The Irish standard., 1908-10-31
Private Audience With the Pope Who Has Gained Rep
utation Democratic Pontff With
the Roman People.
IMPRESSIVE ORATOR IN The ITALIAN LANGUAGE
Confident That Plus Will Play Important Part in the
Worldwide Conflict Now Going Between
" Man and Mammon

throne bearing the papal crown oc-
cupied one side of the room. His
Holiness greeted us very courteously
and cordially. He wore a long white
cassock, with a girdle at the waist;
the fisherman's ring was on his finger
and he wore a small, closely fitting
skull-cap Of white. had an opportun-
ity to study his face. 1t is q round,
strong face, full Of kindness and benev-
olence, but there are not lacking in
dications that its possessor has pur-
pose and will of his own. The face Is
ruddy and tie nose rather long-it is
straight and not arched. His eyes are
large. blue and friendly. The scant
hair visible below the skull-cap is
white. In stature the Holy Father is
about five feet nine or ten inches and
his figure is sturdy, but not too heavy.
His step is light and gives an i'm
preston M ,f stFensth and good health.
His Holiness has already gained a
reputation as's taemneeset poaaih and
enjoys a large. and growing popularity
with the people, fIseis an Arator and
often on Sunday goes into the crowds
that gather quite Informally. His
gestures are said to be graceful and
his voice melodious. His manner is
earnest and his thoughts arc expressed
in clear and emphatic language. There
is feeling in Rome that Plus x. is 60
ing to be known in history as a re-
former-not as reformer Of doctrine,
but as one who will popularize the
church's doctrine with view to in
creasing the heartiness and zeal of the
masses in the application Of religious
truth to evei yday life.
assured His Holiness that I appre-
ciated the opportunity that was his to
give impetus to the moral forces of
the world, ar:i he replied: II hope my
efforts in That direction will be such
as to merit comnendation."
Answering my statement that I
called to present the good will of many
Catholic friends as we'll as to pay my
respects. His Holiness asked me to
carry his berediction back to them.
If may venture an opinion upon
such brief observation, it is that heart
characteristics will dominate the pres
ent pontiff's course. He is not so re-
nowned a scholar and diplomat as was
his predecessor, nor is he so skilled in
statecraft, but he is a virile, energetic,
practical, religious teacher, charitable,
abounding IL good works and full of
brotherly love. .s am confident that
h, will play an important part in the
world wide conflict between man and
mammon.
The world has made and is making
great progress in education and in in
dustry. The percentage Of illiteracy is
everywhere steadily decreasing. The
standards Of art and taste are rising
! and the forces Of nature are being har-
messed to 40 the work of man. Steam,
n,adly escaping from it's prison walls,
turns myriad wheels and drags our
| commerce over land and sea, while
electricity, more fleet of foot than Mer-
curry, has become the message-bearer
! Of millions. Even the waves Of the air
are now obedient to the command OF
man and intelligence is flashed across
the ocean without the aid Of wires
With this dominion over nature man
has been able to advance his physical
well going as we'll as to enlarge his
| mental horizon, but has the moral de-
velopmcnt Of the people kept pace with
material :.rcsperity? The growing an
tagonism between capital and labor
the lack Of sympathy often NANTES,
between those Of the same race and
even Of the same religion, when en-.
Joying incomes quite unequal--these
things would seem to indicate that the
heart has Jagged behind the head ani
the purse. The restoration Of the equi.
librium and the infusing of a feeling