Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-04-08
NINETY FIRST Birthday
Of TIE POPE
WONDERFUL VITALITY IN PER-
FORMING THE ENORMOUS La
BORIS OF THE PONTIFICATE.
MANY PILGRIMS IN ROME.
Three Cardinals Dead-Private Audi
ences With Bishops of All Ma
tioms.


Special Correspondence OF the Brooklyn
Eagle
ROME. March 1.-THE aged Vicar
Of Christ, now in his ninety-first year,
continues to astound all who approach
him by his relatively robust health
and apparently ever-increasing fund
of bodily and mental vigor. Through
out the recent epidemic, though in
rather mild form. but in majority
of cases fatal to those in very advanced
years-the dreaded influenza, prevalent
to the extent Of necessitating official
dispensation from every obligation OF
abstinence and fasttng-his holiness,
to use the popular expression, had not
even q finger ache. Indeed, as II sud-
denly restored to pristine physical
strength, his daily life. since about
the middle of January last, has been
one continued round Of receptions, OF
pilgrimages, private audiences, diplo-
mats and otherwise. Cardinals, bish-
ops, ambassadors, foreign ministers.
the prince grand master of the Sover-
eign Order of Malta with his council,
and the conveys extraordinary of the
same order to the various European
courts, come expressly to Rome to Of
fer homage to the supreme pontiff,
distinguished personages of diverse ma
tionalities, and not a few Of the royal
and serene highnesses, succeeding one
another in bending before the majesty
of the venerable occupant of the chair
of Peter, who, contrary to the wont OF
several years past, received in person
the College of Parish Priests of Rome,
together with the Lenten preachers,
giving them paternal counsel and sug-
gestions for the due performance of
the weighty duties of their respective
charges. On February 2, ult., Feast of
the Publication of the Blessed Virgin,
he received, in the Hall Of the Throne,
the customary annual offering of the
superbly ornamented wax candles from
the Patriarchal and Collegiate Chap
tiers of Rome, the seminaries, colleges,
Institutes, religious orders, archcon-
confraternities and other societies,
and at later hour admitted to separ-
ate private audiences the Bishop of
Northampton, England, and Bishop of
Spalding, of Peoria, Ill. February 7,
ult., twenty anniversary of the
death Of Pope TX, he presided In the
6istine Chapel. the solemn funeral SER
vice in his honor, and impaired from
the throne the absolution at the cata.
falco, at the termination Of the mass
of requiem pontifcated by Cardinal
Vincent Vannutelli.
Owing to the coincidence OF the SOL
emn function Of the opening of the holy
door, December "a last, the customary
reception of the Sacred College, held
annually on the ante-vigil Of Christ
mas, was, this year, postponed to Sun
day, January IA, and confined solely
to the cardinals present In Curia, who,
twenty-five in number, were assembled
in the private library of the Pope, and
kept by him for over an hour in famil-
lar conversation, his holiness express
Ing heartfelt gratitude for the grace
shown him by Divine Providence in
permitting him to preside at the open
ing Of the Holy Year, manifesting his
most earnest hopes that great good
would result from this present jubilee.
On March 2, current, 2inety-first
birthday of Leo XIII, the Sacred Col
lege, in full number, save Cardinals
Ledochowski and Agliardi, impeded by
illness, the archbishops, bishops and
several prelatial colleges were received
in the Hall of the Throne for presenta-
ton of fluctuations and good wishes
for the dual anniversary Of the birth
and incarnation of the Sovereign Pom
tiff. The assembly was not so throng-
ed as usual, no special invitations hav-
ing been issued except to the cardinals.
consequently many ecclesiastical dig
nitaries were not aware of the day
and hour of the reception. In reply to
the address of congratulation read by
the Cardinal Dean of the Sacred Col
lege, his holiness, in discourse read