The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 7, 1898, Page 18

18 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, AUGUST 7 1898, - - # Deep Concern Over the CARDIN RoMPOLLA l PAPAL SECRETARY OF STATE Vatican circles, and every pre- paration has been made to meet all eventualities consequent up- on his death. While Leo XIII is not now and never has been particularly robust, he has always lived with such a regard for the most exacting laws of health which govern his own person that he is said to practically carry his life in his own hands. By this is meant that if the Pope should lessen his care- ful watch of his own condition the con- sequences wuld be dangerous. In his zeal to do more than * ‘s strength would allow he might undermine his now feeble constitution, but Pio Centra, his personal attendant, is always on hand to prevent this, and consequently Leo XIII continues to astonish the world with his great capacity for mental and physical endurance. In the matter of food and drink his Holiness has been abstemious to a degree and the most exacting principles of hygiene he has most faithfully observed. In consequence of his regular mode of living, therefore, the Pope has insured for himself a much longer period than the years usually allotted to the aver- age human being. Those who belong to the Pope's personal, entourage and who see him daily do not, it is said, look for any immediate breakdown of his physical condition, but they do not disguise from one another that the tragic happenings of the present time, the war between the United States and Spain, and the political condition of Italy, and its bread riots and other so- cial upheavals, may have such an ef- fect on the Pope’'s health as to bring about a collapse. That the Pope himself realizes his precarious condition is evidenced by the fact that for some time past he has been busily engaged putting his house in order for his successor. Who his successor in the chair of St. Peter will be is not possible for human minds to prophesy. It is said that his Holiness, had he the power of appointing the next Pope, would assuredly leave the triple tlara to Cardinal Rampolla, who is thoroughly in sywpathy with his policy. To guide the ecclesiastical ship of state through the breakers of political unrest, which seems to be the national condition wherever the Roman Cath- olic church is_the state religion, has been Cardinal Rampolla’s difficult task, and for his great success he has earned not only the gratitude of the holy father but also the admiration of all parties of his church, and also the statesmen of the various countries of the world. Popular though he is, how- ever, Cardinal Rampolla has a formi- dable rival in Cardinal Parocchi, one of the most important personages in Vatican circles. Besides being the Vicar General of the Pope, Cardinal Parocchi is also subdeacon of the Sa- cred College, secretary of the congre- gation of the universal inquisition, president ,of the congregation of apos- HE uncertain state of the Pope’s health is well appreclated in tolic visits and prefect of the congre- gation of residences of bishops. He is besides highly learned and credited with exercising more personal sway in the College of Cardinals than any other member. Cardinal Satolli, who is bound to Leo XIIT by many personal considerations, is also a possibility for the papacy, but he is too new a member in the College of Cardinals to have attained that de- gree of influence deemed essential. It is not the purpose of the Itallan Cardinals, who are largely in the ma- Jjority, to allow any other than an Ital- ian being elected Pope. It has been done, of course, but certainly not be- cause they wanted it so. If owing tu strife, policy and unforeseen circum- stances it should be found necessary to go outside of Italy for the next Pope, Cardinal Ledochowski, first priest of the college and prefect of the propa- ganda, would be far in the lead. It is said that Ledochowski, Ram- polla_and Satolli have been named by Leo XIII as his executors, and that they are to see that his Holiness is in- terred in the Church of St..John Late- ran in proximity to the tomb of Innocent III. Signor Lucchettl, the famous Italian sculptor, is to carve the tomb from marble from & design made by the Pope himself. Concerning the war it was the Pope’s most ardent wish that he should be called upen to arbitrate between the two countries. It is an open secret that in order to achieve this much-desired end he exhausted every means at his disposal and called into active play the splendid diplomatic machinery of the Vatican, which Cardinal Rampolla, the papal secretary of state, knows so well how to manipulate. In order that the people of this overwhelmingly Protest- ant country should not accuse the papacy with wanting to take too much of an interest in the temporal affairs of this nation his Holiness, when he felt the time had come to make such representations as could most fittingly come from him, chose as his mouth- plece not his own personal delegate and ecclesiastical embassador to the church in the