Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-05-30
81. PETsR,s sUCoessOR.

bishop Curtis Amused at the
"aHornid's'' SonsatiOnaitsm.
The short telegram in yesterdays New
York Herald on the subject OF the papal
succession attracted large share Of at
tention in the city Tuesday.
The telegram which Is US follows;
A writer In the Matin Indicates that the
next Papal Oonolave will be compelled by
draft OF events to elect as pope an English
or an American cardinal
was shown to Bishop Curtis last evening.
"well, you know" said the bishop
smiling, Tho Herald is nothing il not
sensational The statement ia merely O
repetition Of what the San said y day or
two previously only this is more definite
ly put. However there is literally moth
ing in II. Nothing whatever. There is
no possible opportunity for the writer to
gain the information he claims to DO the
possessor of.
"Of course II is quite true that the pope
has been chosen from among many nation.
alities. There have been English, French,
German and Spanish inoumbents OF the
pepal chair as we'll as Italians And there
is no absolute reason why there should
not be an American or English pope.
But the drift Of events, as the telegram
words it, IL 1t formulates anything affords
no grounds for such Sensational state.
ment.
''rhetalk of successor is quite proma-
ture. Although not of robust physique
the pope has apparently good health He
IL spare and Of that phase OF constitution
which experience commonly teaches us
ia long-lived.
There would be great improbability OF
the choice of election falling upon an
Englishman or an American, or even
upon native OF France or Spain, ooun-
tries more contiguous to Italy than EGG
land or the United States. OF the
cardinals In the two countries referred 20
BY the Herald telegram, neither Cardinal
Manning nor Cardinal Newman, the
latter almost nonogenarian, nor
oa7S'-1' HIST'sTs --Et.c-n mental i5s-al;tv
vonlo interposs IN his way A0E even the
lrish cardinal are near enough to the oisy
OF Rome and pontihcal affairs to have
had the opportunities Of acquiring the
qualifications needed for the incum oency
Of the poDtifcal chair. The same argu-
ment of course applies to the Hsrald's
suggestion of an American successor as 1t
pnrhbeS IL.
Eyes, bishop" the reporter asked,
''but the term drift Of events as used in
the telegram inters. does IL not, the in.
fiuenoe of such conditions as history tells
as acted during the middle ages in affect
ing the papal elections 2"
But those conditions Bishop Curtis
replied, do not exist row. The German
and French emperors did possess veto
power, But all that is changed"
Would not Bismarck's position to.
wards the church and his status in con
nection with the italian ministry, these
combined with the position of the French
government and the negatively amicable
disposition OF the English administration
all tend 10 indicate some reason in the
Herdld's idea 2"
mo. There 10 no desire for political
meddling In the affairs of the CHURCH.
And II II did happen to disclose ltselt
from any particular direction the move
mont would be neutralizsd from another.
But there Is no reason for the supposi.
ton OF any such intermeddling. The
whole story 10 ono OF the Heralds enter
prising canRrds.n