The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-14

shared in an almost equal degree by
Christian people of every shade of belief,
for no matter what may be their sentl-
ments toward the Church of Rome, all
look back to this venerable organization
as the original guardian of the Christian
faith The Christian world, like a great
family, is divided into many branches,
rot always harmonious. sometimes jar
/ ring and discordant in their relations
with each other but all contemplate with
reverence the spectacle of an aged man,
who in the most splendid palace on the
earth, lives the life of an anchorite, who
is revered as the head of the most
numerous Christian body in the world,
and who, laying aside for the moment all
thought of his rank and position, requests
the Christian people of the globe to unite
with him in thankful remembrance of the
blessings that the. century has brought.
ard in supphcation that these may be
continued and increased during the cen
/ fury to come. q ,SF
+. So far as the occasion is concerned, the
world never beheld a more fitting season
. for general thanksgiving. Nc century
has been so wonderful as that now draw
ing to close. When the venerable man
who occupies the chair of Peter was
born in 1910, the world knew absolutely
nothing of thousand articles of every
day use and appliances of civilization
that are now deemed Indispensable.
When Pope Leo was in his childhood
there was not a foot Of railroad line in
the world; the telegraph and the tele-
phone, the multifarious uses to which
steam and electricity are now applied.
were yet in the future. The whole Of
medical science, of surgery, the applica-
tion Of the speetroscope and Photographic
lens to the uses of the scientist and as
tronomer, modern sanitation, with the
comfort and health it has brought; mod
ern building, with its innumerable ap
these were not. The postoffice and the
p;liace car were yet to come. Then Rome
Was removed by weeks of travel from
London; now it is a matter OF days. All
these marvellous changes have come in q
single century, and it was happy
thought on the part of him who has seen
Sc many changes in one lifetime to call
the Christian world to give thanks for
the past and implore favor for the future
1t should be understood, however. that
in his letter to the Christian world the
Pope does not term the year a holy year.
Aside from the midnight mass, one at the
beginning and one at the end of the
year, and certain other special services
and religious exercises rather permitted
than enjoined, the year IS distinguished
by the suspension Of indulgences and
privileges that. from time to time in tho
past, have been granted 10 certain shrines
over the Christian world This measure
is. in the opinion of persons competent to
judge, designed to encourage pilgrimages
to Rome during this great year. The
policy of the church has always been to
foster faith and encourage devotion by
pilgrimages and prayer at shrines of ap-
proved sanctity, and thus the church. has
established or, more properly, has sane
toned the establishment, of shrines
throughout the world Which serve the
faithful as 'centers of devotion. The ac-
ton Of the, pontiff ii: suspending the
privileges. of these shrines is no reelection.
Upon them, but an encouragement to the
children Of the church to seek in the holy
city d spiritual comfort and advantages
possibly greater than could be secured
elsewhere.
No city in the. world. with the single
exception of Jerusalem, bears so many
memories as the ancient metropolis on
the Tiber What Mecca and Medina are
to the Moslem, what Benares is to the
Hindoo, what Moscow is to the Greek,
such is Rome 10 the Latin Catholic world.
Venerable from the associations which
connect the city Of the present with the
rude stone fortress built by Romuius on
the hin where the caput was found,
hence the name Capitolaine, the city
gathers added interest from the fact that
il Is; one Of the few centers of popuTation
which through ages of interrupted oc-
cupancy connect the nineteenth century
with a past so remote as to dntedate
written record. Jerusalem and Memphis.
TYRE, Babylon and Nineveh were all more
ancient than Rome, but until recently men
sought in vain for the mountainous walls
that aroused the wonder of HerodotuS,
only in recent years was the giant mouno
on the banks of the Euphrates ldenuhed
with the tower which men designed
should reach to the stars. When Keno
nh,,n,s forlorn band was making it's ia
mons retreat from the heart Of the Per-
siam empire, the little Greek army pass
ed near the site of Nineveh, bat the scat
terfd mounds had as. little meaning for
them as for the travefers' who penetrated
that part of Asia when Pope Leo was a
hoy TYRE is in ruins, the site OF Mem
nhis is in dispute. Jerusalem has passed
through siege and battle and change untll
Only few foundation stones remain OF
fjie city and temple that Solomon pullt.
I,nt Rome. through The ages, has re-
mained the same. The great temples
wherein stood the statues of pagan del
Ties were ages ago, transformed Into
Christian sanctuarieS; the arches OF IRA
ian and Constantine and Drust1S are al
most intact, and nowhere Is there SO
much to connect the present with the
mast. Consecrated by the labors OF Peter
and Paul, by The martyrdom Oh the tnou-
sands of Christians who perished IN
Ncro's arena, and in the bloody perSecu-
tons that, from time to time, devastated
The church, unaerlain by the catacombs
which were at oi1ce the home and the
grave of thousands of early believers,
there is little wonder that the Latin Cath
oIic feels towards the city on the Fiber
as the Crusaders felt when the dome OIL
! Eu5betes-Sakhra burst upon their view
| from the summit of Mount Moriah.
nor LEGO years there has been a steady
flow of pilgrims TO Rome. 1t mas never
| ceased 1t has rarely even Slackefeu
| l,,,f with modern facilities for communi-
! cation, pligrlmage 70 noiiie 10 ho
matter OF days; it formerly occupied
as many weeks; and. although not made
obligatory, it is considered extremely de-
| sirable by the authorities OF the chdrcf
| tbat Catholic Christian people every
t,bere should fanliliarize themselves WITH
| NO preat city, which, from the close o.
/ tbe first century, has been the cradle
If the latin faith. Other cities nave
one or two shrines. Rome has Thousand
and besides the almost innumerable places
aacyed to the Christian. every stone mas
! It's history.