LONG, BUSY DAYS IN THE VATICAN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17745, 15 January 1926, Page 7

LONG, BUSY DAYS IN THE VATICAN.

POPE STARTS WORK AT 6 A.M., FINISHES MIDNIGHT.

Very few of the thousands of pilgrims who have seen Pope Pius XI. this Jubilee Year (Holy Year, 1925), who have kissed his ring, received his apostolic blessing and a commemoration medal from his own hands, know how he lives, how he spends those busy days, which begin at six in the morning and do not end until after midnight, writes a correspondent of “ Tit-Bits.” They see him dressed in his long white robes, surrounded by members of the Papal Court, Cardinals in scarlet and rare lace, chamberlains of cape and sword, dressed in the high stiff ruffs

and knee breeches, relics of bygone centuries, and by prelates in sombre black. They note the enormous rooms, halls in the sense of mediaeval grandeur, painted by the artistic giants of the Renaissance—rooms large enough in themselves to make more than one West-end flat. . They admire His Holiness's Swiss Guards, in their ancient uniforms of red and yellow, with their halberds and helmets; or the Noble Guards, in shining cuirass and scarlet. And they think of the Pontiff as ever surrounded by these outwards forms of state. But when Pope Pius XI. retires to his private apartments high up in that same palace of the Vatican, he becomes a recluse, though a very hard-worked recluse indeed. CLOCKWORK PRECISION. He rises at six in the morning, but his first mass of the day he says in the chapel of his private apartment after midnight. All the same His Holiness says mass there again on rising Prelates of his household and some privileged persons, especially invited, attend this mass. After mass he passes into the dining-room, and partakes of a simple breakfast consisting of a small cup of coffee and a dry biscuit, which he dips into the coffee. The work of the day then begins. And his day is regulated with clockwork precision. He goes to his private library—not the smaller one in his private apartment, but one on the lower floor, and looks over his mail. At nine o’clock he receives his Cardinal Secretary of State, and the important matters connected with the diplomatic and political activities of the Holy See are gone into. These things take up the Pontiff’s time until eleven o’clock, at which hour he begins his daily series of private audiences. First to be received are those Cardinals resident in Rome who may have to report on the business peculiar to their respective offices and congregations; then Italian and foreign persons of distinction in the church, and sometimes diplomatists accredited by foreign countries to the Holy See. But for ordinary business such diplomatists are received by the Cardinal Secretary of State. With all, Pope Pius is calm, courteous and brief. At one o'clock His Holiness takes a small glass of cordial and begins the most tiring part of his arduous day's work. Accompanied by his Court, he crosses the Throne Hall, the Ducal Hall and the Royal Hall, where the pilgrims await him. To every four or five he extends his hand for the kissing of the ring. Almost always the pilgrim throng, often running to a thousand, sometimes even to two thousand souls, is then gathered in the Hall of the Benediction, where the Pope pronounces a speech of welcome, admonition and comfort. This is translated into whatever language the pilgrimage’s nationality may render necessary; for the pilgrims are almost invariably grouped according to their respective countries, and Italians according to their cities or provinces. But with French, German and Spanish pilgrimages the Pope speaks to them in their own tongues. This done, he bestows the apostolic blessing. Each pilgrim is then given a jubilee medal—which very often the Pope distributes with his own hands. He then returns to his own apartments and dinner is served in his private din-ing-room. The Popes always partake of their meals alone. The principal meal of the day consists of soup, a little

fish or meat with x-egetables and either cheese or fruit, followed by a small cup of coffee. Pius XI. drinks a small glass of white wine occasionally. When there is a solemn function of sanctification, the Pope goes surrounded by his Court to St Peter’s basilica in the morning. When a beatification, he goes in the late afternoon, after the ceremonial has taken place, and venerates the newly beatified. Occasionally His Holiness himself celebrates mass in St Peter’s, in the presence of thousands of pilgrims, and distributes communion to a certain number thereof. In very hot weather he receives pilgrims in one of the spacious courts of the Vatican. Dinner over, His Holiness again goes into his personal library, looks at a newspaper or a review, writes some strictly personal letter, exchanges a few words with his two secret chamberlains on duty for the week, who act as private secretaries, and sits in an armchair for half an hour. But he hardly ever sleeps during the day. LISTENING TO 2LO. At half-past four to the minute the Pope takes his daily walk or drive in the Vatican gardens. The gardens are the Pope's only recreation ground. After exactly an hour in the gardens the Pope returns to the palace and begins his audiences again. They last until seven. As soon as they are over he proceeds to his private chapel and recites the rosary with his two secret chamberlains and two personal servants. At night, after a supper yet more frugal than the dinner—for the meat or fish coLirse is left out—His Holiness again engages in prayer. Then he studies for an hour or so, and says mass after midnight. At last the long day is over and he retires. Without change of air, through the most oppressively hot weeks of summer when Rome is swept by the damp, hot sirocco wind from African deserts, it is a marvel that Pope Pius, performing the superhuman work, entailed by the Holy Year, robust as he is, keeps well. Latterly, of an evening, part of the time allotted for studying is given to “ listening.” A British firm installed a radio apparatus for the Pope, and he delights in the concerts which he hears from Rome and Milan, from London, Paris, Berlin and other European capitals.