The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-12-30

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Vatican officials are not saying
much about it, but the Pope's
condition Is due to q combination
Of Affections including uremic
poisoning, varicose veins and
weak heart. The veins have
formed blood-clots below his
knees, which In q man Of less
robust constitution might alone
prove fatal especially at his
age. He is now 20.
At one time an inflammation
appeared behind the Pontiff's
ears which led his physicians to
believe that he had a slight cere-
bral hemorrhage. This, however,
has cleared up.
One difficulty In treating His
Holiness has been his distaste for
medicine. When first confined to
his bed, the Vatican doctor asked
him about some medicine he
had prescribed some weeks before.
'Look in that chest" replies
His Holiness.
And in the chest the physician
found all the medicine he had
prescribed for the last two years
UNTOUCHED.
Rigid Routine
Counteracting this is. the rigid
routine which the Pope has fol-
lowed all his life and which has
built up o remarkable constitu-
ton for q man of his years.
All his life Pope Plus has risen
at T.. said mass at 7:3O, and break
tasted at 8, eating only coffee,
rolls and butter. After q morn
ing occupied with conferences
with church officials and his regu-
lar private and public interviews,
he lunched at 1880, eating very
frugally and drinking only one
glass of wine. Immediately
thereafter he walked in the Vati-
can gardens, usually for at least
an hour, though frequently long
er, II the weather was good.
Conferences were resumed again
In the afternoon at about $3.50
or 4, and continued until enarly 8.
when His Holiness again wor-
SHIPPED In his private chapel.
Members OF his household at
tended.
Dinner was served at 8, during
which two private secretaries went
over correspondence with him. No
one would be allowed to sit with
him at the same table. After
dinner he read until midnight, at
which hour he usually went to
bed.
Vatican Agreement
When the Pope passes, he prob
ably will be known to history for
his re-establishment of friendly
relations between the Vatican and
the Italian government. For go
years-until February IL, 1929
they had been iat swords points.
But on that day Pope Plus and
Mussolini signed the concordat
re-establishing the htemporal
power Of the Pope over the Vati-
can.
Purely from a political view
point this was one of the wisest
moves Mussolini ever made. For
1t lined up behind him the power
Of the entire Catholic church.
And during the Ethiopian war
the church went down the line
for Mussolini 100 per cent. Had
they desired, the priests could
have checked the patriotic surge
Of the italian people. Instead they
raised tremendous amounts Of
money.
Mussolini's Religion
Mussolini now makes a great
show Of being a fervent church.
man. About four years ago he
went to the Vatican and took
communion, has put out the idea
that he prays daily. He gave a
golden rosary to his daughter
Edda as wedding present.
"That, however, Is more Mus
solini politics. Actually, ii
Duce Is just as much an atheist
as ever, and both he and his
father before him have been
unauthorized Inbelievers.
AS a result Of Mussolinis
shrewd politics, the church today
is throwing its weight behind him
even outside Italy. Italian
Fascism is held up as a model in
comparison with Hitler's goddess
NaZiSrr1.
Even Paw .Io,,n Rvan NJ
Washington, one Of the most lib
era1 and esteemed Catholic clerics
in the United States, made a
speech during the presidential
campaign praising Fascism. Before
his speech was delivered, requests
were made by both Secretary
Wallace and Secretary Ickes to
eliminate the Fascist passage. but
while he modified 1t somewhat,
the Father stuck to his guns.
Father C0ughlin
Bishop Gallagher Of Detroit,
champion Of Father Coughlin. is
about as popular around the Vati-
can as Josef Stain.
When he was summoned over
here last year to pipe down the
radio priest, Bishop Gallagher
gave a series of interviews to
American newspapermen saying
that the Vatican had not even
mentioned Father Coughlin's
name, and that his mission was
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