The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-22
LEO IN ST. PETERS.
The Wonderful Church That an
Army OF People Cannot Fill.

before thousands OF people. Yet last Sun
day he appeared twice in public, at the
morning mass at 10 O'clock and again in
the afternoon.
As Rome is at present thronged with
visitors. large majority of whom are
English or Americans. there was great
rush for tickets of admission to the
church. 1t is not always easy to obtain
these, although the officials OF the vatican
are extremely accommodating. and place
in the hands OF the consuls and ambassa-
doris Of the different countries as many
tickets as they are able to give To out
| slders. But even this number does not be-
gin to supply the eager tourists who are
anxious Tor "A glimpse of the aged pontiff
| Early i'm the morning of the second
| Sunday In February, crowds of men, wo-
| men and children wended their way
] through the streets of Rome, for the first
/ arrivals at ST. Peters secure the most
/ advantageous positions. II is a very beau
| titul morning. Even the Oldest inhabitant
| mas rarely seen such a fine winter the
] one which we are enjoying this year. In
tact, II Is so Spring-like that the birds
! are singing in the trees of the small parks
/ along the Corso Victoria Emanuel, and
the odor of Violets, and narcissus is in the
| soft air.
| 1t is a motley crowd that crosses the
bridge Of St. Angelo and passes under
| the shadow of the old tomb of Hadran
with its golden angel glistening in the
| destrians men from the campagna, wear
! ing soft felt hats stuck carelessly on one
! side Of their heads. jackets slung over one
( shoulder short knee breaches of brilliant
! green. and shoes of hide, bound with
! leather thongs.
! Accompanying a picturesque specimen
! are his wife and children, looking as If
! they had stepped from one of the paint
| ings which adorn the windows Of Roman
shops. Yonder goes a long line Of young
| priest students, wearing gowns of bright
! scarlet these come fromsthe German Col
iege. closely following come a group of
! hanging from their shoulders. The long
| bands are typical of leading strings, and
signify that these men have not yet fin
| ished their ecclesiastical training
| In the road between these lines of peo-
! pie pass hundreds Of carriages, the occu-
pants of which are plainly English and
where the shops are filled with fascinat-
| ing brasses and iron work of exceeding
| decacy these carriages go, emerging at
! the magnificent piazza of San Pietro.
| of all the piazza which Rome boasts,
and they are numerous, this is the most
| impressive. Its long, circular colonnade,
| its beautiful obelisk, marking the spot
| where st. Peter is said to have suffered
martyrdom; its wonderfully graceful
| fountains on each side of the obelisk, and
| the immense space which the piazza COW
ers, make II one of the sights of the
! world. This morning the square is black
with people, who are passing up the steps
of st. Peters, the largest church yet
| erected.
Within st. Peters there is plenty Of
room for the thousands who are coming
On the stairs Ii is something of jam,and
when we give up our tickets to the uni
formed official, who stands just In front
Of the inner door, we despair of ever get
ting inside the church. But after the last
grand rush is made, we find ourselves al
most alone, so vast is the space within
the church. A hundred thousand persons
could enter St. Peters and yet there
AS we are wise in our generation we
have brought a camp chair, and finding
a good place for observing everything
hot At al
fortably and prepare to wait. Continual
ly new faces are seen, and up near the
front, close behind the line Of Swiss
guards, who keep open passageway
for the pope, there is press Of people
OF all the nations of the earth the Ital-
ian is the most picturesque. Its soldiers
are clad in bright colors, its peasants
wear red and yellow and green, and even
in the palace of Leo XIII the attendants
are brilliantly dressed The Swiss
guards stand there, proudly, awaiting
the appearance of their master, long
white plumes waving from their helmets,
tall halberds resting upon their mosaic
pavement, and wearing gorgeous uni
FORMS striped in orange and black. There
is plenty of time to look around, for
although the crowds are coming in, there
is still an hour before the mass will be-
gin. Even in the midst OF this babel of
English, German; French and Italian,
which we hear about us, our minds go
back to the story of the building of this
over there under the high dome, rise
four beautifully carved columns. and
beneath them, within the circle of ever
burning tapers, inclosed in golden lamps,
lie the bones of St Peter. The sunlight,
coming through the stained glass win
dows, throws rainbow colors upon the
numberless statues and the wonderful
frescoes with which the building is dec
Grated Many centuries ago, in place OF
this grand structure, there stood in this
spot small basilica built by the Emperor
Constantine. In the course of years 1t
was destroyed, and the many treasures
which it contained were scattered over
the city. The erection of the present edi-
flee has taken several centuries, and 1t Is
not yet completed
The entrance of the pope is heralded by
S6e PAPA ong i've m the Ppe
King) Louder and louder It grows, until
the vast throEg shout in unison, and the
shout It echoed back from the vaulted
roof. Handkerchiefs are waved and 1t
seems as If the men and women were gone
wild with joy.
proaches a chair, looking very like Sc
dan chair borne by four bearers with pow
dered wigs and crimson costumes. In the
chair we see an old man. His countenance
is bengnant and gentle; his white hair
adds to his digniied appearance. With
out-streched hand he blesses the multi
tude and smiles pleasantly upon them.
There is a delicacy and refinement about
his features which is most pleasing.
Leo XIII is borne up to the alter in the
front of the church and begins the sacra-
ment of the mass. From choir in an ele-
waited gallery comes the sound of sweet
! X
and the aged, white-haired pontim per-
forms his sacred Office. After a half hour
he is once more carried through the crowd
and disappears behind the door leading to
the vatican.
With the exception Of one or two visits
to St Peters during the winter Leo XIII.
never leaves the vatican palace and its
adjoining gardens.
II is not only in St. Peters that the aged
pontiff is seen, but he is exceedingly gra-
cious i'm granting permission for private
audiences to those who desire them. At
these as at the masses which he performs
in the Sstne chapel, an especial dress is
required All ladies' must wear black and
must have their heads covered with a
lace veil For gentlemen evening dress
is compulsory.
An amusing anecdote is related Of a pri-
vate audience which the pope held this
winter. Through the influence Of one Of
/ the cardinals-I think II was the Cardinal
| Rampolla, the secretary of state-an Eng
lish lady and her young son were admit
ted TO the salon. At the appearance of the
pope the cardinal suggested to the boy
/ that II was the DrODer thing to l<uQpI and