South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-02-25
.Notre Dame News

Impressions of an American
chaplain attending a papal func-
ton IN Rome are told by the Rev.
Charles /. O'DonneIl, c. :. c., poet
laureate Of Indiana and a profess
sor at the University of Notre
Dame, in a letter addressed to DIR.
John Cavanargh. the president.
Lieut.. D'Donneu asserts in his let
ter that Pope Benedict is exactly
the height of Bishop Herman Aler-
ding, of the Fort Wayne diocese,
and moves and acts like him.
Lieut.. O'DOnnell. who is with the
American army in Italy, happened
to be in Rome with a band and
guard of honor to greet Pres't Will
son. Fr. O'Donnell mentions Mgr.
O'Hern, of the American college,
who arranged details of an inter
view held between Pope Benedict
and Pres't Wilson.
The letter follows:
American +. r, Italy,
Jan, 1919.
Dear Father Cavanaugn:-
4 am a hundred years younger
today after receiving your letter Of
Dec. is. Thank Heavens, you have
brought sun even TO Italy.
Il have just returned from Rome,
where l spent seven or eight crowd
ed days. Frere Raphael. who was
of course my genial and devoted.
though French, host and cicerone.
SPOKE lovingly Of you. In point of
language the trip was rather yisit
TO France, and, alas, for my acqui-
sition of French. 1 found it had
gone no deeper than Murphys var
nish, had in fact rubbed off in large
splotches under Italian exposure.
But the brothers quick intelligence
got" me on the fly. so TO speak,
while 1 was duly mumbling and
mangling the verb He had been
keenly suffering from "chagrin"
over poor Father Labbe's death and
the melancholy months which had
preceded it: and hence my coming
was a tonic. He rather paraded
ne, YOU know,-"Chief Chaplain Of
the American Army in Italy" and
all that. As for myself. he has a
decoration from the French gov
eminent for his war work. l gather
that he really did "a great deal at
the station for French troops go
ing and coming.
I had gone down with our band
and a guard of honor for the presi
dent In the actual reception We
were not placed. the italians doing
the whole thing. Later the band
played at the American embassy
during a luncheon 10 the president
had hoped 10 get them in TO sec
the Holy Father, but soldiers were
"unclean" at the Vatican because
of the Flu no public audiences
were being given. The present
pope. I was given 10 understand.
was not easily accessible 1 did no.
have an audience, but attended a
papal function at which ] had a
good opportunity TO study the Holy
Father ut q close range for two
hours or so. You needn't go 70
Rome TO see him. just call on
Bishop Alerdiug. The pope is ex-
actly the height CT our bishop and
moves and acts like him. There is
no facial resemblance. however, nor
any in the manner OF speech After
reading OF the iecrees-it was part
of the canouizatiOn process Of the
Plessed Gabriel and the Venerable
Maria Taigi-the SOY ereign pontiff
spoke for about half an hour A
wonderful vivacious and young and
moving discourse II was. translating
itself 10 the foreigner through It's
magical delivery. DO YOU recall
MonsisnOr Agius, the little prelate
who gave us an enhancing night
years ago. His holiness speaks
like that. only when the paDal