The Irish standard., 1897-07-31
VISITS THE VATICAN.
Hot itki: coo kNt>'s INTEUNiEW
WITH riiE HoLi FATHER.
TALKED AT CONSIDERABLE LENGTH.
the roIiTICIA< CHARMED WITH
THE POi'E'S PERSONALITY.
CONVERSATION MUTUALLY ENJOYED.
SYMPATHY AND AFFECTION FOIt THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.

The following interesting account OF
Bourke Cockrans private audience with
the pope is taken from an interview
with the eX-Tammany politician and
Democratic goldbug in the Now YorS
Sun:
After passing through some stately
apartments, hung with famous tapcs-
tries, where several members of the
Pontl1icial Guard, in full uniform guard
ed the doorways, l was ushereh into a
small room. my name was announced
and the door Immediately closed behind
me-
This room was furnished with great
simplicity. At the other end of the
room, on a platform raised about six
inches, l saw Il slight figure clothed in
white cassock and white skull cap
Bowing the knee once at the doorway
and again in the middle of the room. /
advanced to the platform and knelt
down.
The pontiff. for it was hc extended
his hand with cordial words of welcome
and bade me rise and take a seat at his
right.
His frame, spare and almost cma-
ciated. gives you the feeling that every
particle of flesh which might have
maintained base or sorlid thought
has been discraded in fasting and
prayers. His manner never loses the
majesty which becomes the pontiM
whose word is more powerful than the
edict OF any monarch, but It is always
marked by extreme gentleness and nj
times by tenderness which is uuita
paternal. His voice. vibrant and So
norous, is sweet and cxuuisitcly modu-
lated.
His questions showed a close famil-
iarity with our government and with
the social and economic Questions
which must be solved under Demo
cratic institutions. He spoke much OF
his desire for n reunion Of all Christian
churches, and asked me If the various
sects In this country were animated by
any feeling of hostility to each other,
l answered that so far as could Judge,
no change of opinion in this country
during the last twenty-five years was
so marked as the decline of sectarjap
prejudice
He asked me to what l attributed
this most gratifying change, and | an
sWered that among the many causes
which might be assigned for 1t none, In
my judgment, was so important as his
own personality; for, while there were
but 100000 OF Americans who nc
knowledged the authority of his sacred
office and obeyed 1t there were 70, 200, 900
who recognizedhis personal virtues and
admired them
"The Americans, said, are a Dracti-
cal people who approve every institu-
tion which works for the protection OF
society through spiritual or other in
fuence, and they are convinced that n
church which chooses for her head the
posscssor Of such conspicuous virtues
must be powerful agency for the pro-
motion of civilization through the de-
fense of morals.
Leaning forward in his chair, ho
struck his breast with a singllarly I'M
pressive gesture and said I would
gladly take to my bosom the whole
world and embrace it in The holy Cath
Ollie faith, not for any bencfi. it could
do me personally, but to advance the
welfare of men in this world AID pro-
mote their prospects of happiness in
the next.
""Thc Catholic church Is universal
and the whole world dear to me, but
your country lies especially close to
my heart. The Catholic church has
shown, here in the old world, for thir-
teen centuries, that 1t is not merely a
depository for spiritual truth, but that
as it was in the beginning the cradle
n
"'But If the history Of the Catholic
church lies in Europe, It's future lies in
your great nation. You can, therefore
understand the great interest that
take in the American people, and the
anxiety with which l look for .idings
of the growth of the church in the
United States
He spoke of the leading Amcrica6
bishops and clergymen, and had word.
OF praise and commcnda,ion cor them
all.
II ventured to say that 1t was mis-
take to assume there was divorce
between church and state in this coun-
try-that, on the contrary, there was
an intimate and indissoluble connec-
tion between them, but instead of the