THE VATICAN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 119, 6 August 1875, Page 14

THE VATICAN.

Unfavorable reports touching the health of his Holiness were lately set about lhere was no foundation for them, and ifc is difficult to account for them save by the supposition that false rumours were deliberately circulated by the badly-disposed persons who desire a change in the Pontificate for their own purposes. The Pone's state of health is better now and for some time back than it was two years ago. His carriage, his step, his strength of voice, his endurance of the fatigue of audiences, all show that no perceptible diminution of vigou? SS, viSS • > S P n "S inPi » slX - His medical attendants^ wSiT i 7i 7 f' 1 1S SS e«e «7 Ivt *' bufc theh ' ™^ «« merely per*functory For a few days the sky hns been cloud y, and the atinoaphere dull and heavy, so that a walk in the Vatican gardens at hal past 12 or 1 p.m is not so agreeable as a promenade through the galleries and corridors, and consequently Pius IX has nreter^d F latter to the former. On Ascension Da 7 the Pope Sed h s If I suffered perhaps a little from his exertion the day before in addressing the French pilgrims. Yet on that clay (Thursday, 6th May) he received several batches of visitors, and on the day following Say) received over two hundred visitors, to every one of whom he spoko -a few words, made a short speech in French to them alloLhe^anJ then took his usual walk down the noble staircase to the llbra?y cEStol^S**? COnT |i' sin 1 S ch eerfully with the members of his Court ioi half-an-hour He then returned to his own apartments in going and coming declining the assistance of his seryrmtsfand display, ing a briskness m ascending and descending the k-nd stair-, which astonished some of the younger men who were present. On Monday May 3 the Master oi Ilemcs, with his bride (sister to theMarcbiS oi Bute), were received by his Holiness in the Sala Matilda They were accompanied by Lady Herbert of Lea. On the same day the children of a chariLable institution were admitted, and the Pope stood for some twenty minutes, patiently standing while two very younSi l rei \ a f V 77 ww n i *g^ ' 4CI4 Cli 7 erCCl oratio "*N^ bought smiles to the face of his Holiness No less than eight Cardinals were present namely, Saccon, Pitra, De Pictro, Francht De Luca, Bartolim, Bilio and Monaco. The 6th of May was the Feast of St. Pius V., and on that day a number of French pilgrims thronged tho halls of the Vatican. There were nearly eight hundred altogether. Some of them were men famous for their literary merits and services to the Church Some of them bore names distinguished in history. They had previously visited the Basilicas, and on the sth had visited that of St Peter s, whence they ascended to the audience. Tho Holy Father entered the hall o audience after twelve o'clock, accompanied by ten onAn?v lß 'n y T^'w SI W and SF, ?$" n 7 a erbert i ea> the Masfcei< o±> He ™ and the Hor. Mrs Maxwell, and several distinguished strangers were present, by, •pecial favour, to B ee the reception of the French pilgrims. The

Vicointe de Damas ,read the address of the deputatbn, and many of the listeners were deeply moved when the Vicomte epoke of the wrongs inflicted on the Holy Father through the fault of Frenchmen, and the consequent necessity that Franco should repair he evils she had done. More guilty than other nations, her reparation should be the nobler. The fact that Pius IX. had nofc despaired of France was-an encouragement ; and France, in return, would never despair of the cause of the Holy See. The Holy Father with his usual happiness, responded to this address and asked : " Why should Icount upon France when I have bo many proofs of the devotion of •Frenchmen to the Holy See, not merely in deputations like the present, but in various other ways? I know," he proceeded, " and all men know that the times are difficult, and that all the sentiments whether of respect or of blame, which proceed from your hearts, cannot bo openly manifested. The enemies which surround us are many. We must employ prudence, which is a cardinal virtue, yet it will cease to be a virtue when it infringes on the right of truth and justice. You have mentioned St. Pius V. Let us throw back our thoughts to his time, two centuries ago. Then it was the custom before entering the field of battle to try the lot of war against the pride of the infidel, to make processions of penitents, and to offer public prayers to implore the aid of God ; and these religious acts preceded the battles, victories, and triutnphs. Nor did the prayers of that Pontiff cease with his victories, but he continued his supplications that God would render the fruits of victory of lasting benefit to his Church. Just before his death he went to visit devotionally, the seven churches, accompanied by one of his most famous generals, Mark Antony Colonna. Although fainting from fatigue the Holy Pontiff persevered in finishing his pilgrimage, and returned to the Vatican to receive in no long interval the Crown of Eternal Glory from his Father in Heaven." Do you, beloved, remember the example of St. Pius V. when you visit these basilicas, and when you perform your pilgrimages ? Would that I myself could accompany you. But if the frightful spectre of the revolution prevents my going with you in person, my heart will be with you, and my prayer will mingle with yours at the foot of the altar, while you cry—' That thou mayest design to repress the assaults of Turks and Heretics, we beseech Thee to hear us, 0 Lord.' Even now in Constantinople and elsewhere the churches are taken by assault and violence, and given over to schismatics. The Mussulman, no longer impeded by any Christian Kingdom, shows his true nature of hostility to the faith. But thanks to God the Catholics, both laymen and clergy, stand firm in the truth ; and schism makes no progress. If I, like Pius ' V., were to make known my desires to those who occupy the scats of power, my voice, I am sorry to confess it, would have no echo. Uncertainly, fear, and frequently malice, obscure the minds of those to whom I allude. Let then my children, our prayers be our armaments. These prayers let us marshal in order, as did Jacob when he went to meet his offended brother Esau. First the servants, then the rest of the numerous family, and last of all Rachel, the fair Rachel, well suited by her goodness and sweetness to allay the resentment of Esau, unjustly irritated. And in like manner let us array in our favour the Saints of Heaven, the Angels of God, and, finally, the Queen of Angels and of Saints, the Mother of God, in order to beat down and destroy the enemieß of Her Son and of His Church. Let us apply, lastly, the words put into our mouths by the Church on this day, namely, that by the merits of Sr. Pius V., Kostium superatis insidiis perpetua pace Icstemur." The Benediction then followed. Among the pilgrims were the Vicomte de Levy Mirepoix, Marquis and Marchioness de Campagne, Count and Countess do la Bourdonnaye, Marquis and Marchioness de Guerry de Beauregard, Count and Countess de St. Pierre, Baron d'lversen, Marquis and Marchioness de Villebois, Count de Caulaincourt, Monsieur and Madame di Saint Simon, Monsieur and Madame de Virien, Count and Countess de Bony, Count Roselly de Lorgues, M. and Madame de Giry, and the Count de Lansade Jonquieim — Eoman Correspondent, ' London Tablet.'