The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-29
Incidents of the Audience
Granted the Popular Priest
of San Francisco.
POPE ON JOURNALISM
Greatly Interested in the Work in
Behalf of the Catholic Church
in America.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK, May 2S.-Private adj
vices from Rome state that on MAY
the Pope granted a special and private
audience to Father Yorke of San Fran
cisco. When the Pope received him in
his private room, and, after welcoming
him, took his hand in fond clasp and
held 1t so during the entire audience,
he was consoling and rewarding Catho-
Tic journalism in the United States. In
decorating you l decorate the whole
order" said President Carnot, as he
pinned a medal on the breast of nurs-
ing sister, and in so exceptionally hon
oring Father Yorke the Pope honored
all Catholic journalists of the United
States.
What can 1 do for your" said the
Pope, fondling the hand of Father
Yorke.
Bless me, Holy Father; bless my.
self my mother, my family and
friends"
Then you are a Journalistic
Yes, Holy Father, 1 did what l could
for the defense of the church and the
rights of the sovereign pontiff.'
The Pope put inquiries which showed
his close and warm appreciation of the
work of Father Yorke on the Pacific
coast, and ELECTED the answer: Yes,
| spoke to an audience of fifty thou
sand" The Pope threw up his hands,
having loosened hold of the priests
hand for the first and only time during
the audience.
You must WELD an immense inf1u-
ence" said the Pope, as he marveled
at the large audience of one Catholic
journalist. He proceeded TO enlarge
upon the power of the Catholic press.
This DONE he said to Father Yorke,
Are there many Protestant newspa-
pers in California;"
NO, Holy Father, the newspapers
are for the greater part merely secular
and neutral. There are only a few
Protestant papers, weekly ones. Dog
matte Professionalism is not strong in
California"
How did the Catholics help your
werk?'
They helped with great devotion,
Holy Father, and l may take the OPP
portunity of saying that there are no
more loyal children of the see of Peter
than the Catholics of America"
How are the Protestants disposed
toward the church,
Holy Father, all love the Pope of
great encyclicals."
When you reach home" said Leo,
bless your friends and helpers in my
name. Tell them that the Holy Father
is deeply interested in your work and
that he showed great interest in it
when he spoke to you and that he en-
couraged you with all his heart. More
than that, tell them that he encouraged
you and with you all those who helped
you and forwarded your great work,
and that in giving his paternal bless
ing to you he sent it also through you
to each and all of them. Tell them
this all this. Be sure you tell them
! this, that the Pope blessed you and
blessed them also.
Father Yorke then excused himself
and received the formal act of bless
/ ing. During the audience the Pope had
to sit motionless. He had displayed no
emotion in his body except at the men
/ ton of the audience of fifty thousand,
when, impressed with the immensely of
! this influence for good, he gesticulated
with his hands and arms, throwing
/ them UP in the air and wide apart.
! His health seemed to have in no way
changed for the worse since his illness,
and he gave the impression of non
/ agenenian with a length of life in
/ promise before him.
The advices state that Father Yorke
| intends to make a visit to England, re-
! naming three weeks He will then
spend three months in Ireland before
setting out for the United States.
There he will do about fortnights
travelling before reaching San Francis
co in October.