The Irish standard., 1902-04-19
Two Romes, Two Sovereigns, Two Flags and
Two Armies of Occupation
by Rival Rulers.
Contrast Between the Enthusiasm of the
Subjects of the Italian King
and Holy Father.

Here we are Mt Inst looking up into
the heights Of the Dome. dizzy enough
to seem like followed out Mont Blanc
and awful as an opening INTO Eternity.
Our seats in Tribuna A gave us SUI
perb command of the great scene. The
altar of the High, High Mass Mt which
the Pope alone, or Cardinal commits
stoned by special Brief from him,
the affairs Of the world the celebrant
faces the congregation, was scarcely n
dozen yards away; the golden lamps Of
'"The Cornerstone" the sacred Ad
Simina to which hundreds of Bishops
and millions Of pilgrims yearly come to
pray over the Sarcophagus, which, by
the common assent of profane acln-
ology and church tradition, contains
the very bones of st. Peter, more pre-
ci0us than all the gold and gems and
blocks Of agate and alabnster in which
the piety Of ages has enshrined them,
were cleaning just in front of us; and
on every side, from the august dis
tances Of the aislcs and transepts
crowded worshipping humanity, in
masses so dark and dense that even the
pentagonal columns which sustain the
cupola, even the armament of the Gu
pola itself, with the eye Of God the
Father looking down upon the scene
from its topmost height, did not seem
extrnvagantly great for the occasion
I had often heard q ceremonial day ut
st. Peters declared to he one Of the
most irreverent scenes OH earth, what
with the pushing and chattering of
vulgarian tourists and the jarring note
Of popular applause in the sacred
place. 1t is, according to my expert
ence, the observation of very SUPER
fetal mind, indeed. When seventy or
eighty thousand people are packed to-
gether for five hours, nine-tenths of
them without seats, and probably Mt
least five thousand of them curious and
impertinent strangers, who 20 to see
the Colosseum Of Christianity by altar
light as they flock to sec the Colosseum
Of the gladiators and wild beasts by
moonlight or limelight, 1t is inevitable
that there should be certain amount
of noise, disorder, and vulgarity, cal
culated to wound simple souls, for
whom the presence of the Blessed Sac
rament is the one all-absorbing, ave.
compelling subject Of contemplation in
a church of God.
1t is not possible for the fdgety hu-
man nerve to remain Mt the heroic
pitch for five hours Mt stretch. Lit
tie interludes there will be, prosaic, in
decorous, even comical. An excellent
Flemish pastor in front of us, all afire
to see that his full family Of pilgrims
had arrived in safety through the tohu
bohu Of the corridors, and volubly
pointing out to them all the wonders
Of st. Peters, would from time to time
jump to his seat and set his worthy
pilgrims jumping after him; where
upon an angry growl in dozen Ian.
guages of "Assisv "Seats! "Abbassow
"Sitzenw and so on, would rise up be-
hind him, and the poor Fleming, know.
ing only his own language, but quickly
instructed in the meaning Of one word
at least in half the dialects of the Tow
er Of Babel, would Indignantly and
slowly, but sorrowfully, subside. Pres
emily, upon further tier in front of
him, lady as deaf to public opinion
MS an Irish local government board,
flew to her feet, and, with her lorgnon
at her eyes, calmly blocked out whole
region of the Sanctuary from the view
of her neighbors with her Herculean
bulk and girth. Instantly our brave
Fleming was on his feet in a state of
legitimate fury, flinging heavy Wal
loon adjectives at the head Of the OBJ
structionist, and delightfully."- alive to
the sinfulness in another of the pecca-
dillo in which he could see no incon-
venience for himself. Every few min
utes when false alarm of the Pope's
arrival would thrill the multitude,
some fresh epidemic of seat-climbing