The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-02
ANECDOTESO OF
POPE LEO

| ing him in his bedroom: Your Eminence,
let us hope that sooner or later you will get
| tired of visiting the country" At other times
he spoke more directly: mo, / won't grant
vacations. Remain in Rome like ourselves.
If it is good enough for us. it ought to be
good enough for other servants of the
church.
When one of his secretaries, Mgr. Boccali
| was caught by Leo yawning. he said. impa-
tiently: THAT tired feeling again. L don't
understand it,
Leo retired for the night at Q o'clock, but
| at that early hour his programme of work
was not finished by any means He usually
| remained awake for many hours composing
verses and debating them to a secretary,
| sitting at his bedside.
His bedchamber was his favorite recep-
ton and workroom. When a person of much
| Importance was received, the bed was con-
| cealed behind curtains, Leo persuading him.
| self that no one suspected its presence.
Among the punishments the Vatican deals
| out, temporary Punishment is most enforced
| against the princes of the church. Cardinal
Vicar POrochi had dared to contradict Leo;
| he got three months Ito spend anywhere
| outside of Rome The late Cardinal Ho-
henlohe was sent to Lago Maggiore for the
same length of time because he once clinked
glasses with Crispi at the house OF the
| Minister of Foreign Affairs Blanc.
| Cardinal Trombetta was banished five
| months, two months for riding in an open
cab and three months for harshly admon-
ishing the cathedral chapter of St Albano
| the members of which had demonstrated
with him for failing to extend to them an
| n WI fhpU cd
| Though the Vatican has more than LOO
| rooms. Leo never had a dining hall of his
own. Meals were served wherever he hap
pened to be, in his bedroom. library, sitting
| room or throneroom it was all the same to
him. Commander Sterbini. the grand cup
| bearer, used to keep him company at lunch
con, dinner and supper. He is lover of art
| gossip-and Leo playfully called him
! the only uncensored newspaper he saw,
| for though Rampola would not admit it,
nothing crept into the daily press clipping
| report, submitted to the Pope. that his Emil
| hence had not seen and approved of.
The Italian clerical papers are forbidden
by Rampolla to publish reports on the Pope's
state of health. At one time Monsignore
Angel, when reading Roman daily to the
Pope, skipped paragraph dealing with the
| served it. and, knocking the paper from his
hand with fan, said: Send me my valet.
| / see your eyes are giving out
If Leo prided himself on one thing more
than the other, it his health. AS a
rule, he permitted his doctors to prescribe
only one kind of medicine-a good laugh.
Instead Of bothering him with questions
about his liver, they had to tell stories. To
Lapponi he often said: Don't get excited,
doctor; we have a better physician than you
Divine Providence.
On one occasion Lapponi had forbidden
| the Holy Father to speak longer than ten
| minutes at reception of pilgrims, and, the
| time being up. the doctor began to cough.
Leo gave him ironical look and after he
| had finished, remarked: "You have a bad
cold, Lapponi; better go to the Vatican
| druggist and get some syrup at my ex-
| pense.''
| In February. 1899. when the Pope was
| about to be operated on. he asked Professor
Ma8zoni how he felt about 1t. The professor,
] fearing loss of reputation in case the Pope
| did not survive, answered truthfully enough:
| Rather shaky your Holiness"
mo matter" replied Leo, II have courage
| for two" and, observing Lapponi added:
mo- for three; go ahead, in Gods name"
When Bishop Ireland called upon him soon
after his operation, the kind hearted Ameri-
can could not restrain his tears. Don't
| cry" said the Pope, as IL addressing a child.
You are pot old enough to think of death
| by a good many years.
On another occasion, when the Pope had to
refrain from giving audiences by order of
| his physicians, he sent for the Tribuna in
| the evening and, before opening the paper
said to his secretary: IF it were not sinful
i would say: What do you bet, that they
| have me half dead AGAIN."
The anecdote that after a certain sick spell
he addressed Cardinal Orega with the
words: Have you got your little hammer
about you?" is true. Both his valet and the
bedroom attendants heard the remark The
Pope referred to the silver hammer, with
which the dead Pontiffs forehead is touched
when he is officially pronounced dead.
When Bismarck died, Leo called his valet
and said: Curious, is it not? The states
| man-giant of the century dies of a compli-
cation of diseases. while this little body con-
tinues to resist attacks of i'll health
In 1888 influenza laid low most of the car
dinals. Leo impatientIy exclaimed: These
young men always seem to have time to be
ILL.,"
Lapponi had only salary of $50 francs
per month, and as that would be entirely
insufficient, the Pope sent a carriage for
him every time he was wanted.
If the Pope was i'll. his valet had to be up
and about day and night He seldom left the
Vatican, and Leo was very grateful to him
for his devotion. During the operation in
the winter of 1899, Pho held the vessel to re-
ceive the blood, and as he knelt at the side
of the bed, the Pope saw that his face was
white with terror. Courage, little Pio.'
whispered Leo, they are cutting me up.
not you
Carefulness in money matters was a fam
lily trait with Leo. but Eola's accusation of
avarice is not borne oft by the facts. To his
friends, the valet Contra, for instance he
was even generous. After the jubilee year.
he gave him all the wines sent to the vati-
can by people all over the world. Their sale
allowed Contra to acquire quite a deal of
landed property.
Imposture, CT anything smacking of it, he
hated. On ascending the throne of ST. Pc
ter's, he presented the Swiss guards with SO
francs head, just half OF what they ex-
pected 70 receive. Hence, much indignation
among the lazy troopers. Some of them broke
their arms. others tore their uniforms