Pius and His Ways

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 42, 15 October 1903, Page 18

Pius and His Ways

The well-informed Rome correspondent of the New York ' Freeman ' has many interesting things to say of the new Pope and of the boundless charity which impelled him, as priest, bishop, and patriarch, to dispose of all valuable personal belongings and live in strictly apostolic poverty for the saike of the poor. ' I well remember,' says the ' Freeman ' writer, ' seeing Cardinal Sarto entering the Sistine on the last but one of the Solemn Requiems celebrated there for the repose of Leo XIII. He was in many ways the most remarkable looking of tihe entire 3acred college with his tall, active figure, and his handsome face instinct with kindliness and intelligence. The Patriarch's robes looked as if they had seen a great deal of service—and they had, for he bought them second-hand ten years aigo from the servant whose perquisite they had been on tho death of ' the previous Patriarch of Venice. In this way they cost his Eminence the sum of $20. Moreover the watch his Eminence wore that day —and still wears, unless he has changed it since last Siunday—was an imposing looking machine of nickel, which cost the sum of $1. Some nine or ten years ago he wore for a whole month a handsome gold one which had been presented to him, but after that he either panned or sold it. Whether the ring and cross he wore on that occasion were the genuine gold and precious stones they looked is also questionable!—for it is certainly a fact that the Patriarch of Venice was in the habit of sending the few precious articles he possessed to the

pawn office. The next day when one of his friends expressed a wish that he migfat be chosen Pope, the Patriarch replied with an air of the most perfect assurance : " Caro mio, I have taken a return ticket and I intend to use it." So he had— hut he did not mention the fact that he had borrowed the railway fare for his secretary and servant. It is also recorded that when Biisftop Sarto was created simultaneously Patriarch and Cardimrt, he saved as much as $2 by having his purple sas>h dyed, instead of buying a new red one.'