The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-01-28

TURES - HOLY fRiH Eh im-
PRESSED VISITOR WITH HIS
SANITY MEEkNEss AND
STRONG FORCE OF cHARAc-
TER.
editors Note: When he was in
Italy, Mr. Reginald T. Townsend
made a special effort to obtain an
audience with the Pope in order that
he might tell the many Catholic mem
bers of the American Red Cross some
thing of the Holy Father. In the fol-
lowing article he tells of his meeting
with the Pope and of his impressions
of Benedict XVI
Despite my best efforts | was late.
The evening before on returning to
my hotel I had found note from the
Holy See telling me that His Holt
ness, Pope Benedict XIV, would re-
eeive me next day at noon at the
Vatican.
l had calculated that half an hour
would be more than ample time for
me to drive to the Vatican, but | was
reckoning without the speed of the
antiquated cab-horse of wartime in
Rome AS the hands of the clock
erept nearer the hour | urged the
coacher to greater speed, but despite
his best efforts "Bucephalus" could
not be coaxed out of jog trot, SO just
as the gun from the Castel SAINT An
gelo doomed twelve we drove up the
square of st. Peters and drew up at
the entrance 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 spike at his side. He glanced
heels smartly together and saluted.
From there a sergeant of the Swiss
guard in black, doublet and red
breaches showed me the way up sew
eral staircases of pure white marble
and through several rooms (the paint
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 cere-
| mony. There are two other throne
| rOoms-one where His Holiness re-
ceives royalty and the other where he
receives members of the diplomatic
corps attached to the Holy See, for
| the majority of the great nations have
diplomatic representatives at the Vat
lean, and even 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 a canopy, upon which is
| embroidered in gold the Papal coat of
arms At the opposite end OF the
room-sole ornament in it-stands
| a large crucify, with the figure of the
| Saviour carved from single piece of
faultless ivory. This was a gift from
| the Emperor Napoleon / of France to
the then reigning Pope. On the walls
are several paintings depicting the
| life Of Christ, and the ceiling is beau
| tifully carved and gilded
! Everywhere one turned one en-
| countered 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 ger 1armes 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
lposted two strapping big guards in
white buckskin breaches, black coats
| white epaulettes and sashes, wearing
great fur shaEoes 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
pieturesqueness and dignity.
/ But our audience was to be held in
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 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 tc
make their first communion. Their
little olive-tinted faces and dark eyes
marked contrast with the white
wells each one wore--lit UP with
lpleasurable anticipation, and opposite
4 them on the other side of the throne
a group of nuns and priests dressed
all in black Facing the throne were
number of the Popes guard of hon
or in dark blue with gold epaulettes
and on their heads steel and brass
helmets that curved gracefully to g
! point, similar to the helmets of the
old Roman warriors. They alone OF
1.-THE men present remained covered
in the presence of the Holy Father
A chamberlain motioned me to {
place between these and the priests
In the ante-chamber, several Mon
signori in purple awaited. Suddenly
door opened and His Holiness step
Iped quietly into the room.
4 Instinctively every one-priests
nuns, children and soldiers-droppet
to one knee. But for moment only
The first thing that the Pope did was
to bid them rise and stand at thei
ease.
First impressions are sometime: