The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-02-16
POPES HAVE COME
FROM ALL WALKS
RESIGN OF Plus TX WAS LONG.
EST OF ALL, THIRTY.
ONE YEARS.
(ByFrederick J. Haskin.)

(ByFrederick J. Haskin.)
Washington, Feb. s.-Pius XI is the
260th pope. Leo NH considered that
he was the 263rd pope, but since his
death Eve names have been discarded
from the list owing to the doubt Of
their being authentic.
The popes have sprung from all
walks in life. Sixtus V herded sheep,
Leo K came from family who were
masters of Florence because of their
riches, Adrain vi was the son of a
ship carpenter, Paul V was a noble,
Sixtus w was a waif, and Plus K
was peasant. The reign of Plus TX
was the longest of any pope, and that
of Boniface vi was the shortest. The
former ruled for 81 years, and the
latter but Is days.
Volumes have been written about
the personalities and eccentricities of
the popes. Sixtus v was so aggres-
sive that he changed the face of
Rome and the world in five years.
Plus TX was such chronic speech
maker that he delivered all addresses
in a little more than four years-an
average of two week. Gregory XVI
was hard headed and opposed the con-
struction of railways because he be-
lieved that mechanical industry would
deprive many people of their means
@: livelihood. : Macaulay says hat Leo
x occupied himself with canoes,
jewels, antiques and new sauces. Uic-
olas V was fond Of books and had a
passion for building. Leo XIII was
cold, calculating and scholarly, and
accomplished much by his masterful
diplomacy. The private character Of
some Of the popes has been assailed,
particularly that of Alexander vi, mho
was in power when the news o. CO.
lumbus' discovery of America reached
Rome.
Army Lost In st. Peters.
! There are so. many churches in
Rome that to visit them at the rate
Of one a day would require more than
a years time. These vary in size
from the small chapel capable Of &C
commodating only a few persons, to
great St. Peters which is so large
that once when the Roman army went
there to attend mass the assembled
rank and file fell so far short of fill
ing the vast ediice that when the
general arrived he looked about him
! hastily and concluded that the army
was late. There are 10000 persons
ir Rome who devote their whole time
to ecclesiastical matters.
st. Peters not only dwarfs all the
other churches of Rome, but ranks
a: the giant edifiCe of the world. A
famous author ikened the surprise oc-
casioned by the first view Of its tow
ering proportions to the feeling one
would have if he met man 40 feet
! tall. Figures and comparisons can
only partially portray the real magni-
tude of this colosscs. 1t covers six
acres. It's main aisle is an eighth
of mile long, and its dome is a
18th of a mile high. If st. Peters
were flooded the largest ship that
sails the ocean could steam up the
central aisle and its masts would
scarcely reach above the top Of the
high altar. If its capacity were taxed
to the utmost a congregation of S0,-
900 people might assemble within its
walls, and 100000 more could wait
outside within the enclosure Of the
colonnades. In the lofty dome there
is mosaic of st. Luke with a pen
in his hand. From the great height
the pen seems of ordinary size, but
in reality it is eight feet long.
On account of its age, and because
l. shelters the burial place of the
apostle for whom it was named, St..
Peters has been called the parent
church of Christendom. When Nero's
executioners led the old fisherman
away to his death, he was so infirm
that he could not carry his cross,
and they crucified him where he fell
beneath it's weight. The old chroni-
cles state that few weeping Chris
tians knelt there in the yellow sand
that same night to pray, and men
have been going there to worship ever
since.
First a little chapel marked the
spot, then larger structure cover
ed it for 1,1OO years, finally to give
way to the present towering pile which
was commenced 466 years ago. Great
toll and great wealth were expended
in rearing this mighty cathedral, and