The Washington times., 1913-08-04
POPE CELEBRATES
TENTH ANNIVERSARY
Plus K Was Elevated to Papacy
in August, 19O3-Reforms
He Has Instituted.

| Plus X is today celebrating the tenth
anniversary of his elevation to the
Papacy. On August 4. 1903, Cardinal
Macchi announced to the Catholic world
that the Conclave Of Card nails had
chosen Joseph Sarto, archbishop of
Mantua and patriarch of Venice, to be
J its spiritual ruler.
When the new Pope came out on the
balcony of the basilica of st. Peeter TO
acknowledge the acclamations of thous-
ands people saw only simple man. al
ready growing old, standing there with
a humility that was accentuated all the
more by the pontifical costume which
| he wore
The extraordinary thing was his ap-
pearance there at all, for Plus X at the
very hour of his ascendency had broken
a precedent by appearing so soon after
the announcement of his election. 1t
had been customary for the newIy-eIect-
ed Pope to take a few hours rest be-
fore presenting himself to the multitude.
But Plus \ was adverse to ignoring the
comfort of even the least of his fol-
| lowers.
Americans His First Visitors.
Immediately after his election he gave
his first official audience to a group of
American pilgrims who had gone to
Rome under the leadership of the Rev.
John ]. McGraw.- of New York, and who
found it inconvenient to wait for the
various ceremonies in honor of the new
Pope.
While he talked with these Americans
dignitaries of church and state, and
even royalty, were compelled TO wait.
| The cardinals demonstrated with him.
| kilograms from crowned heads remain
ed unread. Ambassadors from Euro
pean courts clamored for an early au-
dience. But to Piux X ii was necessary
| that these Americans. who were not
rich, must not be delayed in Rome to
| their additional cost. Throughout the
The peoples pope"
Chosen by conclave OF cardinals no
longer aristocratic In personnel and no
longer italian In majority, Piux X was
not a haphazard selection. The choice
| OF Joseph Sarto, .he son of peasant
parents. really dates back to the days
l when Leo XIII began to choose his
| cardinals. For Leo, though the scion
| OF noble family, was also the de-
scendant of Rienzi, and he chose his
an aristocratic stock. 1t was this at
titude that made possible the election
of Joseph Sarto, the peasant. the man
OF the people, the first Pope Of humble
origin since the time Of Sixtus v. the
pope who had been a swineherd-
Has Been Peoples Pope.
There has been nothing spectacular in
the pontificate OF Plus x. Contrary to
expectations. he did not depart from
| the policies of his predecessor. but
rather confirmed them But he gave
the color of his own personality to
those policies. Leo had been a states
| man because the times called Tor a
statesman. He had been al various
brtlliancy. polish and diplomacy Of an
| ambassador and a noble, but he had
always shown himself a priest.
But the courts were changing with
| ing themselves. Labor was sitting on
| the legislative and the administrative
bench. A peoples Pope" was needed.
The light cynicism of the mobiles had
given way to the matertalism of the
peasant. A new policy had to be dove
tailed into the old A new program
had, 70 be arranged.
In his first message to the world
Plus X outlined that program 1t was
purely spiritual; no reference to the
politics of nations was made. He an
noCnced that 1t was his intention Ito
restore all things in Christ" He saw
that il was no longer a question of
temporal power or the clash between
church and state that needed his ef-
forts. He found that the enemy with
which he had to cope was not alto
gether on the outside of the church. He
Immediately called for a spiritual revo-
luton.
In the Vatican he left everything in
the same position as II was under Leo.
All the officials In charge were recon-
flrmed in their ofrice.
Demanded Better Music.
Coming from Venice he was artist
enough 10 realize that spiritual growth
was being retarded by what would
seem to the average man a mere ac-
cessory of church ritual, church music
Writing to the faithful, he said: For
the devout psalm singing of the clergy,
in which the people Joined, have been
substituted interminable musical COM
positions, all figured after the manner
Of old operas, and for the most part
So Wretched from the point of
view OF art that they would never
be tolerated even at unimportant sec
ular concerts. They feed the curiosity
of some persons of slight negligence
but the majority of people are only
disgusted and scandalized."
And he ordered the bishops of every
diocese throughout the world TO appoint
a commission of competent persons to
select music that is not only good in it.