck by his thin and ascetic
figure, and would believe that he was
attached to the earth by very fragile
strings; but thinness of body and asceti-
cism of feature indicate, by no means,
weakness or approaching dissolution
During my entire stay IN Rome he was
not indlsposed for a single moment. and
from all Iheard there was scarcely even
an interruptiop from his assiduous labors,
even for a little while, because of falling
health. He labors hard. The early part
OF the morning is given to private devo
tions-the celebration of the mass, and
Immediately after, he begins his audi
ence with the heads of the different con-
gregations or communities to which the
affairs OF the Church are iptrusted. At
IL O'Clock he begins an audience with
the bishops and other visitors, whom he
is willing to receive. Every Thursday
he gives a general audience to which
forty or fifty are admitted, and in these
he generally finds occasion to say few
words to each, and travellers are from
time to time admitted to the morning
mass, when he may say few words to
the pilgrims and listen to what they
may have to say, provided too many
words are not said. At l o'clock he
takes a little walk in one Of the large
halls Of the Vatican, or, if the weather
be fine, in the garden. At.3, the work
again begins with the presidents Of the
different congregations. At z o'clock he
assumes his private labors, reading and
writing, and until q late hour he can be
found at his desk. The life Of the i'm
sperial Pontif is not an easy one, Of,
speaking il worldly manner, ! very
eeable one. Il Is . lifesof abnegation,
5< labor, though and anxiety. It ian