The Washington times., 1903-11-01
SOME STORIES
OF POPE LEO XIII

THE Rome correspondent of the
London Pail Mall Gazette has
sent In the following stories Of
His Holiness: Taking into con.
sideratiOn the whole atmosphere of the
Vatican It win hardly be possible that
the new Pope will have for the press
and its power higher opinion than did
Leo XIII, who was proud OF having, In
the early years OF his career, fought
several battles through the medium Of
the newspapers. and who was heard to
call himself the journalist Pope" His
benevolence toward the press was also
seen in the subventions which he, al
though rather close in money matters
made to great number Of Catholic
journals. the suppression of which (the
subventions) was often pressed by the
cardinals who administered the Papal
treasury They were all OF the opinion
of Cardinal AntoneIli that Journalists
are a veritable pest and should DC SCI
to draining the C,ampagna Romano but
Leo XIII opposed them, saying:
What should we do without our
morning newspaper? You know that II
st. Panl were now living he would %
a journalist" Until the very last day
OF his life he read home and foreign
newspapers, taking TO his bed on one
or two occasions when the attack In
the Italian papers were more outrageous
than usual.
Leo XIII was IN all things a model Of
neatness. and so great lover OK elesg.-
Illness and order as to be the despair Of
certain OF his attendants, except In two
noteworthy cases. when his love of his
manuscripts led him 10 put up with dust
and disorder so that they might go I'M
touched, except by himself. and vixen
in the absent mindedness of composition
he would use the sleeve Of his gown IS
a penwiper. slashing at 1t to remove
imaginary hairs.
This last habit often led to singular
results. as his robes. being always white
and his ink slways black. the marks
could neither be concealed nor eradicat-
ed. This came hard on his old attend
ant, Pho Contra. who had TO renew the
robes. and. consequently. ask for money
to do so.
'Pio." Leo would say. 81 see by the
accounts this month that an extra set Of
robes has been made for me. / cannot
have you 50 extravagant"
One day the Pentin was ready too soon
for an audience with foreign royalty,
and sat down to his desk 10 write
Your Holiness" Pic protested. you
have your new robes on. If they should
get marked
Never fear. Pho. mic. this time I am
on my guard; shall not forget"
THE faithful servant left him. and,
returning just as he was entering the
audience chamber. saw to his horror the
teii-tais marks.
Your Holiness. re almost screamed.
bat too late: his master was already
out Of the room. The audience pSq-
ceeded with the usual formula. nut
the next day the Protestant royal per-
sonage conhded TO a friend that here
must be a secret order in the ys.tican
to which the Pope belonged. as bis left
arm was decorated with =lat appeared
to be little black crosses.
Another OF his characteristics was an
invincibie repugnance TO vhst he called
being made a commerce of" On only
one occasion -di4 the fact that tickets
we're bought and sold for the ceremon-
les at which he appeared at the Vatican
come TO his ears. and his anger was 50
great that he had a prolonged faintins
fit, which caused some alarm TO his doc
For this reason very few Of his manu-
scripts. have ever been seen He die
tated everything to his secretaries. and
then personally tore the manuscript into
the most minute pieces. that 1t might by
no possibility be put together again and
sold. There are very few of his auto
graphs IN existence, and these are most
~ In the possession OF people who con-
slider them almost religious relics. and
certainly VIII never sell them.
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