United States, Monsignor Martinelli; not the primus of the Amer- ican hierarchy, Cardinal Gibbons; not the metropolitan of the chief archdio- cese in the United States, Archbishop Corrigan, but Archbishop Ireland, who has the reputation of being intenseiy loyal to his country and because he Is s0 none the less loyal to the See of Rome. : To have addressed the President through Monsignor Martinelli on the momentous question at issue betweeu this country and Spaln would have been tantamount to asking official rec- ognition for his delegate, and Leo XIII is too highly trained a diplomat and his advisers are too keenly accom- plished in the same art to give occasion for such a faux pas as this. To have used Cardinal Gibbons for this purpose’ would have been equally an error, and Archbishop Corrigan’'s known repuz- nance at being requested to go outside the domain of dogma and ecclesiastics made him an Impossibility. But the Pope knew his lieutenants well, and he knew therefore that in the wise and courtly Archbishop of St. Paul he had a mouthpiece who would reach the President’s ear if any one could. As the constitution of the United States bars out any connection between church and state it was necessary that these negotiations should be carried on In such a manner so that future genera- tions might not say, when the whole history of the war comes to be writ- ten, that tne papacy had unduly med- dled wit1 the temporal affairs of a na- tion whera the church had enjoyed the greatest possible measure of freedom in its growth and expansion and im- munity from state interference. Never did a pontiff so exert all his energles to bring about a desired end as did Leo XIII to bring the points at issue between the United ~States and Spain within the boundaries of arbitra- tion. Spain, whose sovereign prefixes “most Catholic majesty” before his name, was appealed to by all the love and fealty of past ages to make some concessions which would afford a start- ing point from which to commence ne- gotiations which would do away with the stern arbitrament of war. But Spain, which maintains diplomatic re- lations with the Vatican, was obstinate to a degree, and puffed up with the pride of departed glories—the pride which always goes before a fall—would not listen to the voice of the pontifical apostle of peace, which in the evening of his life was made to tremhle as it never trembled before. When the aged Pontiff found that the ‘“vice regent of Christ, the successor of St. Peter, the prince of peace,” could not stem the tide which rushed madly on to battle he cast himself at the foot of the cross in his own little oratory and humbly prayed to God that he might be taken from earth before the declining days of his pontificate should be deluged with the mingled blood of Catholic Spain and free America. As if this affair between the United States and Spaln was not sufficient to dim the sun which is setting on Leo’'s reign, there must needs thrust {tself into the arena of mdmentous and his- tory making happgnings the . awful problems of starvation of the masses in his own dear Italy, a problem fraught with much danger to the holy See. Bread riots In any European coun- try inevitably give rise to much letting of blood and shake the very founda- tions of the country, even the throne itself. Leo is reckoned as a sovereign among sovereigns, and the incumbent of the papal throne would not escape the swirl of popular fury which rightly or wrongly attributes all its misery and want to the highest in the land. It has been claimed that whenever the papacy has exercised temporal jurisdiction, provision, adequate and far-reaching, has always been made to guard against any such ineldents in the national life of ‘the papal states as bread riots. Be this as it may, the Pope sees with much apprehension that the discontent which is beginning to make itself more gener- ally felt in Italy must have some effect on the papacy, and he trembles to think what the future may bring forth. None knows better than Leo that when the populace is once aroused acts of hot-headed fanaticism are more com- mon than acts. of deliberative reason. The papacy has more than once been in danger, and there are many who think that the time has come, not only in Italy’s history, but also in the world's history, when some provision should be made which will safeguard the besc interests of the church and its head. Suggestions have frequently been made that in tir.e of great danger the Pope should abandon Rome and geek a ref- uge in some country where his admin- istration of ecclesiastical matters could be absolutely untrammeled. It seems almost impossible to think of Rome without the papacy, and yet it is morally certain that measures have been considered looking to the Pope's removal from Rome in case of certain events transpiring which would render his remalining there unsafe to himself and fraught with evil consequences to the whole Vatican establishment. Cardinal Vaughan of England 1is credited with having suggested the Island of Malta as a safe harbor of refuge for the Pope. How true this may be cannot be said, for these are matters which are considered in camera and not made public, but if it has any founda- tion in fact the question arises, Was this suggestion made at the instigation of the British Government, and is that Government prepared to surround the papacy with sufficient safeguards to guarantee its being unmolested by pos- sible enemies? 