The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-21
LONG LIVE The POPE
WAS THE CRY OF THE THRONGS
IN ST. PETERS.
CELEBRATED HIS JUBILEE
COMMEMORATIVE TWENTY-FIVE
YEARS OF HIS PONTIFICATE.

Pope Said 1t Seemed Impossible That
1t Had Been % Years Since He As
sumed His Isolation in the Vati-
cnn-Scene of SpIendor Was Pre-
scented in the Hall of BeatifcatiOn,
Where the Jubilee Reception Was
Held by Leo XIII-HnndsOme Gifts
Presented.
Rome, Feb. 20.-"It seems impossi-
Bile that it is twenty-five years since
I have been there" was Pope Leos
exclamation as he looked from a win
dow of his apartments this morning
into the sunlit piazza of st. Peters.
This was the Pontiffs only reference
to his long term of self-imposed i'm
prisonment in the Vatican, during
which he has never gone beyond the
palace grounds and St. Peters, which
is considered to be part of the Vati-
can.
What a glorious morning for the
jubilee of my pontificate, the Pope
added, as he proceeded with evident
pleasure to peruse the almost innum-
cradle kilograms, letters and addresses
of congratulation which have reached
the Vatican from all parts of the
world.
Was n Brilliant Scene.
The Hall of Qualification, above the
portico of st. Peters, where the Pom
tiff held his jubilee reception, pre-
sented a brilliant scene. 1t was beau
tifully hung with. antique brocades
and illuminated by thousands of cleo
trio lights and wax candles. The boxes
lining the long, narrow hall were filled
to their capacity with members of the
Roman aristocracy, diplomats, women
with black wells, men in evening dress.
and monks and sisters in varying
gar'b. Here and there groups of papal
guards in bright uniforms lent color
to the whole. Notable among the dip
lomats was Count Alodovar, head of
the special mission sent to represent
the King of Spain at the jubilee.
The struggle to get into the hall
was terrific. People were swept of
their feet, and women were overcome,
but no one was really injured. There
was a long and tedious wait before the
ceremony commenced, and the audi
ence was growing restless, when sud
denly a great roar of Long live Leo!'
and Long live the Pope!" announced
the arrival of the Pontiff. His Holt
ness was borne in the sedia gestatoria
on tie shoulders of eight men, habited
in red brocade.
HcnedictiOns Right and Left.
The Pope himself wore gorgeous
robes and had the triple crown on
his head. He bestowed his benedic-
ton right and left as he passed
through the cheering concourse,
whose enthusiasm was so great, and
whose desire to touch the hem of the
Pope's gown was so intense that the
presence of the guards seemed really
necessary for his protection.
When the Pope advanced to the
throne, the Pecci family Chat of the
Pontiff) stood on it's right, and Count
AlodoVar on its left.
subsequently the presentation of
gifts took place, including the gold
tiara, the jubilee present of the Cath
Ollie world, which cost $4,000; the gold
mccall ana the SN1nDOIlC keys.
When the Pontiff assembled the throne
he seemed to be in a kind of glorified
atmosphere Attained by peculiar ar
rangement of red draperies before the
windows. The celebrated feather fans
on both sides of the sedia gestatoria
excited great interest among the Amer
leans present, as it is said they were a
gift from Mrs. Joseph Drexel who has
taken the old ones home and given them
TO the museum of the University of
Pennsylvania.
The Pope expressed his qualification
and admiration at the artistic designs
End workmanship of the various offer
ings. and then charged Mgr Bisleti, his
master of the chamber, to read a Latin
speech addressed to my Venerab BILE
brothers and beloved children"
In this address the Pope expressed
satisfaction at the manifestat ton of
which he is the object on the part of
the whole Catholic world. For the sec
ond time in a century, continued Pope
Leo, Christ has wished to glorify His
vicar on earth by allowing him to reach
the years of st. Peter
The address ended by saying that the
Pontiff was happy to celebrate his Jubi-
lee amidst the homage and veneration
of the Catholic universe.
After bestowing the apostolic bless
ing, the Pope returned to his apart
ments amidst the applause of the null
titude.
The Pope completed the functions of
his jubilee to-day without undue ia
tigue. Upon returning to his apart
ments he exclaimed:
This is really the happiest day of
my life
Pope Was Satisfied.
In St Peters this afternoon Cardinal
RamDolla celebrated a solemn mass
and TIE Deum at an altar erected next
to the papal altar. He was surrounded
by twenty-four bishops. A special fea-
ture of the ceremony was a procession
through the immense Basilica, in which
took part 300 Catholic associations, car
rying hundreds of lighted torches, with
magnificent and fantastic effect The
congregation numbered 10000.
The Pope retired at 10 o'clock at
night, saying: Il am really satisfied