St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-04
THE PAPAL CONCLAVE,
Where the Cardinals Shall
Next Meet Is the Vital
Question.
Italy's Cherished Hope Is
That Rome Sh all Be the
Place.
Review Of the Situation in
1878 and at the Present
Time.

A Conelave Sitting Away
From the Eternal City Is
Favored.
ROME, Aug. 3.-"Where shall the next
conclave be held?'' is a question which
is now being much discussed in govern
mental circles. The church dignitaries
are interested observers. This ques-
ton. it is believed, will be the pivot of
the policy both of the Italian govern
ment and of the Vatican. There is
good authority for the statement that
the Italian government has sent eX-
plicit instructions to its representatives
abroad to prevent the conclave from
being held away from Rome. 1t breads,
above all things, foreign pope and
conclaye away from the eternal city.
The account OF the situation which fol-
lows reflects the opinions entertained in
ecclesiastical circles. All the Italian
governments confidential negotiations
with the great powers are believed to
be inspired with this dominating: That
Italy will respect and safeguard the lib
erty of the conclave, and, therefore, no
nation should offer its hospitality to the
sacred college should the cardinals de-
eide to hold the conclave elsewhere
than at Rome. Italy hopes that her at
titude will cause the sacred college to
abandon
The Idea of Leaving Rome,
or if the idea is still cherished pri-
Yately that the design will not receive
outside support. The government would
thus in the first place make it appear to
the world that the papacy is free in
Rome, since Italy respects the liberty of
the cOnclave, and the sacred college can
sit openly i'll the capital of the Italian
dominions, and in the second place
would thereby maintain the status
quo. In the diplomatic docu-
ments exchanged before and after
the cOnclave of 1878, the Italian govern
ment declared that this cODclave gave
conclusive testimony of the liberty of
the holy see under the new regime. In
following the evolutions of Italian pol
icy since 1870 one sees everywhere the
firm resolution TO prevent any modifica-
ton or displacement of the factors
which compose the pofitico-eccleslasti-
cal and pontifical situation in Italy and
at Rome. The reason is manifest.
Should any change take place the gov
eminent would find itself confronted
with an entirely new situation. This
would be the unknown and the
Italian government fears the unknown,
because it believes that the existing
conditions are the safeguards of its
regime, which. in the mind of strict
Catholics, bears the stigma of the occu-
patton of Rome aid of the law of guar
anteeS. The meeting of the cOnclaVe
out of Rome would not only awaken in
Catholic and independent minds the
idea that the holy see was not free at
Rome, but it would also mark new de-
parture on the part Of the papacy, the
beginning of new era. In any case, 1t
would render the future
An Absolute Uncertainty.
Perhaps it would be the starting point
of the transformation of the central gov
eminent of the church. Were the con-
clave to be held away from Rome it
would immediately bring the whole
pontficial question to the front. The
reOpening of the question, morally and
automatically, enthusiastically and
politically, as it wonld be opened, is
what the Italian government wishes to
prevent at any price. Therefore, in
giving assurance to the cabinets that
it will respect the liberty of the
conclave at Rome, the Italian govern
ment virtually says that the sacred col
lege shall not be free to hold the con-
clave where it pleaSes, as it should do.
conformably to the needs of the church
and the conditions Of Europe at that
time. The sacred college has always
regarded the conclave of 1878 as an eX-
pertinent which has been exploited by
the monarchy to the detriment OF the
Vatican. In 1878 it was still thought
that by pursuing line of policy less
immersed in the old traditions OF An
tonelli it would be possible to find
modus vivendi with the government
and the monarchy, but all efforts made
in, that direction have only demon
strated that the state, as it is
now constituted, will not make piece
with the pope on the basis of the sta
tus quo. But it is impossible for the
church to except this arrangement,
which would be a capitulation, since
the Vatican would be the subject of the
Italian government, contrary to the
Catholic law. Since 1878 the state of
the Catholic mind has been cOnSidera-
Dly HlOulU6us NGW CuIISubo nave LiduO
themselves manifest, and the perSua-
sion has become deeply rooted that III
order to liberate the papacy from the
status quo and to provoke final solu-
ton, a coup d. etat is necessary, and
the
Action Most FayOred
IS the holding of the next conclave
away from Rome. This many Catho-
lies here are fully convinced would be
the starting point of better regime.
In 1878 and before, when Signor De
pretis made his first advances to the
various European cabinets, no govern
ment had any interest in combating the
attitude of the Italian council Of state
on the question of the cOnclave and the
Holy See. Austria, France and Spain all
accepted the assurances of SCR. Depre |
tbs, and engaged not to offer. of their |
own initiative, hospitality to the cardi- |
nails, in the event OF cOnclaye being |
summoned to elect a successor to the |
papal throne. The international situa |
ton is very different. To-day all |
powers outside the triple alliance have |
rather interest in thWarting the pro-
jectS of the Italian government. 1t is !
believed that France and Russia will /
favor the Diplomatic action of !
Italy, when it is necessary to take |
up a position one way or the other i'll |
,I,,