The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-03
Pope's Pageant
A. c. Jobes Receives
Letter From Rome.

ceived a charming letter from a rela-
tive. Mrs ]. 3. Giifillain of Minneapolis,
who is now in Rome She writes:
"In the afternoon We had tickets sent
US for an audience with the pope this
morning, so l postponed my letter, think
| ing to tell you OF that. This audience
was held in the Church Of st. Peter
Often they are held in some Of the
smaller rooms. No one is admitted ex-
cept by ticket. They are not easy 10 ob-
tain. We had ours through the courtesy
| or General Draper. who gave Johann a
| card of introduction to Monsigneur
/ OConnel, who comes from Massachusetts.
On the ticket the gentlemen are asked
| to wear dress suits II possible-though
every kind were seen-and the ladies
black, with black veil OF scarf over
the head. The original basilica or church
was erected in the circus of Nero, where
St Peter IS said to have suffered mar
! tyrdom, and was consecrated 1926 A D,
| and the present church, after the de-
struction Of the other from age and var
| ious causes, was dedicated in 1926. 1t
would be impossible for me to write you
| any word picture which would give you
| in the least an idea of It's grandeur
! charm and peculiar majesty. II is over
an eighth Of a mile long It will hold,
| 1t is said, 10000 people. 1t IS Isl feet
from the floor to the ceiling of the nave
! The dome to the top OF the cross Is 435
| feet high, while its diameter Is just FIVE
feet less than that Of the Pantheon.
| Though Michael Angelo conceived the ar
tistic idea OF this dome and planned the
structure over $50 years ago, it is still
an unsurpassed model. Thirty services
can be held simultaneous In this vast
| building without interfering one with the
| other. have counted ten. my only
| knowledge there were any being a far
! away murmur of voices. Some one has
| said you no mora think of the covering
! Of st. Peters as a roof than you do the
vault of heaven. Although ii is coffered
and brilliant with gilt, you look at it
as you might at the stars in the firma-
! ment Here are mammoth mosaics; the
pen Of st. Luke is seven feet long;
though the angels in their proportions
are giants, and the doves, birds of prey.
yet they seem as doves and angels should
for in this church one learns how art
as well as nature can set aside every
standard Of measurement At the end
Of the seventeenth century the cost had
! already been S50O00000 and the annual
cost OF keeping 1t in repair is at pres
ent $1,000. These things I know and
write to you, but they are far, far away
from my thoughts when within the doors
1t may be apothesis to popedom. but
my soul broadens as look and my heart
warns within me. 1t does not seem a
work or man; even the ninety-six golden
lamps always burning around the shrine
Of st. Peter are more like will o. the
wisps" than anything prepared by man,
and as I stand quiet trying to think it
out I know that personal vanity, where
spirituality should have been, and creed
pride. which has been the bane of all
churches. instead of the brotherhood of
man, have again and again been the
prompting cause of its enlargement or
adornment Yet through the 1575 years
of its existence there has been the sub
tie, never greaking, though often fragile
chain Of GLORY to God in the highest
peace on earth. good will to men," and
so know it is house Of God and here
is a gate of heaven. The hush of wcr-
ship that is ever there and the longing
Of my own soul toward the Highest would
convince me Of this if there were nothing
beside, and Byron has truly said:
But thou of temples Old or affairs new,
Standest alone-with nothing like to
thee
worthiest Of God. the holy and the true.
Since lions deselation, when that He
Forsook His former city. what could be.
OF earthly structures in His honor piled.
OF a sublimer aspect? Majesty,
Power, Glory, Strength, and Beauty. all
are aisled
In this eternal ark Of worship undefled-'
With such surroundings We saw the
! pageant OF Leo XIII passing among the
| people. and receiving the benediction Of
this renowned man who celebrated his
ninetieth birthday just two weeks ago.
| have no idea how many thousands Of
! us were there. Down the nave, around
! the high altar and around to the tribune
| at the back. benches, facing inward, were
| arranged to make an aisle for the papal
| procession. We were there early enough
! to present our tickets almost the first;
were the first in the church; had places
| against the benches, so there was no one
! in front OF us. 1t was most interesting
| TO see the faces of the people leaning
! over the benches as well as those crowd
| ing behind to, try and be nearer. There
| a bevy of nuns. with their grey gowns
white headdress, telling their beads, while
| the sunlight from a high window sancti-
| fed whatever OF earthly longing might
! stiI be left in their faces; there a party
! of school girls from convent trying
! hard to control their wandering eyes and
| not be impressed by the worldly side Of
| 1t all; now peasant woman. with her
| best shawl, over her head, her hard work
ing hands clasped, her eyes seeing moth
| ing. her lips moving in prayer and she,
| for all the multitude. alone with her ID
! Sprinkled among the crowd were many
! Italians. some Germans, and not . few
| Americans. there for as diverse purposes
as enter ever into the composite impulse
Of crowd of people. We had ample
time 10 watch them. fQr We stood from
| 10 o'clock until Il. The people were direct
cd to their places By the p5pe's guards,
! in gorgeous uniform. impossible OF de-
/ seriptiou, of stripes OF yellow, navy blue,
and scarlet, and carrying the lances o:
medieval times and side swords The
| patrie.ans OF Rome. soldiers. messeign-
/ errs. bishops and teachers moved about
! within the aisle Shortly after y We
heard far down the church first the muir
muir. then the shout CT the people. Live
the pore; live the pope ''Vlve. pope;
viva pope,'
1T was wonderful as It echoed through
/ those arches Next we saw mcvlng'dOwn
| the aisle a bevy Of the guards They are
| mostly Swiss Then soldiers. then gentle
! men OF Rome. then church officials n
! their brilliant gowns, ana their faces fire
| to sec. with the marks q scholarly