The Irish standard., 1911-04-15
FALSE REPORT
Secular Press Accusing Pope Of Spite.
fully Closing Vatican Museums.

Secular Press Accusing Pope OF Spite.
fully Closing Vatican Museums.
OF late years one of the chief duties
of Catholic journalist is to "say a
word" to disseminators of falsehoods
about the Church or the Holy See. In
other words, he has from time to time
to expose nonsense and those who
spread that common commodity, says
the Rome correspondent OF the Cath
Ole Standard and Times.
This week l have got word to say
to the Public Ledger of Philadelphia,
for its article headed pope May End
Fetes in Italy," which is dated March
from Berlin to Clifden by telegraph,
thence to America by wireless. Let
us copy the little article in full:
Hundreds of American tourists
who are accustomed to migrate to
Italy from Germany and other North
European countries at this season of
the year are holding up their travel
ing plans in consequence of remark
able so-caled 'anti-tourist' bull that
has been issued by the Pope.
Moreover, according to reports
reaching here, His Holiness has de-
cided, as an additional demonstration
against Rome during it's festival cele-
bration this year to make the Vatican
utterly unattractive to foreign WISH
tors.
''ro that end, it is said, the Pope
will keep the Sistine Chapel, the Ra-
phael Loggia and Stanza, the sculp-
ture and painting collections in the
Lateran Museum and other attractions
barred and bolted from now until No
vember l.
Tourist experts predict that II this
ban be actually enforced it will keep
thousands of Americans away from
the Eternal City during the coming
spring. summer and autumn"
Now, the report that the Pope would
close the museums and priceless col
lections of art to the public during the
Italian fetes was publicly contradict
ed about five weeks ago. Just fancy
the Sovereign Pontiff STOPPING to a
petty act of vindictiveness because
puppet king is celebrating, as he is
hidden, the usurpation OF Rome by his
grandfather! No one need have any
fear that the Vatican or anything con.
nected with it shall be closed to them
if they come to the Eternal City. They
are all wide open and will remain so.
And then there is the imaginary
"anti-tourst' bull. Where on earth
the writer to the Public Ledger raked
up such thing is beyond my compre.
| tension. Plus X has neither said one
| word nor taken any action that could
| be calculated in the least to keep any
stranger away from Rome this year
True it is His Holiness will not re.
ceive sovereigns or such illustrious
persons during the "festas" organized
10 commemorate Ille DeSlulllllS VI LIS
Imprisonment in the person of Pic
Mono. Neither will he hold great
Church functions, nor, unless in GER
tain circumstances, allow large bodies
OF pilgrims in his presence. But all
this does not interfere with tourists
I who may wish to come to Rome. In.
deed. it may be taken for granted that
the Pope does not care three straws-
no, nor one straW-how many thou.
sand strangers come to his chief city
this year. The Holy Father is above
that kind Of thing. That train OF
+, thought may we'll suit certain Ameri'
can journals OF the narrow-minded
type, but it would never suit the pow
er and majesty of the head of the
Church, that mighty trple-crowned
sovereign who may confer titles upon
the kings of the earth and yet receive
none i'll return by reason OF the lofti.
ness of his station.