The Irish standard., 1918-11-09
Audience With His Holiness
Pope Benedict XIV.
Reginald T. Townsend War Correspondent Writes Entertain
ingly Of his Visit to ltaIy---Ie||s Of His Meeting
With the Pope and Impressions Formed.

Editors Note: When he was in
Italy Mr.. Townsend made a special
effort to obtain an audience with the
Pope in order that he might tell the
many Catholic members of the Ameri-
can Red Cross something of the Holy
Father. In the following article he
tells of his meeting with the Pope and
Of his impressions of Benedict XVI
Despite my best efforts l was late.
The evening before on returning to my
hotel I had found note from the
Holy See telling me that His Holiness,
Pope Benedict XIV, would receive me
next day at noon at the Vatican.
l had calculated that half an hour
would DO more than ample time for
me to drive to the Vatican, but was
reckoning without the speed of the
Anticipated cab-horse of wartime in
Rome. AS the hands of the clock
crept nearer the hour l urged the
coacher to greater speed, but despite
his best efforts "Bucephalus" could
not be coaxed out of a Jog trot, so just
as the gun from the CASTILLO Angelo
doomed twelve we drove up the square
of st. Peters and drew up at the en-.
trance to the Vatican.
Standing on guard at the doorway
was a Swiss guard in the uniform de-
signed by Michael Angelo, slashed
with great stripes of red, yellow and
black, with steel casque on his head
and long pike at his side. He glanced
at my card Of invitation, clicked his
heels smartly together and saluted.
guard in black doublet and red
breeches showed me the way up sew
eral staircases Of pure white marble
and through several rooms (the paint
ings on the walls and ceilings l should
have liked to have paused to admire,
but time did not allow into a great
throne room where the Pope receives
Pilgrims on occasions of ceremony.
There are two other throne rooms
one where His Holiness receives Roy.
atty and the other where he receives
members of the diplomatic corps at
tached to the Holy See, for the ma
jority Of the great nations have diplo-
matte Representatives at the Vatican,
and cen China and Japan are said to
be sending representatives.
The throne room is large rectan-
gular shaped room. At one end is the
pontifical throne, raised on dais and
under canopy, upon which is en-
broidered in gold the Papal coat of
arms. At the opposite end of the room
sole ornament in it-stands a large
crucifix, with the figure of the Saviour
carved from a single piece of faultless
ivory. This was a gift from the EN-
peror Napoleon I of France to the
then reigning Pope. On tho walls are
several paintings depicting the life of
Christ, and the ceiling is beautifully
carved and gilded.
Everywhere one turned one encoun-
tered some member of the Pope's
household, which is said to number
over thousand Swiss guards, Papal
Gendarmes in tri-cornered hats-not
unlike the Gendarmes of the Italian
Government-Papal dragons in light
blue trousers and coats of dark blue
and steel helmets, and on either side
Of the door Of the throne room were
posted two strapping big guards in
white buckskin breeches, black coats,
white epaulettes and sashes wearing
great fur shakoes on their heads that
made them look especially tall. Then
there were many servants in court
costumes Of purple silk or black silk.
The whole ensemble is one of great
p1cturesqueness and dignity.
But our audience was to be held in
a smaller room, where His Holiness
receives more Informally, and here we
awaited his appearance. AS in the
great throne room, so in this, there
was a throne at one end of the room.
On one side of this were drawn up a
group of eight or ten little girls, all
dressed in white, who were about to
make their first communion. Their
little olive-tinted faces and dark eyes
marked contrast with the white
wells each one wore-lit up with pleas
urable anticipation, and opposite them
on the other side of the throne a
group of nuns and priests dressed all
in black. Facing the throne were a
number of the Pope's guard of honor
in dark blue with gold epaulettes and
on their heads steel and brass helmets
that curved gracefully to a point, SINH
lar to the helmets of the old Roman
warriors. They alone of the men pres.
emit remained covered in the presence
Of the Holy Father. A chamberlain
S,onfiov I'd mn IN - ~,1oo@