The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-24
THE, POPE Is
.A|ID.B||;''.NOCRi''..A.1
His manners and Customs Are
as SiinpleSas Those II
II 5 Americans.
HATES FUSS AND CEREMONY
He Has His Private Secretaries
Il to Dine Withs11im aid FL
Sees Everybody.

4
Sees Everybody
iii Ar, eminent Roman ecclesiastic who
pasted through New York the other day
on u tour OF this country told interesting
stories about Pope Plus 81, to 81 reporter
of the New York Sun. The stories came
sont; in reply to the question. VIVA arc
the striking characteristics Of the pres
3ent pnntiff?ss q
we'll" said the eminent divine set
ting himself more con1fortah the eS;S
preston of pleasure on his face evtncing
his delight at being able, to tell about
the new Pope. first and foremost hes
Is democratic, and what you people here
term hustler
Ills manners are amazingly demo-
cratic 10 an American they would APP
peal very strongly for he impresses YOU
as II, lie had lived In and absorbed much
of the American principle OF Demo
His rise from q poor barefooted peasant. .
boy. with his piece Of Indian meal bread
In his pocket fer his luncheon at school,
to the highest office In The Roman Church
has not In the least changed his alive
simplicity of manner. He Is essentially
a man Of the; people. and his popularity
throughout Italy Is universal.
Everybody speaks well of the Pope:
He Is beloved by all, which Is. remar ka: y
5ble. in view Of the many. breaches Il Of
etiquette Of which he has been accused
since he ca me to the Vatican n. Ss His liber-3
al views on such matters, however a re-
gradually convincing those who would
wish to rule the lean according to the
5strictest form Of etiquette, and to-day.
st II Is aEreal pleasure to find tina 7 when
you visit the Pontiff YOU arc made at
once to feel at home! s55s Ss q
s35s9''While he was Archbishop OF Manhia
and afterward Patriarch OF Venice the,
Pope always went aboutsin the simplest
manner. In Venicesh always rode in the
gondolas and public u conv eyances, and
parks, strolipg among the people. chat \
ting with them on the current topics OF
the day Fl e was friendly will the munirS
Ecipal authorities, and could always get
what he wanted from them For this
reason lie became highly 81 cessful In
organizing and building sup his parishes.
His HON was ". presided oyer ~ n ms
three spins ter sisters. who did all the
cooking. Al meals, they sat down with
the Patriarch and 8chatted with! him dur
Ing the meal When he was elected
Pope the Vatican courtiers began to feel
uneasy as to wha e he w uld do. t5f5.
Then he shocked them all by having.
( his private secretary. Mgr. Bressan.,
whom he brought with him from Venice,
dine with hin at the same table. Such,
I a thing had never happened IN the his
tory 4 OF the Popes t was terri le. s8s
ssE.'s'We must speak to him. said the
courtiers. "a He does not kllo w. st N;
"The next day. before he had been
spoken to-, he ordered dinner for three
and when 1t was served q sec nd private
secretary was asked to dine with him
This was going beyond all bounds. The
courtiers spoke to the Pope. 'hilst the
conversation was being delicately hans
& died he answered the diplomats by or;
Edering dinner for five. II
s THAT ended the determipation to in-3
sist on the etiquette by which the Pope
5dlned alone atone table and had no one nc!
else in the room. But#th fear arose
that as he had always had his three SIS
tiers dine with him this would iSbe the
Popes next move. S;5s . .A
"He started the courtiers one morning
by renting apartments In a. new. builaing
ad Joining b the Vatican and Installing
therein the three sisters. Immediately
all the other apartments in the building
were rented to aspiring ecclesi astics, who
=
simple, modest sisters TheyIare typical
italian peasant women 3 and " q re wholly
sinnocent8of the possible designs OF those
about them, who think that by paying
homage and court to them they, an turn
will obtain favors from their brother.
whom they call to this dayain their SIM !.
Die way 'Beppe.' the familiar dininutlve
for Giuseppe. the Pope S baptismal nam e.
.sThus far his Holiness has not had
isBsisters dine with him, and 1t IS not
likely tina he will. The only two II
stances OF women having eat ten In the
Pope's apartments since the foundation
OF the Roman Catholic Church We re those
at a SEPARATE table and lower down y han
the Pope at light luncheon served 70
her. and Of the Grand Duchess OF Tus-
cany, who after communion at the hands
OF Leo XIII. was served with some re-
l5freshments In the Pope's apartments,
The Pope than did not eat anything him
| self. SO YOU can see that the rule is SO
! firmly established thatfit will be scarcely
| broken by the present Pontin. s8
s.IIe "A Is fdst doing away with many
forms Of etiquette which have endured
fort centuries. For instance. q visitor
had always to genunect three times upg
on coming into the presence of the Pope
first. upon crossing heBtfreshold. z then
4 when half way, then at the lPope 8 Sla ie.
You then kissed the cross Up on his righl1
slipper, and remained kneel Ing i all the
lftime YOU were In his presence.
'Thls Pope will have none Of y: it Z,
Invariably comes TO greet You and VII!
then 20 and get a chair for you ana
chat in good old fashion, king You fe &c
at home Immediately. It naturally
shocked all within the Vatican, but they
are getting used to IT now & NJ,
..An amusing incident occurred When
a diplomat called recently. expect Ing b q
course, all the old forms, IIe was ,s sur,
prised at flrst by the change, but soot
recovered himself had his interview, ans lF
i was departing, Ri !, !. ..,5 y !,
"Insthe old form you always bowed !cF w.
yourself out OF the Pope's presenlfc !. ~.
as Pious X. went to the door arm IN 4, arm |,
/ with the diplomat, talking the " bile, h ~