PIO NONO CALLED TO ACCOUNT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1382, 25 May 1878, Page 19

PIO NONO CALLED TO ACCOUNT.

His Holiness Pope Pio Nono was received by his illustrious predecessor, St. Peter, with a smile of cordial welcome. " You have had a long and tranquil reign," said the saint. " I trust you have left the affairs of our holy church in a flourishing condition on earth ?"

His Holiness assured St. Peter that the Catholic faith wa3 never more firmly rooted and grounded, and the influence of the church never more firmly established than when he left Rome ; in fact, that Macaulay was right when he said that sho would yet exist in that undiminished vigour when that New Zealander was making his celebrated sketch of the ruins of St. Paul's.

The saint looked pleased, and said to his Holineas : "I am glad to hear so favourable an account of your spiritual reign. Was your temporal reign equally successful ?"

" Not in all respects," replied his Holiness ; " still, 1 left behind me about 24,000,000d0l of money.

" Indeed," said St. Peter; "we touched no such sum as that iv my day. To whom did you intrust such a vast hoard ?"

" To the Rothschilds/ said his Holiness, hesitatingly.

Something like a frown overspread the features of the saint. " The Rothschilds," said he, with deliberation, " arc they not Jews ?"

" I believe — that is to say — I think — yes — they are," aaid his Holiness, with still greater hesitation. " And do you mean to tell me," said the saint, sternly, " that you, the Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth, deposited the contributions of our holy church with the descendants of those men who reviled and spat upon and cruelly put Him to death ."

"Well— ah!— yes, I did."

" Why did you ?" said the saint sternly, " You must have had some powerful reaBon."

" I did have a powerful one," aaid his Holiness. " The truth is, St. Peter, I did not know any Christians whom I was willing to trust with so much money." — Baltimore Standard.