The Irish standard., 1902-02-15
Graphic Word Picture of the Great White
Shepherd of Christendom by
James Creelman.
What the Roman Pontiff Said to the Youno
Newspaper Man on Matters of
Public Interest.

James Crcelnkln. the famous news
paper correspondent and author Of
"On the Great Highway" held the
closest attention of an audience which
filled the Colonial thcatcr in Boston
while he told in graphic and beautiful
language his impressions OF that ven
crablc prisoner of the Vatican at
Rome whom he has so aptly styled
''The White Shepard of Christenlom."
1t was a novel spectacle that was
prcsentcd-the spectacle Of n Protest
ant standing before Il representative
Catholic audience and painting for
them picture OF the sovereign pom
tiff OF the Catholic church. "thc only
man." as he said, "in all this world
who has risen as the friend of the
human race above the ties of national
ity and kindred. and standing in the
loneliness of old age Mt the center of
the Christian world very archetype Of
sanity, brave Christian manhood"
Mr.. Creelman is the only American
journalist who has ever succeeded in
securing an interview with Pope Leo
NIII., and the Impressions received
by him during that memorable visit
to the Vatican palace, as well ns the
striking message confided to him by
the venerable pontiff, are embodied in
his book "On the Great Highway"
which has attracted so much attcn-
ton in Europe and Americn. In the
course of his address Mr.. Creelman
said:
"Forty years ago it would have been
embarrassing for representative |!
body of Catholics to invite non
Catholic to talk about the Pope.
Thank God, those days OF intolerance
are gone, and tonight we can lay aside
all differences of creed ana remem-
bcr, for this hour ut least, the debt Of
gratitude which all good men and
women owe to that great religious and
moral leader of modern times, whose
figure stands out radlantly in these
days of almost pagan c0mmercinlism.
81 pay my tribute to Leo KILL, as
the only man have seen in the whole
world who has risen as the friend of
the human race above the ties of ma
tionality and kindred, conquering In
himself, not only the passions Of the
flesh and It's weaknesses, but the in
herited pride and prejudice of his
original and early surroundings, out
living all the friends Of his youth, and
standing in the loneliness Of old age,
at the center of the Christian world,
the very archtype Of sanity, brave,
Christian manhood.
"Think Of the spirit Of predatory
greed that the spirit Of human inven-
ton has brought into the world-the
individual, the national, the interna-
tional, the struggle for commercial su-
premacy, fierce, pitiless, unceasing.
Think of the headlOng damnatlon OF
the age of money and conquest, infin-
itely cruel and complicated, corrupting
the very seats of learning, and then re-
member that in Rome there Is one
man, an old, old man, a man who
swoOns under the burdens Of the aW-
full task laid upon him by his majestic
office: n man whose voice is heard in
all lands, calling men back to Christ
ianity, as the only means Of moral and
social edemption-seeking day after
day and year after year in his old age,
to bring spiritual influence to bear in
this practically pagan age.
"Let me tell you an incident that
illustrates his character. When the
late Empress Frederick visited Rome,
she was received in private audience
by the Pope. Now, it ia fact that
the children Of the late Queen Vic
torla, with the exception Of the present
King Of England, are notoriously
lacking in tact. And the Empress
was no exception. During her con-
versation with the Pope, fogetting
that she was talking with one Of the
greatest scholars and theologians Of
the century, the Empress undertook
to air her views on disputed ques-
tions of religious doctrine. The Pope,