THE LORD AND THE "VICAR."
By Editor
An event to which considerable importance is attached in Roman circles took place on Thursday, when the new pope, defying all tradition, invited his three sisters to dine at his own table. Hitherto it has always been deemed highly incorrect, even for the most eminent ecclesiastics, to sit down with his Holiness. A distinguished personage was stirred by the pope's reluctance to create his sisters countesses. Without a title, it was urged, there would be an insuperable obstacle to their being received in polite society. The pope, hearing of this, exclaimed: "They have a title already—they are sisters of the pope."—Catholic Mirror. It is encouraging to note the present pope's good sense in the treatment of his sisters, but of course his ignoring of the conventionalities in this and other respects must be taken as the exception. He must not be understood as renouncing any right to the papal prerogative as tenaciously adhered to by his predecessors. He simply chooses to be a brother rather than a pope in his association with his sisters. To all others, even the "most eminent ecclesiastics," he is pope. The recognized dignity of the papal po- sition, is that it is "deemed highly incorrect, even for the most eminent ecclesiastics, to sit down with his Holiness." Thus the "vicar" assumes more dignity than did the Lord Himself when ministering to men. He traveled about the country on foot with His "most eminent ecclesiastics" and other companions, eating and sleeping with them, and with the common people as well. The Pharisees complained that "this man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them." When men seek honor from their fellow-men, as "lords over God's heritage," they make a decided failure of representing Christ.