The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-14


to the French cardinal. He is about to
give way in despair when Monsignor
Mani takes him up. The young priest
soon finds that Nani's influence gains him
access everywhere. He obtains Interviews
with the highest dignitaries and from
these he arrives at last at a true under
standing OF the spirit that animates the
pontificate.
1t is known that when lola went
to Rome to study the city he sought
an interview with the Pope and was re-
fused. 1t is also known that the poten-
tates OF the earth do not snub genius
with impunity. What picture of the Pope
lola would have drawn had he been re-
celved we cannot tell, but certainly the
one he has drawn can hardly be accounted
more than caricature. He thus describes
Leo as he appeared seated upon his throne
to receive a large concourse OF pilgrims
coming from all quarters of the world to
protest against the occupation OF Rome by
the Italian Government:
With the papal cap on his head and the red
cape edged with ermine about his shoulders,
he retained in his long white cassock the rigid
sacerdotal attitude of an idol venerated by
25OOO0000 OF Christians. Against the purple
background of the hangings of the bald1c-
chino, between the wiug-like drapery on either
side, inclosing, as it were, a braZ1er OF glory,
he assumed real majesty OF aspect. He was no
longer the feeble old man with the slow, Jerky
walk and the slender, scraggy neck of poor
aihng bird. The sim1ous ugliness OF his face,
the largeness of his nose, the long slit OF his
mouth, the hugeness of his ears, the conflict
ing tumble of his withered features disap-
peared. In that waxen countenance you only
distinguished the admirable, dark, deep
eyes beaming with eternal youth, with
extraordinary intelligence and penetra-
ton. And then there was a resolute
bracing of his entire person, consciousness
OF the eternity which he represented, regal
nobility born of the very circumstance that he
was now but q mere breath, a soul set in so
pellucld a body OF ivory that it became visible
as though it were already freed from the
bonds of earth. And Pierre realized what such
man must be for the devout and dolent crea-
lures who came to adore him from so far and
who fell at his feet awestruck by the splendor
OF the powers incarnate in him.
The account given of the mind of the
Pope is not more flattering than that of his
personal appearance. According to lola
Leo has had but little personal experience
with the world and almost no direct
knowledge of the aims, sentiments aid
aspirations of the people of this genera
ton. He says of the Pope:
For eighteen years now he has been shut up
in the Vatican, isolated from the rest of man.
kind and communicating with the nations
solely through his encourage, which was often
most unintelligent, most mendacioUs ana most
treGcherous, Moreover, he was an italian
priest - superstitious and despotc high
ponuH-bound by tradition, subjected to the
influences of race environment, pecuniary con-
slderatlons and political necessities; not to
speak OF his great pride-the conviction that
he ought to be implicitly obeyed in all things
as the one sole legitimate power on earth.
Ihereln lay fatal causes OF mental deformity, OF
errors and gaps in his extraordinary brain,
though the latter possessed many admirable
qualities, quickness of comprehension and
patient stubbornness of will, and strength to
draw conclusions and to act Ot all his pow
ers, however, that OF intuition was certainly
the most wonderful, for, was it not this alone
which, owing to his voluntary imprisonment,
hi n
humanity at the present day? He was thus
keenly conscious OF the dangers surrounding
him. OF the rising tide of democracy and the
boundless ocean of science which threaten TO
submerge the little islet where the dome of
st. Peters vet triumphed. And the object of
all his policy, OF all his labor, was to conquer
so that he might reign.
In the contemplation of the Pope upon
his throne FromenI felt renewal of the
faith that was in him that the church
would come forward as the defender of
the rights of the people and the CONSIDER
of their sorrows. He was now sanguine
that if he could bring his book directly to
the attention of the Pope it would receive
his sanction. Froment had found that
much-in fact, most-of the opposition to
MS book arose not from a dislike for the
work itself, but from a desire on
the part of the Italian cardinals to
strike at Cardinal Bergerot by condemn
ing a book which he had publicly
approved. Froment expected to find the |
Pope free from this jealousy of the French |
prelate In his interview with Leo, how |
ever, all these hopes were disappointed. |
This was the supreme disillusion, and
Froment seeing clearly the folly of his
dream of a purely spiritual church ever
being evolved out of the conditions OF the
Papacy, consented to withdraw his book
and repudiate 1t. This was what the
Jesuit Mani had foreseen, and it was that
Froment might arrive at that knowledge
and be freed from his enthusiasm, he had
obtained for him access to the Pope.
The picture gwen of new Italy is hardly
more sympathetic than that of old Cath
olicism. According to lola, the Royal
lists, on entering Rome, were carried away
by mad desire to make Italy a great ma
ton at once. without waiting for it to
grow. They ignored the fact that in max
ing a kingdom of Italy they could not
make at the same time an Italian people
With the lower classes sunk in ignorance
and sloth, the aristocracy stricken with
poverty and divided between the court
and the church. the new Government has
had nothing to appeal to save the middle
classes, and these are animated more by
greed and self-interests than by patriot
ism.
1t would have been wisdom under these
circumstances for Italian statesmen to
have waited until national society and
AdGiOhd4 SplIlI COuIu nave Ue6n SsOlfcU
before seeking to make their country po-
litically great. They did not do that,
however, but engaged in those alliances
which alienated Italy from her natural
silly, France, and imposed upon her the
heavy burden of military organization
which has nearly reduced her to bank
ruptcy. 1t WIS in the work of rebuilding
Rome, however, that lola sees the clear
est manifestation of the madness of new
Italy. In speaking OF this craze and the
ruin which followed, he tells US:
Elsewhere, in Paris for instance, new dis
tricts have been erected and embellishments
have been carried out with the capital of the |
Countrywide money saved by dint of thrift !
But in Rome all were built on the credit svs- |
tenn, either by means of bills of exchange at
ninety days, GRAND this was chiefly the case
by borrowing money abroad. The huge sums
sunk in these enterprises is estimated at a |
milliard, four-6fths OF which was French |
money. The bankers did everything The |
French ones lent to the Italian bankers at 81 |
or 4 per cent, and the italian bankers accom- |
modated the spectators, the Roman builders, |
at 6, and even per cent. And thus the |
disaster was great indeed when France learn |
ing of Italy's alliance with Germany with |
drew her 800 900 900 francs in less than two |
years.
Tho italian hanks wara Arojnod &c +bo;-