The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-11-24

was placed the chair Of st. Peter, the
wooden chair upon which he sat when
teaching the people in the catacombs.
In the fifth century in it was placed
the statue of st. Peter in bronze, now
in the present Basilica.
1t was under the pontificate of Mich
olas V. that the foundation of the
present Basilica was laid. Persuaded
that Il building, grand, imposing, taste
fully decorated, would make great
impression on strangers and pilgrims,
on the curious as we'll as the devout,
as worthy monument to the first
Pontiff, st. Peter, and knowing the
part the Capitol in Rome, to which
was given the promise of eternity, had
played in Roman history, he undertook
the construction of st. Peters Basillca.
He only laid however, the foundation,
which awaited the genius of Bramante
and Michael Angelo to be enlarged I'M
der the pontiticate of Leo X.
Leo Y. invited the Catholic world
to be associated with him in construct
ing Il temple over the tomb of St.
Peter, to be the symbol of the triumph
Of the Church of Christ. This thought
was indeed a noble one, worthy of the
approval of the Catholic world.
He asked for aims. All of those
who would contribute after perform
ing the other essential conditions,
would gain an indulgence.
We all know how this fact was
abused and what fatal consequences
have resulted both to religion and to
society. Nevertheless, the work went
on. Bramante and Michael Angelo
combined their efforts to make it the
grandest existing temple in the uni
verse. The one took the great arches
of the palace of Constantine, the other
launched upon them, high in the air.
the Pantheon of Agrippa.
When you approach st. Peters YOU
come upon grand piazza. On either
side is q superb colonnade leading up
to the Temple. in comparison with
which La Place de III Concorde, Paris,
Trafalgar Square, London, Union
Square, New York, are but vulgar
scenic decorations.
! In the center is an Egyptian obelisk.
At each side is a fountain, ever play
ing with their foaming waters.
After beholding the facade and pen
etrating through the vast portico you
enter through the grand portal. \
vision meets the eye which will prob
ably not find it's equal, until you reach
the heavenly Jerusalem. 1t does not
impress you like the cathedral of Mi
Ian, which is a chiselled jewel. The
entire structure seems IL colossal and
magnificent crystalization, with it's
finest of carved needles, with it's In
tertwining of holdings, it's innumera'
BILE statues Of angels, virgins and
saints of the triumphant church, but
in st. Peters everything is grand,
imposing, powerful, theatrical. 1t is
the grandest decoration that exists.
There are seven hundred and forty
white marble, adorned with nearly
four hundred statues and mosaics, cop
les of the masterpieces of the Vatican
gallery; over forty chapels, some of
which are as large as a modern
cathedral.
What enhances the grandeur of this
edifice above all others is not only its
material construction but that it is
the sensible expression Of great
thought,-the existence of the Catholic
church. 1t binds by an uninterrupted
succession the present ruling pontiff,
Leo MIL. with st. Peter. You sec
over the arcades the portraits of all
the popes from the first down to the
present.
There are also the portraits of Chris
tian rulers-Emperor Othen, Charlotte.
queen of Jerusalem and Cyprus, the
deposed kings of England, Constantine
and Charlemagne. There are the por-
traits of founders of orders-St. Ben
oft and Bruno, st. Dominick, st. Fran
els ASST, st. Ignatius Loyola, st. Fran
els de Sales, st. Theresa and others.
There are the principal doctors Of the
Church-St. Ambrosius, ST. Augustin,
ST. Athanasius, st. John Chrysostom
and the four evangelists. There are
the confessionals. representing the
languages of every country. Even
Rome respects the nationality of Ire
land and Poland, OH account of their
Catholicity.
But the one great prevailing idea
that fills the whole structure, is that
of st. Peters Basilica. There is the
statue of st. Peter. 1t is of bronze, of
natural size, seated on a chair Of white
marble beneath Il baldachin in mosaic
and gold. A lamp is ever burning be-
fore it. The right foot has received
countless kisses from time immemorl-
al. This may seem puerile, foolish.
But l have seen hundreds with tears
in their eyes. kissing the living feet
Of young men in the seminary of the