Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-07-21
Has Hasty, Frugal Meals When
He Feels He Can Spare Time
From His Duties.
SIMPLICITY RULES HIS LIFE
Unusual Number Of Audiences Granted
by Pontiff in Few Months--Refuses
to Allow Traditions to Interfere
With Mode Of Life.

Rome.-Pius N is man who
thrives on work, and he insists, against
MS Doctors orders on devoting at least
JIG hours of the "a to management of
the church.
Probably never since the time of Leo
XIII have so many audiences been
granted as in the last few months with
diplomats as well as pilgrims The
papal encourage, accustomed to Bene-
diets precision in keeping TO one O'clock
as his luncheon hour, find 1t a little
difficult to adapt themselves to Plus
new rule-that audiences come first
and meal time is a second considera-
ton. Many thousand pilgrims hastened
10 Rome for the Eucharistic congress
and within certain number of days
were due TO be on their homeward jour
ney. in consideration of this the pope
decided that all the different groups Of
pilgrims must be received and greeted
within this limited time,
This necessitated making the holy
fnthers luncheon a movable feast
Some days he lunches at two o'clock
and sometimes a few minutes before.
but never at one o'clock or II 30
o'clock, which was always Plus ks
hour. Though the pope's doctor in
sists that no man can stand this and
keep well, hard work in 2ome being
contrary to habit anc the climate, the
holy fathers Only answer is that he
has always been busy man and likes
to get through what he sets out to do
No amount OF demonstrating causes
him to change his mind.
Breaks Old Custom.
It always has been the custom for
the pope to have the walls of his suite
covered not with paper but with dam
ask, and up to the present every pope
has accepted what was tradition in
papal housefurnishing. When Plus XI
visited his apartments on the third
floor of his palace he ordered that the
tapestry be taken down, the walls
scraped and white wall paper put up
with the exception of his private
chapel, which was to remain decorated
with damask,
The papal private suite consists Of
seven rooms, besides waiting room
and modern bathroom, which was re-
modelled this year. There is. besides
the popes bedroom, drawing room. din
ing room, two waiting rooms, study
and chapel suite Tor the private sec
retaries Monsignor Gonfalonieri and
Monsignor Venini, who held their posts
with the pope when he was archbishop
of Milan. Plus MS chapel is the room
where Benedict died. The present bed.
room was under the last pontiicate the
private chapel, It Is moderate-sized
room. with a brass hedstead, a ma.
hegany chest of drawers ,and small
desk. Above the bed is a large picture
of the Madonna Of Good Counsel.
On the chest of drawers is a small
mirror, the only one in the suite OF
rooms Three straight chairs, one In
front Of the desk, one by the bed and
one against the wall, complete the rest
OF the furniture in the room. When
the private secretaries suggested that
an easy chair would be of use his
holiness pointed out that he had given
mp sitting in easy chairs. as he feared
IL would make him grow stout.
Cares Nothing for Tradition.
His holiness is not one 20 allorg ira
aition TO interfere with his usual mode
OF life. He wishes to follow the sam,
simple customs he has been used Il
all his life. One of these is thar ii
his own private apartments he ha:
around him only his personal attend
ants, who know his love of simplicity
and abide by Z. In his life down in the
papal reception rooms he allows the
tradition of centuries to be kept up
For this reason no one is allowed il