The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-01-14
HEALTH OF POPE
Plus x, Says a Writer, Has Nc
Definite Ailment,
But Feels the Burden of His
Exalted Office.


have the advantage Of being sober, but
some carry Il quiet scnsationalism with
them, as when they ascribe to the
Pontitf definite ailments. All such
statements are, think, necessarily to
be excluded by what Professor Lap
poni has so positively affirmed Of late
weeks for the Philadelphia Catholic
Standard Times. Not so, not entirely
at least. those of another order to
which the following from the London
daily belonds, writes William j. d.
Croke in the paper mentioned.
am informed from the best source
that the Pope's continued weakness
(of healthD is giving much anxiety to
DR.. I.appon, his medical adviser.
Those who knew the Pope as Cardinal
ut Venice find him sadly changed
when they now meet him for the
first time since his election to st.
Peters chair. He lacks, in particular,
the JOY of life, which was so conspicu-
! ous in him before he became Pope.
|
| In so far rs this paragraph deals
with concrete ailment-namely, the
| Pope's continued weakness-it is du-
bious. The rest is as exact as happily
phrascd. But we need not entertain
concern about the constitutional health
of Plus \. 1t is to Il moral category
/ that his indisposition belongs, and
While this is never likely to affect his
physical health, it will, as probably,
never leave him on this side of the
grave. OF Adrian VI, Pope with
whom he has resembances, it was
put on his tomb in the Anima church
"Iadrianus Papa VI. IIic Litus est,
qui nihil sibi infelicius duXit guam
quod imperaret''-"Hcre rests Ad.
rian VI, who deemed nothing more
unhappy in his life than that he
should have been called to rule
The Pope is simply the victim Of
the Papacy. Gle is not well, not ILL.,"
His face has patches of color which
are not natural" "It is certainly cor
rugated with age, or illness, or care"
His color has a dark sub-tint. There
is no natural undcrgow, or settled
brow" "Veins seemed to stand out
when l saw the Pope" "He must
have had the blues today" This
downright remark of an Englishman
is the last Of a mosaic of quotations
from residents and visitors in Rome
which 1 have jotted down during q
week. Once such impressions had
been given out at a dinner which at
tended. "Is the Pope ill, father?" !:
lady asked of distinguished genera
superior who was opposite. mo, tn
Pope is not ill. There is nothing til,
matter with him. But lie has daily
hourly uphill task put upon hin
against his will. Accepting it, he live.
at all times against the grain. 1t is no
natural to do that. 10 do it leaves al
impression on the temperament" Ant
the good lady spoke pityingly Of til,
victim, elected against his will to ~
office so burdcnsome, which is to Ell,
only when death comes
} These are impressions which the fire.
quent sight of Pope Plus during thu
iuhile has evoked. All his lif'
through he who is now the Sovereign
Pontiff took every duty in earnest, ant
fulfilled it thoroughly. To do Thu
daily OH the Papal throne from the be
ginning of August, 1908, EDWARDS is
hcrculcan task. The Papacy is a mos
centralized government of the largcs
organization in the world and it i
+. perhaps the only really personal ad
ministration that exists. Again, if yo1
: read the Pontfical utteranccs sine
1881, when Gregory XVI. asccnded til
: throne, you will see that the one-mal
t government which lies upon the Pop
is fearful responsibility, because o
I the war which society is making
J, against the church. Then it so haI
pens that in France for one reason
and in Italy for another, it has fallc
u on Plus X. to cut knots and to crap
: pie with questions, whereas his pre-
decessors-his immediate predecessor
: ut least-were justified in preserving
3 status quo. 1t is not surprising if tn
cares of this terrible work tend t
;, make the Popc's spirits lower tina
t when he was at Venice. But l thin
n that these impressions about him ar
;. taken only occasionally. What pee
J. pie then chiefly notice is Il WEAKNESS
). ut times perhaps sadness or sa
t WEAKNESS. 1t is something like tn
e "nihil sibi infelicius duxit, qua1
quod imperaret."
: Few things could better show til
Il total absorption Of the Pope in hi
J, work than the decision which is no,
a being carried into effect. Hitherto til
K Papal Observatory has consisted Q
e two establishments. One was owe
the Apostolic Library, on the west sid
d Of the Vatican, with entrance and cxi
: upon the Via del Fondamenta; til
: other was at the tower Of Pope lie
I w., in the billy part Of the gardens
:, The villa Of Leo XIII. stoo
y near. Plus x. has made the latter
r part Of the Observatory, and Mgl
f N1affi, Archbishop of Pisa, who ha
q succeeded Cardinal Mocenni as pres