AN ACTOR'S VISIT TO THE POPE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3222, 27 October 1881, Page 3

AN ACTOR'S VISIT TO THE POPE.

Mr W. J. Florence, the American actor, in the course of an interview on his arrival in New York from Europe, said—" At Rome we were very pleasantly received in private by Pope Leo. On the occasion of our reception we were first ushered into an ante-chamber, where we were introduced to a number of members of the papal household. In this ante-chamber I saw a Chinese bishop and a Chinese priest. The former had been a Frenchman once, but wore the Chinese pigtail and looked Chinese all over. The priest was a true Oriental, who gazed with awe and veneration afc his surroundings. In the next ante-chamber Mgr Cataldi, master of ceremonies, made us known to other members of the household ; and after a progress through several rooms we were ushered into the presence of the Pope. He was seated on a raised platform or throne in the centre of the large room —or hall, rather. Being an actor, and having an eye for properties, I noted the dress of the Holy Father carefully. He wore stockings of white silk, white shoes with golden crosses by way of buckles; a long white cassock of merino, bound with silk of a pale rose color; a cape that reached below his elbows, •which was also bordered by rose-colored silk; and a white silk skull-cap with a rosecolored binding and a jewel in front. A heavy chain, from which depended a largo cross set with diamonds and rubies, hung around his neck. Upon his hand he wore mittens of silk, which reached to the first joint of his fingers. He wore a white belt or sash around his waist. . When we were ushered in we were told to remove our gloves, and I observed that before the presentation took place the Pope took off his left mitten. The presentation was made by Mgr Cataldi, each of the party kneeling in turn and kissing the episcopal ring, which is worn on the Popo's left band. When

the ceremony had been performed the Pope raised his hands as though to help us to our feet, and then for the first time I looked up into his face. It was one of the kindliest 1 faces I ever saw. There was something so fatherly, so gentle and so good in it that I shall never forget it while I live.' 'Did you have any conversation with the Pope ?' * Oh, yes —the ordinary reception talk. I acted as interpreter. The Pope first asked me in Italian whether I spoke that language. I told him that I spoke Italian a little, but that I was more familiar with French. Then he began to to talk French, and welcomed us most kindly to Rome. He asked particularly after Mrs Mackay (the wife of the •Bonanza King,' who accompanied Mr Florence), whom he had known, he said, when he was a member of the household of the late Pope. He spoke highly of her goodness and benevolence, which had reached his ear. The Pope asked me which profession I followed. When I told him that I was a dramatic artist he smiled, but said nothing. The Pope looked careworn, but said that his health was always good. He said the work was a pleasure to him, and that his official duties often kept him out of bed until two o'clock, in the morning.' 'Was anything said about religion in the United States ?' ' Oh yes, I forgot that.' I told him it seemed to me that Catholicism was on the increase in the United States, judging from the number of churches in course of erection everywhere. He replied, in substance, that the people of the United. States —both and Catholics —were so inclined to charitable works, and were so deeply in the "doing "of" good, that God Almighty had blessed them above other people. With them business was brisk, crops good, and all prospects encouraging ; and he believed that the Almighty looked with favor upon the country. The Pope receives Protestants as readily as Catholics, and is always particularly ready to welcome Americans.