'verything seems to point that it was. Roman Catholics are taking a more prominent part in the official life of Great Britain than they have done for many years, and there is ample evidence to' show that for Great Britain at least the days of bigotry and intolerance in religious matters are over. Then see how the Vatican has fa- vored Great Britain and her colonies in the matter of representation in the sacred college of cardinals. Besides England, Ireland has a cardinal, and so has Australia and Canada. This is one of the reasons, then, why it is thought that should the Pope ask protection for his own person and the Vatican estab- lishment it would be cheerfully guar- anteed by the British Government. Another sign of the times, which may, however, be merely incidental, is the evident desire of both the Latin and Anglican churches to come together on a common platform. Owing to the present cordial relations existing between the Vatican and Em- porer Willlam it has been suggested that Germany might be prevailed upon to afford an asylum to the papacy in ealth of the Said to Be Very Tuch Exhausted by His Efforts to Bring About Peace in the War—Character of the Prelates Who Are His Chief Advisers and the Chances of One of Them Becoming His Successor in the Chair of St. Peter. CARDINAL RICHARD time of need, and it has even heen mentioned that the Emperor might with becoming grace cede to the Pope one of the small principalities of his empire, where his holiness could ad- minister the affairs of Catholic Chris- tendom uninfluenced by either temporal or other annoying considerations, for be it known, should the papacy ever change its base of operations, temporal jurisdiction over the territory it occu- pies will be demanded. In this and all other matters pertaining to the church in Germany Emperor William invar- iably consults the scholarly and diplo- matic Cardinal Kopp, Bishop of Bres- lau, who enjoys the distinction of be- ing not only immensely popular at the German court, but is also a prime fa- vorite with Leo XIIIL. Cardinal Kopp is credited with having said that a very nice way to settle the ill-feeling be- tween France and Germany would be for the latter to cede the province of Alsace-Lorraine to the Pope, and the two countries conjointly guarantee its sovereignty. The throne of Italy is resting on the edge of a volcano, .and the signs point to dynastic changes and the probable overthrow of the monarchy. The Vati- can has ample means for keeping well informed of public sentiment, and has long anticipated the outcome. How far the overthrow of the monarchy would involve the papacy it is not possible to estimate, but the Pope has taken well into his consideration every possible eventuality. If obliged to leave Rome himself it has been thought that France might again welcome him on its soil and afford an abiding place at Avignon, which has already been the home of the papacy. But those who imagine this possible do not take into their consideration two very important points. First, France is not now the intensely Catholic country she once was, and second, the French nobility, they of the Faubourg St. Germain, would not accord an enthusiastic wel- come to Leo XIIIL. Speaking through their spiritual representative, Cardinal Richard, they strenuously opposed the Pope’s recognition of the French re- public, and they have consequently never forgiven him for according his moral support to the form of govern- ment so diametrically opposed to the so-called divine right of kings. France is not thought of, then, seriously as a harbor of refuge for the papacy, and Cardinal Richard is revenged for the manner in which his advice was passed over. Until the present war Spain was the most likely place for the Pope to look for a home in the event of Rome be- coming untenable, for by every con- sideration and tradition Spain is the most ultra Catholic country in the world to-day. Her sovereigns have ever been famed for thelr unswerving loyalty to the holy see, and the Pope’s advice has frequently been sought and followed in matters pertaining to the eivil life. The Queen Regent of to- day enjoys the special protection of Leo XIII, and his Holiness is god- father of the boy King, Alphonso XIIL But viewed in all its aspects, Spain is an utterly impossible home for the pa- pacy. The astute Leo would not care ope T by e CAR AL | DINA VAUGHAN CARDINAL AGLIARDI f e CARDI =~ g/ NAL |> _ LEDOCHOWSKI, - &8 CRRRURBBRRRARARAIARIRINRIIIIEIIRIINR 1—CARDINAL RICHARD, Archbishop of Paris, who openly cn):tpoee(l88 3 $8the Pope’s recognition of the French republic. s 2—CARDINAL LEDOCHOWSKI, aganda. 