The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-01
The CARDINAL RAMP0LLA
GREAT DIGNITARY OF THE CHURCH
is EASILY APPROACHED.
His Quarters I'm the Vatican, His
Daily Life and Work, His
Personality.

Correspondence OF the Indianapolis Journal.
ROME. Feb. l2.-Cardinal Rampolla, the
mightiest man in the church after the
Pope. is also the politest: his courtesy is a
byword in the church and government cir
cles in Rome.
To test this fabulous affability. 1 went
straight to his apartments yesterday and
was received by the busiest OF men without
being required even to name the object of
the interview sought for. However. / warn
my countrymen DESTROYS of duplicating my
success that their first necessity is per-
NIT to visit the part of the Vatican wherein
the Holy Father lodges, for the secretary
Of state lives there too, one flight higher
up, on the third floor.
Cardinal Rampolla's reception hour is
timed after the Ave Maria;" when he has
said the Angelus with his privy secretary
and honorary Standardization, and not
before, is His Eminence ''at home"
The "AppartameLto Rampolla' are d.
rectly above those occupied by the Pontiff,
and, like Leo's, consist of a guard room,
where the picturesque Swiss lounge, or
stand at attention, at intervals; a library,
study, bedroom, small reception room, pri-
vate ante-room, ante-room, private chapel
and ante-room and the throneroom for the
reception of ambassadors, royal visitors
and other notables.
Immense red velvet portieres embroidered
with the papal arms in gold, alternating
with cardinals hat and shield, separate
the guardroom from the ante-chamber,
where I was taken in hand by three lackeys
in magnificent livery. They relieved me Of
hat and coat brushed me down and Of
fered me a comb and the use of a wash
stand. had taken my usual tub that
morning not without difficulty. admit.
but did not mind the soft impeachment. AS
the cardinal makes it rule to receive
anybody coming along, he may be supposed
to know wha. he is about.
Your number is IL, signor,' said a gen.
tleman in black silk knee brooches and
gold chain, with polite bow. I looked
about me; there were just seventeen visi-
tors in the room, myself included. Among
them I noticed two cardinals and several
high prelates, but all had to take their turn.
The secretary of state knows no dstinc-
ton of rank; his guests are all treated
alike.
A CARDINALS QUARTERS.
Visitors came and vanished behind the
great gilded portals that shut off his Emil
nece's study from the public room and
| had plenty of time to look about. The ante
chamber is as large and lofty the may
or's room in the New York City Hail. The
prevailing colors are red and gold; walls,
ceiling, furniture and floor covering, all
show that combination. But between the
| imposing marble pillars, clad in purple,
| hang great gobelin tapestries, each worth
| a fortune. The central tapestry is a mas
| terpiece of recent date, the coat of arms
! of the Rampolla family under the red hat
I counted three red hats in the room,
| also a colossal red umbrella, symbols Of
| the office of. prince of the church. Per-
| haps there are so many, because none is
| worn nowadays. In commenting upon this
| fact one of the gentlemen in waiting point
| ed out that the abolition Of the red hat as
| a headgear seemed to be a good thing for
| its possessors, as the hat consists of little
more than broad stiff brim and hanging
| cords and tassels, fifteen in number. There
is hardly any excuse for a crown. Rampol-
la. with his high, round forehead and mag
nificent storage house for wisdom and intel
| ligence. could not don his official hat If he
wanted to. The red hat, by the way, was
introduced by Innocent w in the first half
II
the Countess of Flanders, who complained
| to the Pope that she could not distinguish
cardinals from bishops and other great
| dignitaries.
/ While 1 was chatting with my well-in-
| formed neighbor Cardinal Rampolla's gen.
| tiluomo came up to ask my name and bust
ness with his Enlinence.
Unless you prefer to keep 1t a secret"
=
| ascertain If 1 may have the happiness of
being of some service to you. His Emf
| nence does not require his friends to i'm
part their business to the servants of the
| palace"
confessed with some embarrassment
| that was an idler-had simply run in to
pay my respects to the cardinal. no more
IAN idler and Americana" cried the
| gentiluomo. THAT Is most interesting. His
| Eminence will be glad to shake hands with
you." He added that Cardinal Rampolla
would receive me in his study.
Your good luck said my neighbor
There are three sorts of receptions given
| here-one for ambassadors and royal per-
sons in the throne room, another for cardi-
nails in the hall of the red hat, the third
for visitors like ourselves in the study. The
latter Is certainly preferable, for there one
sees the great man at his desk. among his
papers. relics and family souvenirs. In his
study Rampolla, being an indefatigable
worker, is at home; the other rooms hardly
know him.
A PRINCE OF THE CHURCH.
A quarter of an hour later the privy sec
rotary came to say that at the sound of
the bell I must be ready to walk into his
Eminences presence. This official was
splendidly dressed in black swallowtail
coat, satin knee breeches, silk stockings
and ruffled shirt. He held a cooked hat
under his arm and had sword at his side
He opened the door, allowing me to pass in,
and withdrew after calling out my name
and nationality and bowling three times.
AS / entered Cardinal Rampolla rose