The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-12-30
PEN PICTURE
Of the Public consistory Which Was
Recently Held in Rome.


Weekly we are enabled to present our
readers with the following pen pic.
ture of the Public Consistory recently
held in Rome, whereby three new
American Cardinals were added to the
Senate Of the Catholic Church. 1t is
part Of graphic article cabled to
Golfers by Ford Maddox Hueffner,
the well known English Catholic nove-
list, and appears for the first time
this week in Golfers:
This is the day of the public con.
sistory. the day of the most pomp and
perhaps, of the least intimate satis-S
faction. The crowd today is enor-
nous. many poor people being gath
cred in the outer halls to see the Pope
borne by in his high golden chair.
There came in a long procession
the secretaries of the new Cardinals,
many guards with pixies. the old Car
dinals in scarlet, in black, and in tho
colors Of their orders. 2ff
And then 1 CHANGED to look to my
right. The high hall was rather
gloomy, with IL sort of square effect,
but very lofty. The portal was a high
square of bright light, the rays of the
sun falling to be reflected against q
white wall with some faded pink and.
blue frescoes.
And suddenly against this light I
saw an immense thing. darting and
swaying slightly. 1t suggested yes.
really it suggestcd-an apparition
borne on high with two great fans
swaying one on each side entirely
black against the light of the high
portal. 1t was rather frightening, but
one knew that it was the throne of
the Pope OF Rome. When it came
into the light Of the high windows we
could see a bent form beneath a great
inter OF shining gold. To speak hon
estly. did not notice what color were
the clothes he wore. / was SO taken
up with the face and the hands that
gave the benediction that 1 never saw
his dress, though twice he passed close
to me.
But it was the face, suddcncd by
the cares of a world, supported by the
prayers OF World-a brownish, SIM
pie, shrewd, infinitely wise face--wise,
as 1t were, with the wisdom of a nat
ural object, a tree it might be, or
rock or u very old, wise peasant. It
made me infinitely sad to see this
prisoner of the Vatican, and | am sure
that there is no man, whatsoever his
creed or leanings, that could miscall
this man once he had seen his face.
For now ! am certain that whatever
this man does is dictated by the i'm
perious will of simple conscience
ana high. pure. ilumclillc soul.
AS FOR the pomp of the ceremony,
1t was not so very great. Why should
1t be? TO each of the new Cardinals
there went out an old Cardinal to
fetch him in, and once moro they all
passed before our eyes.
one by one they were led up to the
Holy Fnther sitting in his high chair,
A candle was lit. Each had the pur.
pie cowl of his purple robe lifted I'm
over his head. and above the head OF
each the Holy Father set the immense.
ly broad -brinmed red hat while he
said the exhortation.
Then for moment the great gold
ell mitcr was removed while he bless
cd us all and we made the responses,
Tho Cardinals and their secretaries.
with pikcmen and many Monsignors
in dull purple, made an outward
bound procession, and suddenly the
great fans beside the dais waved and
began to move.
THE Holy Father was going away
again aloft on his golden throne, and
some of us who know that he suffers
from the swaying motion of this
splendid object observed q touching
thing. -Four bearers with a small red
sedan chair painted with the papal
arms were trying to force a passage
for 1t through the great crowd of
monsignori, and we knew that the
sovereign Pontiff desired to get down
from his high throne and into that
humble carriage. But there was no
getting the chair through the crowd
to the throne, and it was lovely and
touching to see the courteous wave
of the hand with which the Pope
greeted the officer who concernedly
brought him the news. It was the !.
finest smile of resignation. And then
he was borne before us, seeming to
have become very old, heavily bur-
dened man with distant smile sci
upon who knows what unseen hills Of
peace"