The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-07-21
me ropes Income.

Leos fortune, left to him by Pope Plus
TX, was not less than s45,000O00 Much Of
this was used in purchasing Roman build.
ing bonds and in property investments, be
cause the small rate of interest received
from the Rothschilds and Blount was not
sufficient. The subsequent shrinkage in
value Of these bonds reduced the aggregate
Of this large sum very considerably.
The running income Of the pope comes
from collections known as Peters pence. y
Both Plus TX and his successor proudly de
cIined to receive a cent from the 5000, 900 Of
'the annual revenue which the Italian cham
bers ordered by the law Of guarantees to be
set aside for the pope, and which since 1870,
when the temporal power disappeared, has
accumulated in the Italian treasury.
The origin Of the name Peters pence"
Is British for the voluntary tribute, which
the ancient kings Of England raised for the
papacy was known under the name Of IS.
Peters penningn The collection Of Peters
pence was not systematized until 1861, just
after the first ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of the pontif-
zeal states, by which Is out of the 20 prov
inces were taken from the pope Previous
to that time the pontifical revenue had
amounted to nearly Sl4,0o0,000 annually.
Since 1870, when the temporal power disap-
peared, Peters pence has been the only
source of revenue, and the devotion OF
Roman Catholics throughout the world has
always been strong enough to meet the ne
cessities Of the case-aboutS 81, 00,000 year.
Though the pope is practically impris-
oned within the wells Of the Vatican, he Il
Obliged ID provide from Peters pence for the
universal administration of the churches.
He has to maintain nuncios In different
capitals Of the old and new world, to CORE
Epond with more than 1000 episcopal sees
10 every part Of the world, to support mis-,
sionary work abroad, to maintain at Rome
the congregation and schools and ecclesias-
tical tribunals, to pay the cardinals sal
aries and those of the dignitaries and other
employees Of the pontifical guard, and te
keep 10 order the sacred churches, like st.
Peters and St Mary Majors, and to pre-
serve intact and even improve the Libraries
and museums Of the Vatican.
II is easily understood from this why Leo
was personally SO economical, Although
the gross sum Of Peter's pence is large, it is
only BY the most systematic expenditure
thereof that it is made to meet current ex-
| penses. Long before bis death Leo noti-
lCti HIS EE&dAlfNS htlsAh AAftuAAE eAVA&A ~ W
| them out Of the innumerable and precious
gifts sent to him from every part Of the
world on the occasion of his jubilee Of 1858.
The only advantage be conferred upon any
Of his relatives so far as reported was the
title Of count upon his nephews, which
helped them somewhat IN contracting ad-
| vantageous marriages.
OF the total amount Of Peters pence,
/ two-thirds have come from France Of late
years. Italy has not produced more thar
| il, 900 lire as, oo0). The offering is free and
anonymous everywhere. Collections only
take place twice every year IN the churches
/ On some occasions a supplement Of revenue
comes to the pope-as, for instance, on on'
ist Of January, when be offieiated at whai
was called his Golden Mass, be received
more than 5000. 900 in fees