Roman Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 51, 25 September 1891, Page 3

Roman Notes.

The cry lately raised to the effect that the Pope had accepted the Law of Guarantees and bad consequently recognised the Italian Government was based on the slender pretence that the Holy Father bai directed his Major Domo to proceed at law against certain trespassers on the grounds of his villa at Oastel Gindolfo. Nothing mere was signified by this than what bad already not unfrequently occurred, when trivial cases had been brought by the Papal officials acting as such before the Italian tribunals. It had in no sense the meaning attributed to it.

Among the celebrations next year of the centenary of the birth of Pius IX , will ba one especially made by Oatholic journalists, in recognition of the patronage bestowed on their calling by that Pontiff and the high importance assigned to it by him. It will take the shape of a fine mosaic representing the proclamation by Pope Piua of St. Francis of Sales as Doctor of the Church and Patron Saint of the Catholic Press. The editors of Oatholic Journals in all parts of the world are invited to contribute towards its execution.

The celebration of the fourth centenary of Columbos 1 discovery of America will include an Italo-American Exhibition at Genoa. A bust of the discoverer will be placed in the church of St Onofrio on the Janiculum at Borne, and a copy will be made for the Italian Government of an authentic portrait in the possession of Oount Roselly de Lorgues.

The medals annually coined on St Peter's day, and which commemorate some chief event in the contemporary pontificate, have this year for their subject the erection of the Vatican observatory. In working out this idea by symbolical astronomical devices, a commemoration has also been very appropriately introduced of the con* struction of the calendar by Pope Gregory XIII.

Notwithstanding all the difficulties of the times, the work of Catholic education keeps pace with the enlargement of the city. The Fathers of the Scuole Pie are now about to open one of their schools in the LudoTisi quarter, lately erected.

It seems not impossible that the alarm and mischief recently caused by the explosion of a magaziae in the immediate neighbourhood of Borne may be thrown into the Bhade by a Bimilar occurrence on a much larger and more tremendous scale. The magazine a'luded to is that of Monte Mario, separated from the Vatican and St Peter's by the narrow Valle del Inferno. The quantity of powder stored here has recently received an increase, that stored elsewhere being removed hither, and if an explosion takes place the complete ruin of both the basilica and the palaoe will be inevitable. The chief dread cf the Oatholic world will necessarily be for the safety of the Holy Father, but the world of art aud science has reason to fear for that of treasures never to be replaced. The folly shown in this matter by the Government does not seem to be altogether free from a suspicion of design. It is at any rate attended by a risk that cannot be overlooked by them.

The second centeniry has just bean celebrated of the Accademia of Arcadia. The event proves the right of this body to rank as the very patriarch of literary Societies. Sjme bplendid volumes containing the publications of the Society were presented on the occasion to the Pope.

The state cf the country has had another exemplification. This time it took the shape of the robbery of a railway station — that of a lonely district near Cagliari, by a band of brigands. The robbers carried away a large sum of money, and several bottles of wine. But poverty and crime — and even, apparently, elemental disturbance!, for there have been of late numerous convulsions of nature, such, for instance, as storms and earthquakes, charaoteriso the existing regime.

A too adventurous visitor from Brazil has paid with his life the penalty of curiosity respecting the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Ascending the mountain with a friend and a guide, the crust of the great crater gave way beneath his feet, and he was seen no more. His friend who partially shared in the accident, was rescued by the guide, and escaped with a few bruses, more or less severe. No search could be made, as the pit in which the unfortunate man had been swallowed up was one of fire and sulphur.

Tbe great archss >logist, Oommendatore de Rossi, baa contributed An interesting paper to the Voos delta Verita, in which he brings, forward conclusive proof that a globe formed of myrtle branches and, on the feast of Si. Peter, hung above the central door of the Vatican basilica, represents a net. Hitherto it had been taken for a figure of the world, given into tbe spiritual care of the Chief of the Apostles. De Bosai, however, adduces evidence to show that it occupies the place held in more ancient times by a net of filagree silver— in allusion to the calling and commission of the fisherman.