The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-12-20
Quietly Celebrates Mass at st.
Johns Commemorative so
Years as a Priest
DEPARTURE UNsUsPECTEO
First Pontiff to Hold Services in
Mother Church Since Be.
fore 1870 Trouble

Rome, Dec. 2O.-(P)-Popc Plus x1,
ending nearly go years OF :clf I'M
prisonment Of the popcs in the Vat
can, made his exit at dawn today
from the pontifical quarters and n
tered Italian territory.
It was the first time sircc 1870,
when the kingdom OF United Italy
was formed ami tho papal state de-
stroyed, that q pope had eft the
vatican.
Notifying hardly anyone, his holi>
mes drove at GAS a. m. In an auto
mobile from the Vatican to st. John
Lateran, the palace or church where
last Feb. IL the treaties were signed
solving the so-called Roman question.
Even most OF his encourage knew
nothing OF the departure.
Priest 50 Years
He celebrated mass at st. Johns,
commemorating the fiftieth ami
versary Of his ordination as q priest.
So unassuming was the departure
and so unforeseen that the public
was unaware that history mad been
made until issuance of a bulletin n
nouncing the event by the Stcfanl
News Agency at 9:55 a. m.
st. John Lateran is the mother
church Of Chritendom." and Is con-
sidered the cathedral OF Rome. It
was therefore natural that the pope.
who is bishop OF Rome, should go
there. He was the first pope to celc-
brate mass at st. John Latcran since
Plus TX.
The pontiff left tho Vatican at s
q. m. accompanied by M0nsignor
Caccia Dominione, Chamberlain OF
his household. and q few other at
tendants. Meanwhile he had had the
director OF the Lombard seminary
notified since he wished to be assisted
at mass by the students Of the school.
The Lombard Seminarians served
young Don Achille Ratti Dec. 81. 1879,
when the pope said his first mass at
San Carlo AL Corso. and he wished
their successors to be with him for
the fiftieth anniversary OF his priest
hood.
Shortly after he arrived at the PAL
ace the students Of the Roman SEMI
nary received word Of the momentous
event and hastily came to the church
where they assisted the pontiff. The
pope said the regular low mass OF the
fourth Friday In advent with COM
menoration Of Saint Liberatus, the
bishop whose feast falls today.
Wears Mourning vestment
The pontiff wore the dark purple
vestments suitable to mourning sea-
son OF advent Wednesdays and Fri-
days OF which are observed IS days Of
fasting and abstinence.
The altar at which the pope OFF,
ciated was the very one before which
he was ordained SO years ago.
The voluntary self-exile o. the
popes IN the Vatican began IN 1870
when the troops OF the first Victos
Emanuel took Rome In the name o:
the kingdom Of United Italy. Pope
Plus TX, his temporal power ended,
! withdrew to the Vatican, never there
after to leave 1t.
His successors emulated his example,
the relations with the House OF Savoy
continuing strained until recently
when the present pontiff, Plus TX
and the Italian premier, Benito Mus
solini. sought . solution. s..
This solution : was reached with
signing in the Lateran palace Feb. II
Of the so-called Lateran treaties. es'
tablishing the Vatican and certain
surrounding territory as the Vatican
state or Vatican city.