Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth TO MEN OF GOOD WILL!" It is

not good scripture, but it is sound Catholic and human nature.

This is in letters of gold around the apsis of a mosaic group at the side

of the 'scala santa', church of St. John Lateran, the Mother and Mistress

of all the Catholic churches of the world. The group represents the

Saviour, St. Peter, Pope Leo, St. Silvester, Constantine and Charlemagne.

Peter is giving the pallium to the Pope, and a standard to Charlemagne.

The Saviour is giving the keys to St. Silvester, and a standard to

Constantine. No prayer is offered to the Saviour, who seems to be of

little importance any where in Rome; but an inscription below says,

Blessed Peter, give life to Pope Leo and victory to king Charles." It

does not say, "Intercede for us, through the Saviour, with the Father,

for this boon," but "Blessed Peter, give it us."

In all seriousness--without meaning to be frivolous--without meaning to

be irreverent, and more than all, without meaning to be blasphemous,--I

state as my simple deduction from the things I have seen and the things I

have heard, that the Holy Personages rank thus in Rome:

First--"The Mother of God"--otherwise the Virgin Mary.

Second--The Deity.

Third--Peter.

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The Innocents Abroad