Evening star., 1932-03-20

4 reminder Of the middle ages seem w
Vatican City in Holy Week. Members
of the brotherhood of Misericordia
going to seek the Pope's blessing.
\ /ATICAN CITY, incidentally, will display to
v the eyes of pilgrims from the United States
q number of very familiar looking automobiles.
There are no less than All automobiles owned
In the city, and the ma jority are OF American
manufacture with Italianmade cars in Sec
ond place. Pope Plus, for instance, OWLS
among other cars-an up-to-date American
automobile, put at his disposal by wealthy
Americans.
Vatican City possesses one store-or, rather,
q store room-Which is under strict govern
ment supervision, and from which casual WIS.,
itOrs are not allowed to purchase anything.
This is the visitors loss for prices in this
store are well below the level of prices else
where in Rome proper.
THE use of the store is confined to the 656
] citizens of the state. to the Swiss guards
and their families, and so on Coffee, for IN
stance sells at about the price it brings in
Brazil cigarettes are offered at cost and gaso-
line, brought in duty-free retails at about 20
cents a gallon-as compared with so cents
outside Vatican City.
Naturally, the ordinary pilgrim sees little or
nothing of the Pope, unless he obtains spe-
cial audience with him or attends one Of the
pontifical masses at which he ofhciates. The
figure of the Holy Father is seldom seen out
side of the Vatican and the Vatican gardens,
except on days when there are special func-
tions which require his presence.
His day Is an exceedingly busy one.
D IsING before in the morning, he oeie-
~ brates the mass in his private chapel,
which adjoins his bed room on the third floor
OF the Vatican. He then descends to the
second floor and enters his study.
In this room, Of which the three windows
can be seen from st. Peters Square, he spends
the entire morning. Regular consultations
with the cardinal secretary of state, accu-
rate examination Of the daily newspapers, and
attendance to voluminous mass of correspond.
ence from all over the world take up thD
morning.
At noon begin the private and public audi
ences. These always take up good deal OF
the Holy Fathers time, and never is this
quite as true as during Holy week, when there
are pilgrims present from all parts OF the
globe. During Easter week, for instance, 1t
is often 3 o'clock before the Pope can dine.
BY long-established tradition, the Pope must
take his meals alone. However, since the es-
tablishment of Vatican City made necessary
an extensive rebuilding program, he often uses
the dinner hour to converse with the archi-
tects and engineers. These officials do not
partake of the meal with him, but they give
their suggestions, explain the progress of the
work and receive their orders while the Pope
Is taking his meal
A FTER dinner the Pope usually enters the
\ Vatican gardens for a stroll in the cool
of the day. Sometimes his white figure
noy1 IHa lie from
which a beautiful panoramic view of Rome
can be had.
At O'Clock, or shortly thereafter, he usually
returns to his study, where he works until late
in the evening. His evening meal served late.
Is extremely simple-as, for that matter, are
all OF his meals-and usually consists simply
OF cup of coffee and milk and two rtsks.
Then his daY ends with nraYerS in his pri-