A NEW ZEALANDER IN ROME

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 5, 30 September 1922, Page 12

A NEW ZEALANDER IN ROME

SCENES AT EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS FURTHER LETTER FROM MR JAMES KEARSLEY In the last letter from Mr. James Kearsley, which was published in Tub Dominion, he very simply, yet graphically, described the many glories of Rome. Continuing his interesting narrative in a letter received this week, Mr. Kearsley says:— “I think I spoke of the great diffi- . culty of finding a lodging, which I did at a cost of 520 lire a week. I remained in it four weeks, and when Rome emptied itself of its surplus population after the Eucharist Conference wils over, I secured a good place on th© Trajan Forum for 112 lire a week, so you seo the old eternal law of supply and demand is just as acute here as it is in Wellington. I am now well acquainted with all parts of the city, although twelve months would not suffice to exhaust all that is interesting and wonderful.. “I was not long here, before securing an invitation to an audience with the Pope. He is such a grand benevolentlooking old man that one falls in love with him at first sight- I was again in his presence at a reception he gave to those attending the Congress in the cortile of the Vatican called the Belvedere, when he spoke in a clear sonorous voice for half an hour. The third occasion was a few days after the last, when the Pope celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s, to which, as a member of the congress, I had admission. That was the sight of my lifetime, and I shall never forget it. The corteo was composed of the cardinals and prelates, both Italian and foreign, from all parts of the world—Greek, Armenian, Ethiopian, Japanese, and many others. Ordinary clergy, who were there in thousands, simply mingled with the people. The rich robes and bejewelled mitres of the prelates, the gay and magnificent uniforms of the Papal Guards- a passage in the corteo being kept clear by a cordon of the Swiss Guards with long spear-pointed and axe-topped staves —made a magnificent display, but tho culmination came when the rear portion of tho procession entered with the Pope in rich golden robes, wearing the tiara all glittering with jewels, seated on the Sedia Gestatoria, carried on tho shoulders of eight or ten men. blessing the crowd on eithesr side as ho passed, the people chcring and waving their handkerchiefs, the silver trumpets playing a beautiful slow march, and some 60,000 people in the Basilica. I shall never see the like, of it in this world, nor has it fallen to the lot of many colonials to seo such a sight. I saw several New Zealand prelates in the corteo, namely. Archbishop O’Shea, and Bishops Cleary and Brodie, also several Australian prelates. “The next great and wonderful sight was when the Congress was brought to a close by a procession which occupied riearly five hours —from a little after 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. It was estimated that it was witnessed by 500,000 people. It was composed of cardinals, prelates, and clergy of all known orders, and the laity. Seven

bands wero included, banners and other emblems were carried by the hundred, and all ecclesiastics carried long wax candles. The sun was so strong that many of them sagged almost double. No juveniles were in the procession. As the end of it ieft St. John Lateran, thousands of captive pigeons were liberated from tne loggia above. These fluttered for awhile over the heads of tho enormous crowds, making a very pretty show, whilst aeroplanes, circling .above, showered leaflets, bearing appropriate texts. Leaving San Giovanni, the procession wended its way to Santa Maria Maggiore, where a short stop was made, from thence to the Arch of Constantine, then circling the interior of the Colosseo, it proceeded back to its starting point, whore the Benediction was given.

“During the whole time the onlookers behaved as they would in church-—no noise, no interference from any section of them, the streets along the route beflagged, the windows of the houses draped .in gay colours, whilst people at. them, and even from the parapfets, threw down bushels of beautiful flowers as the procession passed. Singing was indulged in at intervals by .different sections, accompanied by their respective bands.” Mr. Kearsley goes on to say that be had explored the Roman and other forums, visited the Catacombs—where the first Popes lie buried —and had enjoyed a feast of music at the opera. 'The heat in July was very great, and he had suffered an attack of the local fever,, but was better when he wrote.