The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-16
Pen PICTURE OF
POPE Plus TENTH
An American Editor Gives
His Impression of the
Head of the Catholic
Church
Expresses His Feeling in
the Phrase. of Scripture:
"And Enoch Walked with
God.'

Writing from Rome to his home pa
per, Mr.. Chas. K. McCIatchy, editor
| of the Sacramento Bee, says: 'Tht
same sun that gilds ST. Peters demt
shines upon the Quirinal, the home
| of PopeS cOnfiScated at a. palace for
kings. In the one resides the Dem
| ocratic sovereign of nearly 800, 000,0 0t
! In the other the aristocratic. ruler OF
| about $4,000, 900.
| 1t is with the former this letter will
| deal, not with the latter.
Forthcoming aside entirely al
| question Of religion or creed, and
viewing the two men as men, alike
under the rule of might and accord
ing to the scale of merit-there is alb
solutely no comparison between them
The king of Italy is-well he's the
King of Italy-let 1t rest at that. He
is in possession Of a temporary toy,
which may be taken from him at any
moment. And, judging from the un-
dercurrent, it will not be many years
before Victor Emmanuel II. will be
fleeing to find home in England,
that haven of the deposed and sane
tuary for kings that have been.
Let US. therefore, wander to ST. Pc
ter's and into the Vatican adjoining.
And let us there look at the man rath-
er than at the Pope.
Primarily, 1t may be stated that
the first view of ST. Peters is a dis
appointment. Its height does not ap-
peal because of it's immensely. But
changed; you know the half has not
been told. When you return to that
worlds marvel again and again, then
the exterior looms greater in your eyes
because of your knowledge Of it's in
terror.
There is no need to say aught more
in this letter about the greatest re-
ligious edifice the world has ever
seen-probably ever will see. Nor
would 1t be advisable to descant upon
the vatican-gloomy In it's exterior, an
Aladdin's palace of surprises within.
Any public library will furnish any
reader with far more information up
vey.
So to Pope Plus X.
No picture has yet given full ex-
preston to that wonderful face-that
embodiment of humor and care-that
mingling of delicious fun and brood
windows of the soul through which
comedy peeps now and then behind
a veil whose droop is pathos itself.
AS Plus X comes into the audience
room, he comes bowed, feeble, worn
out man. HIS eyes are pathetic be-
yond expression, They have in them
a look of godlike pity. Of all en-
behind their curtains darts glance
at once all-embracing, and penetrat-
ing. all scrutinizing-the glance Of an
eagle from the eye Of a dove.
For that searching look carried
with it an expression so full Of pity,
of love, of charity, to all, that I all
most thought I was talking to my
self as caught the whisper Of a zeal.
Gus Protestant friend next to me to-
his wife: There surely is Christly
man if ever there was one"
Pope Plus x, is the most demo-
has to very striking extent abolish
ed ceremony, ostentation and courtlyl
effects. Some little remains in the
shape of a handful of picturesque
guards and brightly-dressed attend
ants; but the brilliant pomp which
accompanied the receptions Of Leo
XIII, has been brushed aside.
In a series of magnificent rooms in
side the meerschaum-colored Vatican
in fact, the exteriors of many o.
the greatest edifices in Rome, st. Pc
ter's included, are the tint of a we'll
smoked fine-pipe-in these rooms ap-
pears a bowed, sad-looking, feeble,
old mana peasant, the son OF peas
ant, the descendant of peasants-a
Pope from and of the people. IL ever
there was one-a Pope unashamed, on
the contrary proud, of what the
world would call his lowly origin, but
which Christ Jesus might term his
blessed beginning-a Pope who is to-
day as plain and unpretending. and
kind, and loveable as he was in Ven
Ice where a whole city held and holds
him In deep affectioni yes, as he was
before he commenced his labors for
the Church.
A simple and kindly bow, an almost
seraphic smile from that tired face, |
rrIo 4hA
and then he squares the apartment, |
giving his ring to be kissed in turn |
to each of the kneeling visitors. Then |
comes the blessing.
AS the words issue from those low
ing lips of the humblest of Jesus fol- |
lowers, something new and soothing |
and blessed seems to people the air. |
Its effect may be described in the |
words Of my strong Protestant friend |
as we were going out: ct feel like |
a. new and better man. I understand /
now, as I never fully grasped before,
what the Israelites mean when they
said the spirit of God had descended |
upon them"
That Protestant has no faith in the
creed. but there suddenly |
sprang into his being the supremest |
confidence in Plus X, the most une
bounded respect for him-a respect |
that has reached a positive affection
he WENT 10 that ITSI du0lcHCS OQt VI
pure curiosity He attended a sec
ond one in a spirit almost of ven-
Grafton And now he is endeavoring
to make arrangements whereby he
can be blessed by the peasant Pope
before he leaves Rome.
And his wife has caught the fever
quite as badly as he.
That simple little incident undoubt-
edly repeated every day at these au
give a better idea of the
atmosphere surrounding Plus v, and
Of the effect of his personality. than
could paragraph after paragraph of
description.
The thought that came over me as
that loving and lovable face smiled
behind it's veil of pathos-as that sim
pie and humble follower of the lowly
Christ Who was Graded in a manger
gave the benediction-the thought
that burst upon me came from that
most expressive phrase in Scripture:
And Enoch walked with Cod
For surely if to-day On earth there
IS man who companions with the
Almighty, it is this peasant success
sor to the fisherman Pope-this We
1etian priest, and Bishop, and Car
Jino1 wbo f1I1611S the nronhoru thay |