The Irish standard., 1916-06-03
The Papacy in the
Year of Revolutions

Pope's charge. Another day boy
tried to push through the Swiss Guards
to present a petition. There was a
noise, and the Pope having asked the
reason, ordered the petition to be
brought to him. 1t ran thus: Most
Holy Father-My mother is old and in
firm, ! am too young to support her
life and mine. Our landlord, a bad
man, will turn us out tomorrow, if We
don't pay him the four scudi we owe
him. Deign to lend them. will pay
you when am bigger" What is your
name, my good child, and how old are
you?" asked the Pope. II am Paul,
and l am ten years old" he replied.
What trade is your father?" Hes
waiting in paradise for us these ten
years" "And your mother?" "She
embroiders, and prays from morning
till night" The boy was told to come
next day. Meanwhile his story was
tested and proved true When he re-
turned Plus handed him ten scudi. II
did not ask for ten," he said, handing
back six. Take them again, my good
Child said Plus, land tell your moth
err will look after her for the future"
One night man in a priests habit en-
tered one Of the public hospitals. A
; patient was writhing in bed as he
passed. 1t was poor French artist
who felt he was dying, and was anx-
ious to make his confession. The al
moner was sought in vain. The UNI
known priest at once administered the
last sacraments, and the poor fellow
expired in his ar:.ls. Next day the al
moner was dismissed. The unknown
priest was the Pope. He often visited
the imprisoned debtors to inquire into
their cases, and many a time did he
open their prison doors and hand them
as he walked out of the Quirinal sol
der held out to him a regulation loaf.
The Pope took it and saw it was bad.
''Do you always get bread like this?"
he asked. always. your Holiness"
said the soldier. well, we will look
to it," said Plus X, and walked on.
Next day he asked for loaf of the
bread, and found it was similar The
purveyOr was arrested and sent to
prison to be tried for fraud. After
his elevation to the pontificate he
made known to his brothers and neph-
ews that they must not expect pre-
ferment by reason of their relation
ship. Not a single member of his
family held a public position or Office
either in the Papal States or at any
foreign court. His election to the See
of Peter rather injured his family than
otherwise. a.
Austria and the Pope.
The liberality of Plus was not by
any means pleasing to the Austrian
government, who were holding in
! thraldom considerable portion of
Italy and Italian people. THE spec.
tacle of an Italian prince" wrote pa.
per of the day, relying for the main.
tenance Of his power on the affection
ate regard and the national sympathies
of his people-the resolution of the
Pope to pursue a course of moderate
reform, to encourage railroads. to
cmancipate the press, to admit lay.
men to offices in the state, and to pur.
ify the law, but, above all. the digni
fled independence of action manifested
by the court of Rome. have filled the
Austrians with evaporation and ap
prehension." A most wanton aggres.
sion by Austria-the occupation OF
Ferrara-did occur in July, IS47. Then
came 1S4S, and in Rome as elsewhere
there was a demand for constitution
The demand was in consOnance with
the POpe's own lcanings and actions
and was readily conceded. A Roman
parliament was inaugurated on June
5th, but the time was not favorable
to patient development, and that kind
OF political evolution which alone
brings stability to states and peoples
Paris was ablaze. Vienna took fire
Milan rose. Venice proclaimed a re
public. At this moment Plus conceived
the great scheme which Cavour after
wards appropriated. though it cannot
be said that it improved in his keep
ing. The Pope was an Italian patriot
He now showed himself an able states
man. He saw a way Of accomplishing
Italian independence. and he woulC
have succeeded if all the rulers OF
Italy had been as patriotic as he was
himself First of all he saw the neces
s1ty Of forming national league
Naples, Tuscany, and other states
agreed. The Sandman government re
fused to send delegates to Rome and
put forward the alternative of con
gress in the north Of Italy. Needless
to say that was the obviously wrong
method. Rome alone could have
achieved the purpose in view at that
moment, If for no other reason than
that the southern states were sus