CARDINAL MORAN IN ROME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11999, 23 June 1902, Page 6

CARDINAL MORAN IN ROME.

The Rome correspondent of the Sydney Freeman's Journal writes under date May 4.: —

Cardinal Moran has been feted and visited almost day in and day out during his stay in Rome, a guest at home in the Irish College, and outside, in the house of friends and in, conventual and ecclesiastical institutions. Meantime, he has been busy at work. But of all his movements in Rome since those reported in my letter of April 12, the most important and interesting is the visit which he paid to the Holy Father during the week just ended.

The Cardinal, it will be remembered, had already enjoyed two private audiences with the Rope. On this occasion he had two more; one before, and the other after, a presentation of visitors, which was as if an Australasian pilgrimage to the Silver Jubilee of the Pontificate of Leo. XHL, and which in this way should be the embryo of many another. Not all presented were Catholics, nor were all residents of Australia; a few were Australasians resident in Rome, others were the Australian students of the Irish and Urban Colleges. Among the lay members of the deputation was Mrs. Baker, of Adelaide, tho mother of Sir Richard Baker, tho President of the Upper House of the Commonwealth Parliament, with whom were Miss Baker and Miss Ross ; Mrs. Loughnan, of Christchurch (New Zealand), with whom were her daughters, the Misses Loughnan; Mrs. and Miss Harper, of Christchurch ; Mr. Loug.hnan (nephew" of Mrs. Loughnan), and Mrs. Howard, Miss Geraghty, and Miss Quirk, both of Melbourne Miss Mann, and others, of Sydney. Among the ecclesiastics were the Very Rev. Dean O'Connell, of Hay, New South Wales; the Rev. Father Fitzsimmons, of Rockhampton; and, finally, some Australian religious belonging to the Little Sisters of the Poor and to the Little Company of Mary. In all, more than 50 persons were presented and received by the Pope as Australasian pilgrims.

After his first private audience with the Pope, the Cardinal presented the pilgrims to the Pontiff, who sat on his throne in, the throne hall, surrounded by the members of the "Noble" Ante Chamber. The audience was thus a formal reception, but withal most familiar and paternal. It lasted about three-quarters of an hour. The Cardinal presented an Italian address of devotion, congratulation, and well-wishing to the Pope on behalf of the Catholics of Australia.

His Holiness replied at length. He expressed the great satisfaction which he felt at receiving the multitudes of pilgrims who have come spontaneously to Rome for his silver jubilee, from his own Italy and from almost every country in Europe, and even from America, but he received none more warmly, nor blessed any more earnestly than his beloved children present here. And he sent his special blessing to all the Catholics of Australia, to the pastors and their people, and he sent a particular message of affection and goodwill to all the citizens of the new Australian Commonwealth, which he described as " the youngest of all the Christian nations in the world."

The Cardinal was accompanied by his secretary, the Very Rev. Dean O'Harau; by his hosts in Rome, the Very Rev. Dr. Murphy, rector of the Irish College; the Rev. Father Byrne, the vice-rector, and by the rector of the Urban College of Propaganda, the Right Rev. Mgr. Camassei. The words of Dean O'Harau, which I am able to quote textually, may best be used to express the opinion of the pilgrims about the always timely-topic of the health of His Holiness. "As far as I could see (Dean O'Harau said to me), both in the private audience and at this reception, there was not the smallest trace in the features of the Holy Father of any change during the nine years which have elapsed since I was last here, nor any evidence of alteration in the freshness of his intellect, or in the vigour of his mind. Of course, when a man moves about, he appears to be somewhat more attenuated in physique, but the Pope is quite active; he walked in and out of the Throne Hall with the most remarkable agility. At the close of the audience he rose and gave his apostolic blessing to the Australasian pilgrims most majestically. Nor could the Cardinal observe that any alteration had taken place in the person of Leo XIII. His Holiness was completely unchanged, quite as fresh, and equally active in face and feature, and in his grasp of every subject upon which he spoke." Thus far, Dean O'Harau, in consonance with the general conviction of Rome.

In a letter to the Christchurch Press, referring to an article on the Auckland electric tramways, which appeared in that newspaper some time ago, Mr. P. M. Hansen, director of the Auckland Electric Tramways Company, says :—" I have every reason to expect that the electric tramways will start running in Auckland some time in September next, by which time we hope to have completed not only the power station, but about 20 miles of track, which is a good deal considering that we only started the local construction and equipment at about the same time a year ago. Of course, if the very bad weather we have been experiencing during the last six or eight weeks should continue, it may be that the inauguration of the new system will be delayed a further few weeks, but this is one of the circumstances beyond my company's control, for which the agreement adequately provides. "-