The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-23
What Will Com. Aners

What Will Como Arers
We have frequent dispatches from Rome to
the effect that His Holiness the Pope is not
in the best of health, that he suffers from
chills, and that much anxiety is felt about his
recovery Nothing is more natural than that
there should be solicitude about the life of
man who is now in the eighty-third year of
his age and who has been ailing for long
time. Even if His Holiness were younger
man the troubles of the last few years would
break him down. His Papacy has been
marked by the extraordinary circumstance
that he has held the Office longer than any
Pope since the time of St. Peter From
his accession to the Papal throne to-
the present time there have been
series of remarkable events, eliminating in
the PRONUNCIATION of the dogma of infalli-
bility and the open war with the Empire Of
Germany. How far these events have been
controlled by the personal character of the
Pope, and how far they will be affected by the
wishes Of his successor, are questions Of the
gravest character, and now largely excite the
interest of European statesmen.
Prince Bismarck, the labor of whose life is
his struggle with the Papacy, has taken ad-
vantage of the health of the Pope to express
his ideas of the policy of Germany as to the
question Of the succession. There have been
rumors for long time that the Holy See had
provided new machinery for the election Of
Pope, and that bull exists ''with every
formal condition of authority sufficient
to secure the immediate election of
q successor conformable to the wishes
of the Pope's present advisers" In other
words, the head of the Catholic Church, in
pursuance perhaps of the law Of infallibility,
will be able not only to dictate its policy in
his own reign, but even in that Of the popes
who will come after him.
The aim of Prince Bismarck would be to
influence the choice of the Sacred College.
When Plus TX was elected, in 1916, he was
the representative of what was called the
moderate progressist party of the cardinals,
and belonged, said the French Ambassador OF
the time, 'to school of theology well known
in Rome, which combines much religion with
elevated ideas and sentiments" At the time
of the election of the Pope the Catholic
Powers claimed the right to approve or dis
approve of the choice of the college, Austria
opposed the election of Plus *, and was in
favor of 'retardist from the Sacred Col
lege. But the Austrian protest came too late
to affect the result Politicians regarded the
choice of the present Pontiff as the success
of France. No doubt French influence will
largely control the succession to Plus TX.
The fear of this stimulates Bismarck in his
present course. Accordingly he insists that
the position which the Pope 'tholds in Ger
many and Italy ought to give those Sntes as
clear q title to resist the canonical election as
if they were still States in direct union with
the Church Of Rome"
Nothingis more incredible than that the
members Of the Sacred College would be
governed in their choice of Pope by the
wishes of either Italy or Germany. The Pope
has communicated Victor Emmanuel, we
believe, and is at open war with the Emperor
William. There is no possible point Of policy
on which the Sacred College and Italy and Ger
many could agree. These countries war against
the time. honored traditions of the Papacy, its
temporal power, its right to control its own
priests. They have treated the Church and
its servants with severity and nothing
would be more certain to destroy the
chances of cardinal for the Papacy than the
belief that his election was desired by Victor
Emmanuel or Bismarck. The fact that Ger
many advances this pretension now means
that no matter what the result of the next
election will be, Bismarck will endeavor to
turn it to his own advantage. Bismarck would
ask for nothing better than to see schism in
the Catholic body. If he could successfully
challenge the legality of the election of new
Pope, on the ground that it was conducted
according to sacred bull, and not in accord
ance with the precedent controlling former
elections it would give him strong power in
dealing with the Church in Germany, for an
illegal Pope could certainly not claim to be
infallible. Bismarck's next step would be to
induce DR.. Dollinger or Bishop Reinkens, or
some of the Old Catholic prelates to become
Pope of new schism and the founder of a
new Catholic Church. supported by the Ger
man Emperor.