Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-03
AUDIENCE WITH POPE
CEREMONY OF PRESENTATION
DESCRIBED BY MISS ARMS.
Women All Wear Black Costumes,
but Diamonds Are Not Tabooed-
When Plus Z Appears.

Miss NJ w. Arms. daughter of Mr.. John
Taylor Arms of this city, In a letter to the
Star interestingly describes the presenta-
ton of herself and friends to Pope Plus x,
at Rome, during a recent visit to the Ital-
ian capital. Among other things, Miss Arms
writes:
at is not as difficult now to secure an
audience at the Vatican SIS 1t was during
the closing years of the pontifcate OF Leo
XIII. Plus x is especially interested in the
people Of the United States, notwithstand-
ing the unfortunate incident which occurred
q few years ago, when, at presentation,
certain Americans refused to kneel and OBJ
serve other forms. and the doors of the
Vatican were for a time almost closed to
Americans in consequence. A letter OF in
PRODUCTION to Mgr. Kennedy, rector OF the
American College at Rome or some per-
sonal acquaintance with an ecclesiastic,
generally suffices to secure the square Of
white paper bearing the papal arms and set.
ting forth the day and hour on which the
bearer may be admitted to see the pope.
IF one has never been inside the Vatican
save as tourist that bit Of paper assumes
considerable Importance to the holder. IL
means admission to those private apart
ments which are not Sin Baedeker." We ex-
perienced distinct anticipatory thrills when
the appointed moment arrived, and gowned
our heads we found ourselves rafting over
the bridge of Saint Angelo and along the
narrow, gloomy street OF the Borgo Fec-
chic into the open sunlight OF the Plazza
San Pietro. to draw up at last under Bernf-
mis- CoIonnade at the Portone oil Bronco,
which is the main entrance to the vatican
palace We were In q plebelan hired car
rage; otherwise We should have been per
mitted to drive around to the. back OF ST.
Peters and into the Cortile San Damaso,
one of the palaces twenty-one courts.
From the Portone we passed up sue
cession of stairways, with gorgeous yellow
and red Swiss Guards stationed, halberd in
hand, on every landing, until We were
finally allowed to pause and recover breath
in a specious frescoed room on the very
threshold of the private apartments. Here
an imposing lackey clad in magenta bro
cade velvet, with powdered hair, knee
breeches and buckled shoes, requested Us
to "have the gentflity' to follow him, and
led us to the room designated for the au-
dience A few seats were ranged along the
wall-straight, high-backed chairs of dark
woodland as we were little early We sat
down and absorbed the scene about us-tne
lofty room hung in mellow-tinted tapestries
and magnenta brocade that matched the
lackey's coat; the single table with It's cru
cifix: the two tall windows, their white SILK
hangings family stirred by breeze that
seems to whisper of the Rome lying with
out, the Rome of st. Peter-and of Carl
baIdi.
Women All Wear Black.
s,There is a constant soft rustling at the
door; a noble guard, in the charming uni
form which Mrs. Humphrey Ward describes
as that of half dandy and half god,
passes through or a purple-clad ecclesias-
tic. or Monsgnor Bisleti, master of the
chamber of his holiness" in charge of
party of distinguished foreigners. The men
all wear evening dress; the women must
appear entirely in black, with wells, put
there is no embargo placed on the wearing
of dlamo Ids, and the great ladies of the
black, or church party, when they go to
presentation, fairly blaze with gems.
IA little bell, striking clear and sharp
though apparently at some distance, is the
first warning you receive of the pope's COM
ing. Then a noble guard appears in the
doorway, faces the room for tense in
slant, turns and with his hand at salute,
drops on one knee. 1t Is the signal. Inc
line of standing people sinks, and where the
guard had stood there stands white
robed, luminous figure, with two ecclesias-
tics dimly discernible in the shadows be-
You'd Very simply with smile that IS IN, IN
itself a benediction, the pope makes the
round Of the room, holding out his hand to
each person to receive a kiss on the great
sapphire that glows darkly on his thlrd
finger. At the farther door ne turns one
hand appraised, and gives the apostolic BEN
ediction.
.s,The whole impression that remains from
the simple ceremony is one of extraordinary
spiritual significance. Protestant or Catho-
lie in the moment when you see against
the semicircle- of dusky kneeltQg figures,
that one form reSplendently white, when
YOU look up into the face instinct with
benignant dignity and calm loneliness,
Won feel the thrill OF nearness to q great
fundamental force. Through all the visit
full sadness that looks out from the eyes of
Plus X through all the WEAKNESS as of one
who bears a mighty burden, you are con-
scious of the pope; the individuality of the
man is merged In the idea OF which he is
the human symbol.
Kiss the Toe of Bronze Peter.
MANY decatees. when they come out from
their audience slip into St Peters to kiss
the toe of the bronze Peter, in whose place
sits the pontiff they have just saluted. We,
however, took our carriage where we had
left it, at the bronze Portone. 1t was an
open carriage, of Course-who that loves
Rome will consent, unless urged by the ut
most stress of bad weather, to shut them
selves away from her sights?-and as we
drove home in the golden afternoon light,
many a glance was turned on our black
wells, and now and again we caught MUIR
muir 'Sono state dial papa, quelle' They've
been to the pope's, thoseO.
"At the door our devoted porter, Angelo,
met us. Angelo is a patriot and a royalist;
he shakes his head at any mention of the
temporal power of the church.
Va, Sic ,n,i hn caS1 Jo,f