3—CARDINAL KOPP, Bishop of $¢Willlam on all matters pertaining to 8 geexecutors of his will. 5—CARDINAL PAROCCHI. Vicar General of Rome, said $favorite for the Papal succession in the Sacred College. Cardinal Secretary of the Propa-gs Breslau, consulted by the Emperor % the church in the German Empire. 8 4—CARDINAL SATOLLI, the Pope's personal friend, and one of thegs ] to be th e e 6—CARDINAL CAPELCELATRO, Librarian of the Vatican and onegs 8 geof the old school. 7—CARDINAL ROMPOLLA, Papal Secretary of State, favored by theis gPope as his Successor. church in British Dominions. 4 9—CARDINAL AGLIARDI, one of 8 $—CARDINAL VAUGHAN, Archbishop of Westminster, high in favorsgs geat the Vatican and invariably consulted on all matters concerning the 58 the youngest members of the College$$ $2of Cardinals, and frequently called into consultation by the Pope. A com-g§8 ¢ging man. 8 TR R T R R R R R R R R R R to cast in his lot with a nation which is tottering upon the very brink of ruin and which could not afford the neces- sary guarantee of safety and protec- tion. The only other country in Europe which may be taken into serious con- sideration is Austria, but for some rea- son not made plain the Pope has not been encouraged to find a haven there. Those members of the College of Car- dinals appointed from Austria are in every sense of the word princes of the church and enjoy priviléges not known by ecclesiastics in any other country. Their revenues are enormous; they live in regal state, surrounded by all the pomp and circumstance peculiar to court life, and they make their influ- ence felt in the civil as well as the re- ligious life of the nation. They are in- tense partisans of royalty and sup- porters of all measures deemed neces- sary for safeguarding the prerogatives of the crown. But, like nearly every other country im Europe, Austria has her own internal troubles, not the least difficult of which is the want of a thor- oughly sympathetic union between Austria and Hungary. Whether the Pope would be allowed to leave Rome is another phase of the question which must not be lost sight of. As at present constituted the Sa- cred College of Cardinals ig comprised chiefly of Italians, who firmly believe that it is not possible for the papacy to exist anywhere else except in Rome. There, in the imperial city so rich in history and tradition, the throne of St. Peter was established and there it must remain. The Italian Cardinals say the existence of the papacy is not dependent upon the machinations or acts of men, and they refuse to con- sider any proposition that shall remove the papacy from the Eternal City. Car- dinal Rampolla, Papal Secretary of State, is one of these, and so is Cardi- nal Capecelatro, Archbishop of Capua and librarian of the Roman Catholic church. These men are reprsentative of the older body of Cardinals, ultra conservative in' their views and un- swerving in their loyalty to Rome as the ever-to-be home of the papacy. Among the younger Cardinals who hold this same view and one vho is an acknowledged leader among them is Cardinal Agliardi, who, although hold- ing no office, nevertheless wields a weighty influence. The present state of affairs in Italy will be watched with a great deal of interest. If there are to be dynastic changes, or a complete change of gov- ernment from a monarchy to a repub- lic. it is just possible—and it has al- ready been considered by Vatican councils—that the price of papal recog- nition for the new government would be the restoration of the papal states to the temporal control of the popes of Rome. It has even been said that Leo XIII has already expressed himself as not being opposed to a republican form of government for Italy, but this, .ike gmdny other rumors, has not baan veri- led. 1t is interesting to note in the - sion of this topic that some yemjl'ls!c::o a Jesuit priest in Boston, in addressing an audience, prophesied that in less than fifty Years the United States would be the natural home of Uatholi. cism. He said, in alluding to the num. ber of the church’s adherents in Amer- ica. that her growth was so enormous and phenomenal that nothing short of a miracle could prevent this country being the most densely populaced Ro- man Catholic’ country on earth. And then, he said, Puritan Boston would be Catholic Boston, and the States of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, t‘ogether with the province of Quekbec in Canada, would comprise the papal states of the new world. ‘Whatever may the outcome »¢ Italy’s lroub!es Rome will always oe Rome, but whether the Pope will still rermain tkere to wield the scepter of spiritual authority is a problem too weigaty for presend understanding. Leo XIII will leave a great legacy, not only of achievements on bekalf of humanity and his church, but also a we9lth of literary gems which have never been published. It is known that his Holiness is the author of mary pieces of the most classical Laun, and scholars will read with grea: avidity the pontiff's literary work. If his end is not far off the world, irrespective of creed, will pray that it may be peace- ful. for certainly he has left tha world better for having lived in it,