Arizona republican., 1904-04-13
TIE Pope OF THE POOR Pc

THE POPE OF THE POOR PEI
The Vatican must now be regarded
as no longer court, says a letter nom
Rone to the Guardian. "Nada Ned-
eric. non pare un papa Go and see
him he does not seem TO be
none people say to each other. Inc
natural manner, the extreme simplicity
above all, perhaps, the absence OF re-
niue. make up a figure with Wnicn
Romans of the time of the paternai
ruler P'us TX and of the great pontlIr
Leo XIII are totally unacquainted.
leo XIII never walked; when he was
not borne on the sedia gestatoria lie
was carried in the quaint low chaise
portcurs. resembling a sedan chair,
called he portantina. Plus y never
rides. At srst the portantina WAS al
WAYS drawn upalorgside, but he inva-
riably waived it away, and now 1t Is
never seer. 1t IS the custom for the
none to be accompanied everywhere,
even 20 the garden, by noble guards.
the noble guards are never required
nov unless the pope is receiving some
official parsonage. He VIII come N
with his maestro di camera, Mgr. Eis-
ictl. and perhaps the Venetian MSH.
Bressan, and go out after the audi
ence IN the same way, engaging one or
two of his visitors in conversation as
all proceed familiarly together. An,
he exclaimed Just after his election,
"Che seccatura, lutte queSte genu-
hessionil!" How WeaTisome all these
genufiexions are!" He shows a marked
repugnance to the historic ceremony of
the kissing Of the foot, mark Of aom-
age, indeed, which used to be ex-
changed between the Roman pope and
the Roman emperor-but popes make
history. they cannot be expected to re-
member It.
The fact remains that whether from
some appreciation (rare at the Nati-
CAM of the dignity of man. OF from
the native humility of the disciple OF
Christ. the new pope is quickly lie
stroying the Chinese idol conception of
the Roman pontiffs. He does lOI
think himself an idol. Chinese or other
wise; "Sono carne ossa come vol
Il am flesh and blood like you" is his
watchword. Che hai?" What is the
matter with you?' he said TO an ole
friend who had one Of the first inter-
views with him, and who betrayed mis-
merry ousness-'So sempre MI he told
him in the soft Venetian dialect. Until
last August it was the custom for ev-
cry one who found himself in the
pope's path to disappear; the pope
paced the galleries, halls and corri-
doris of the Vatican and the garden
paths alone with his retinue, no one
venturing to obtrude his existence on
the august presence. a short time back
the workmen engaged at the Calida-
rum through which Plus passed on his
way to the garden remained at their
posts and the pope spoke with them.
All the men were punished for this
breach of Vatican decorum. But on
second similar occasion the facts came
to the pope's ear. AS he walked along
a corridor he heard loud talking behind
a closed door, and, striding on. opened
the door himself. to find a gendarme. u
nursemaid and a serving man in con-
versatiou. Plus (whO never loses these
oportunities) spoke to them, with the
result that the geudarme lost months
pay, the maid had . severe talking to
and the servant was, sent away. This
last determined to tell the pope the
facts, and Plus Immediately reinstated
him and raised his wages while two
months pay was given to the gen
darme. soon, therefore, the mystery
which surrounds a pope, that isolation
from all direct information from with
out in which he lives, viii be things o.
the past.
There are other things which appear
inconsistent with the maintenance OF
anything approaching a court" One
can as easily imagine a court round
Elizabeth of Hungary as round a man
who singles out for notice the most
humbly dressed individual, and is at
least as readily accessible to the poor
as to more dignified folk. The pres
ence Of poor ana humble, except during
pilgrimages, used to be very rare at
papal masses and private audiences, or
1T the stately functions within the pail
ace; perhaps not one could be found
among the four or five hundred per-
sons. The regular functions were
crowded with the same English and
American RESIDENTS. The pushing An
CLOS axons of another creed were said
proverbially to obtain the entree with
greater ease even than tn household
Of faith Now the poor man passes
the Swiss guard a. the Portone df