The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-11-30
James Creelman's Very Graphic Pen Picture
Of the Aged Pontff Will
Repay a Perusal
What the Father of Christendom Said to
the Newspaper Man at the
Vatican in Rome

w nen Z! asked.
"Ah,' said the cardinal, mo one can
teif that. Perhaps after q week, per-
maps after six months. The vatican
moves slowly. 1t has the affairs of the
whole world, civilized and unciyilized,
to consider. You must wait. Rome
will teach you how to be patient"
l left the palace, drunken with joy,
How my old comrades in New York
would stare when they learned that
had reached the unreachable! How NV
newspaper would herald the feat to the
ends of the earth! 1 could hardly keep
my feet from dancing on the not pave
ment. Rome, Rome, how 1 loved Won
that day!
The next day message from Paris
sent me to Brlndisi to meet Henry M.
Stanley, the explorer, who was on his
way back from Africa, after rescuing
Emin Pasha from tho perils Of the
Equatorial province.
was in the service of the newspaper
that first sent Stanley into the Ozark
Continent" and he gave me the materl-
ais for m exclusive dispatch that, in
other days, would have made me dizzy
with pride.
Two days later was in Rome again,
ana early the next morning Papal
chamberlain came to the hotel with a
summons to the presence Of the Pope.
The invitation inclu.ed Mgr. Frederick
Y. Rocker, the scholarly vice rector Of
the American College, who was to act
as Interpreter.
No man can make that journey from
the famous bronze portal of the vatican
into the presence Of the imprisoned
monarch, whom 200,OOO,OOO human be-
ings hail as the vice regent of Heaven
and earth, without being thrilled from
head to foot. care not whether he be
Protestant, Catholic, Jew or pagan;
whether he adores the Pope as the in.
fallible Vicar Of Christ, or regards him
simply as the supreme teacher in Il uni
versal schOol-he will be profoundly
moved by the solemnity and suggestive
ness Of that place.
TO reach this sovereign of ghostly
empire we passed through the palace
door that looks out upon the wide space
in front Of ST. Peters-once lighted by
the burning bodies of Christian martyrs.
Here stood squad Of the stalwart
Swiss guard, In brilliant costumes of
red, yellow and black, designed by Mi
chacl Angelo more than three hundred
years ago.
Ascending the royal stairway Of mar
bic that leads to the immortal Sistine
chapel, and turning to the right, up
fight of ancient steps, we were saluted
by the gendarmes of st. Peters Mt the
entrance Of the open courtyard of st.
Damascus, which is half surrounded by
corridors and halls glorified by the ge.
MUS Of Raphael, the tender colors glow
ing here and there through open win
>dows.
This spot once echoed the steel shod
feet of Charlemagne. Here Napoleon
stood among fawning towards.
Imagine the feelings Of a young
American writer moving through that
palace Of 11,000 rooms to interview a
king without territory-trylng to pre-
serve his heather news instincts in such
surroundings!
A burly, whlte-haired servltor in Grim
son silk and knee breeches met us at
the outer door of the Pope's apartments,
and to him / delivered the document
which had called me to the vatican.
Through one splendid chamber after
another he led us, among historic tapes
tries and princely trappings Of bygone
pontiffs, until we reached the throne
room.
Here we sat until Leo XIII. was
ready to receive us in the next room.
The great golden throne under the royal
canopy was the gift of the working
men of Rome to the Pope. Above 1t
shone a triple crown, surmounting the
azure shield, silver bar, and cypress tree
of the Pecci family.