Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-25

granting several audiences today, and be-
came SO exhausted after an interview with
small group Of English pilgrims that he
had to be practically carried to bed
Pope Plus x. was born in Riese, June 2,
1885. He was elected to the papacy by
the college Of cardinals August 4, 1903,
after the conclave had been in session five
days, and assumed the title Of Plus x He
was born in a small Venetian town, of a
humble peasant family. His father died
March 4, 1912, and his mother, Margarita
Samson, February 2, 1894, after a life Of
labor and sacrifices, entailed in rearing her
family Of nine children eight of whom
were living at the time tf,tA' brother was
made pope-all in humble circumstances
There were two brothers and seven sisters
The pope'S brother is a shc2keeper and
postman. HIS sister. Theresa, is married
to an innkeeper named Paolin, whose Ira
torria dele Duo Spade in Reese, is only
few steps away from the modest two-Story
house in which the pope was born. An
other sister is married to a sacristan;
third to dealer n wines.
Most Humble Beginning.
When young Sarto became a parish priest
his mother was too humble to live with
him, but his unmarried sisters resided with
him at the partrarchal palace in Venice
He made his elementary studies at Castel-
franco, a small town not far from Venice,
and thanks to the interest shown in him
by Cardinal Monico. patriarch Of Venice,
was enabled to continue his educa ton. He
was ordained priest September IS, 1858, by
special diSpensatiOn of Plus TX, and was
appointed assistant priest at Tombolo, from
which place he was transferred in 1887 to
Salsana as parish priest. His zeal, piety
and well-directed energy led to subsequent
n Snph ia t lacio cit
cal dignities spiritual director in the
seminary, judge of the ecclesiastical tri-
bunal and vicar general of Treviso.
Elevated to Bishopric.
In 1884 he was consecrated bishop of Man
tua. in Lombardy. where he remained for
nine years On June II, 1893, Pope Leo
XIII created him cardinal, with San Ber-
nardo allie Terme as his titular church, and
very shortly after this he was made patri-
arch of Venice, whence, nine years later,
he was summoned to Rome to elect a sue
cessor to the papal throne. made vacant by
Leo's death, and was chosen as that sue
ceSSor.
Pope Plus x is a striking example of the
bestowal of the highest dignity in the
| Roman Catholic Church upon one of the
! lowliest origin, utterly void Of ambition,
| whose career had been marked only by the
sincerest piety and indomitable zeal in the
practice of his ecclesiastical profession.
From Lowest to Highest.
His elevation u an apotheosis of the
| parish priest. There could be no more
marked contrast than that presented by
this pope an the pope whom he succeeded.
Leo XIII was of aristocratic birth, q
scholar and a diplomat Plus X has the
| lowly peasant spirit which characterizes
| his whole family. He deprecated his eie-
walton to the bis,1opric of Mantau and was
Frustrated by his election to the papacy
accepting it only through sense of duty
| Although speaking and knowing his own
Language with classical inish he is ia
| miliar with no other except for a slight
! knowledge of French and German. But
| he is a man of wonderful charity with a
| gift for organizing, and is full Of active
/ ZEAL notably in preaching.
He was known throughout Italy by his
work for societies and for his schools. He
] Is utterly opposed to nepotism.