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Holiness would receive us next day
at noon.
An hour before noon we drove up
the winding way behind St Peter's.
At sight of our veiled heads a corps-de-guard
admitted us to the vast
cortile S. Damasco, the royal court
of the Vatican. An immense room at
the head of the Scala PiaTisthe office
of Monsignor Bisleti, Maggiodomo of
the Pontifical household. Here are
wide tables for wraps. One pauses to
unglove. To the right on a secluded
staircase heading into the heart of
the Vatican, Swiss guards in -pike-men's
armor leveled their medieval
lances, challenging crisply: "As
petta!" (Wait, please.)
The billet of audience brought
them to salute. In the Sala Clemen
tina a picket of lounging Palatines
sprang to attention.
Through far-reaching ante-chambers
every door was opened for us
by a bussolandi-, superb in crimson
brocade, knee breeches, full skirted
coat and 15th century shoes. Again
and again the low-voiced "A momen
tino, senora," and the quick recog
nition of the audience paper. Ob
viously the Vatican is well guarded.
The sense of approaching a sov
ereign sharpens in passing through
a splendid vista of vast rooms hung
with Gobelin tapestries or vivid with
frescoes set high up under the coffer
ed and gilded ceilings. Here and
there are stately. lovely figures, mon
signdri of the Famiglia Pontificia in
purple, silent retainers in strong
bright colors.
The .apostolic palace- is a treasure
'house of the ages than which none
is greater.
Time was, and not so long since,
when only the prosperous could pre
pare for a special audience. During
the pontificate of Leo, the prince, wo-r
men were expected to dress a
L'Espagnole, a lace mantilla, a few
well chosen white jewels were ob
ligatory. These things are not for
the poor.
Pope Pius, the son of a peasant,
has changed this etiquet He wishes
to be accessible to the people. Reso
lutely practical, with a homely real
ization of the value of money, His
Holiness., has brought frugal sim
plicity into the papal palace. Today
any serviceable black frock is ad
missible to the Pontiff's little throne
room.
In- the anticamera d'Onore, ante
chamber of Honor,., several officers-in-waiting
of the Noble Guard were
on duty. Their gold epaulettes, gold
crested helmets, gold cross belts fo
cused the sunxays. The papal apart
ments, looking south and east across
the piazza San Pietro were flooded
with sunlight The great bell of St
Peter's rang Angelus. It was the
hour of audience, a Pope lives by the
clock.
A violet-clad monsigneur-of-the-throne.
silently invited us to approach"
a doorway.. In the rdom beyond was.
Pius the Tenth, Pontifex. Maximus.
The door opened noiselessly, we
kneeled and looked up to meet the
smiling glance of a benevolent old
priest.
Sincere goodness, wisdom and
heart rendered his cojnely face pa
ternal. The Holy Father stood alone,
motionless, as his, .visitors made their
second obeisance. -His air of apos
tolic simplicity seemed to deprecate
the draconian etiquet In another
moment, looking" quietly into my
eyes, he offered his ringed hand.
"What can I do for you, my child?"
The voice was soft and clear."
"Beatisslmo Padre, implora della
Santita una benedizione per 1 poveri
degli statl Uniti occidental!."
Which translated is: "Holy Father,
I would beg from your Holiness a
special blessing- for the low-wage
workers of the United States.'
The Pontiff's face grew grave with
Latin,!susceptibillty.
"Ah, my child, the poor are every
where" always. With all my heart I
beg God to bless them. More es
peciallyat this moment do I beg God
to bless those working men and
