Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-03-24
CHARITY is cuRrAiLEo.
Effect of Decrease in Money Presents
to the Pope.

" tilc TOpc'
ROME, Jan. 6.-tWilliam- f. Curtis
in the Chicago Record Herald y
The gossips report great disappoint-
ment at the Vatican because there
was so little money among the Christ
mas gifts received by the holy father.
He usually receives enough on that
occasion, in addition to the regular
Peters pence. to pay the running ex-
penses of the pontificial household for
a month or more and to allow him
to make liberal donations to needy
| churches, but this year the amount
of cash was smaller than 1t has been
any year during the reign of Leo XIII
and he has been compelled to deny
himself the qualification he antici-
pated. The other day. in conversa-
tion with prelate from South Amer
lea, the pope expressed the disap-
pointment in such serious tones that
the visitor went back to his hotel
and sent to the Vatican all the money
he had brought to pay expenses.
| The falling off in the revenues of the
church is easily accounted for. The
largest gifts used to come from the
rich religious brotherhoods which
have recently been expelled from
France and have been subjected to
enormous losses as well as to consid-
cradle expense in finding new homes,
The Catholic nobility and aristocracy
of France are out of temper and are
not disposed to contribute. They
blame Cardinal Rampolla for his con-
ciliatory policy toward the French Re-
public which they claim has resulted
in the expulsion of the monks. The
Catholics in England are heavily
taxed by their own government to
meet the expenses of the Boer war.
Every Catholic country in Europe ex-
cept Italy suffers from depression.
| The South American countries are
wracked with revolutions and threat
ened with wars. and the United States
Is the only country in which prosper
ity prevails.
This is the gossip one hears about
the Catholic clubs of Rome, and there
is no doubt more or less truth in 1t.
although the circumstantial evidence
Is on the other side. The finances of
the church are kept with great Sc
are accustomed to gossip among
their intimate friends. and those
| friends friends repeat what they hear,
with more or less exaggeration. The
pope may be very poor, but he has
just paid the installment of the price
of the finest collection of papal coins
and medals In the world, and has add
ed to the already rich numismatic
museum for the Vatican. In order to
secure it he was compelled to bid
against the King of Italy, and other
museums and several wealthy private
collectors. The French government
intended to be bidder, but when it
was known that the holy father want
ed the collection for the Vatican 1t
withdrew.
The sum paid is not known, but it
must have been very large, because of
the value of the collection. For
twelve centuries the church issued
regular coinage, beginning with
Gregory III. in the eighth century
and continuing to the overthrow of the
temporal power in 1870, and at vari
GUS periods several of the papal states
had their own coinage, especially in
the middle ages. Examples are very
rare and valuable and are seldom
found except in the oldest museums
The collection which the pope has
recently purchased is said to be the
most complete one in existence and
| To irp Of
without break. There are more than
ZOO gold coins of an intrinsic value
Of one dollar or more; LOO antedate
the sixteenth century, and they are
almost extinct, having no fixed value
but worth any price that collectors
may be able or willing to pay fol
them. In addition to the papal coins
the collection contains coins ISSUED
by the Roman senate and empire ant
very rare ones issued by the temper
AIRY republics of Rome in 1898 ant
1S49.
The collection was made by the an
cestors of the late Cardinal Rand
and was begun several hundred year
ago. His heirs offered it first to thu
pope under clause in the will of thu
late cardinal. He did not bequeath 1
to the Vatican museum, as he nigh
have done, but merely expressed thu
wish that the coins might enrich tina
institution SO as to furnish assistance
to those who desire to study the his
tory. the arts and the archaeology o
the church. After waiting severa
years for the heirs to take the initia
tive, an inquiry was instituted an
much to the surprise of everybod,
they demanded the full value of tn
collection In cash and intimated thei
intention to offer it at auction. Ratt
er than permit it to leave Rome tn
pope paid the price demanded. wit
the understanding that the amour
should not be disclosed.
, For the first time in several year
the clergy are taking an active II
/ terest in legislation for the purpos
, of defeating divorce law now pent
nj in ha al, hnr ~