New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-07
CARDINAL LEDOCHOWSKI.
CONTROLLER OF TIE CATHOLIC CHURCH
n AMERICA


| To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Altogether undue weight has been attributed
| by the press OF the United States to the recent
remarks Of NJ de Blowitz contained in his Paris
dispatches TO The London Times on the appoint
mcnt o. Cardinal Lcdochowski TO succeed the late
| Cardinal Simeoni as Project of the Propaganda.
True. the subject is Of exceptional interest TO
Americans For TO the chief of the Propaganda Is
entrusted the control Of the Catholic cpiscopacy
and clergy in the United States and the spiritual
direction Of the many millions Of American citizens
who belong 70 the Church Of Rome. This, how
| ever only serves to render it more important that
, the misleading assertions of the brilliant but
| imaginative Partisan correspondent of The Lon
don Times concerning the meaning of Cardinal
| LcdochOwsli's nomination should be corrected.
| VI. tic Bowitz considers the appointment OF
! Prince Bismarcks old enemy TO the chicftainshlp
| of the Propaganda rs a Papal warning to Italy,
| and rs lorcshadowno the election either OF Mgr.
| Lcdochowsli or else Of some other non-Ital-
| ian cardinal as Ponth at the next conclave. After
referring 20 the fact that the Polish prclatc il man
Of conn andinc intellect. and that he Yields an
enormous influence in Papal circles. VI. DE- Nowitz
goes on to point out that the Cardinal is one OF
the leaders of the Intransigeant or Cltramonfane
party which Is adverse TO any compromise with the
liillan Government. ana Incn Iis appointments 90
ccclo sastical director and Vice Pope OF more than
half Of the entire Catholic population of the globe is
therefore regarded by W. Dc Blowi,z as certain
indication that Leo NH has definitely abandoned
rs long ccrlsnec plans OF nciliaion between
Church and State, and that he has finally yielded to
those Influences which are hostile 10 the establish
mcnt Of any understanding with the Quirinal that
does not involve the restoration OF the temporal
power Of the Papacy.
Each one Of these deductions is wrong and mis-
| leading The principal motives which have guided
the Holy Father in the nomination of Mgr Lcdc-
chowski have been of financial nature. The APP
ponncnt does not constitute warning 70 Italy,
nor does it forrshadow the election Of non-ltalian
Pontn. which is impossible as long as the Holy
Seat remains located anywhere on the Italian
peninsula. Nor does the advent OF the Polish
Cardinal 10 the great and gloomy old pslazzo on
the Piazza d Spagna imply. VI. dc Blowtz ap-
pears to believe the abandonment of Pope Leo s
projects of reconciliation with the Italian Govern
mcnt but Just the reverse 4 satisfactory settle
mcnt Of the pending difficulties between Church
| and State. far from heiug obstructed by tic mp
poiniment of His Emncncc. is likely 70 br pro-
| NOTED thereby. For in the first place. the Card-
| nal will now transfer his abode from The Vatican
Ia the Palace Of the Propaganda. which is at thr
| other end Of Rome, an, secondly, HIS time will
be taken up by the direction of the ecclcsiast-
cal affairs OF the Church in partibus inidclium
that he will have no leisure LETT to intrrfcrr with
the political relations Of the Papacy toward the
Government of Italy, or Of any other faithful
i, G, Catholic: Power.
Cardinal Iedochows, oven long before he was
invested with the red hat famed in ecccsias-
teal circles for his marvellous success in connec
ton with tho collection of Peters pence These,
| as is well known, constitute between thirty and
forty per cont Of the entire Papal revenues and
are chiefly derived from countries which as parties
| inhdeum now for tho first time brought I'M
der the spiritual control OF Cardinal IEdochowski.
60 eager was the latter when Primatc OF Poland
30 increase the Peters pence fund that, like second
Tctzcl he introduced a kind of beef tax into the
Prussan, Austrian and Russian portions Of his
province. by permitting the members OF his flock
10 substitute tlc pcnitencc Of money fine for
| that OF absirntion from meat during Lent.
| During his residence in South America, he like
| wise managed Ia secure large and important con-
tributions Ia the fund.
| The need c n mar such rs Cardinal LedochowSki
| at the head of what may be described as the
sources of the Peters pence portion Of the Papol
| revenue has become a matter Of extreme urgency.
For not only has there been an alarming decline
| in the amount Of thr contributions but deficit
amounting to over SlOOOO.O0O. or $4,000, 900.
francs within the last few months been discovered
in that portion of the Poniiiica treasury devoted
to the reception Of the Peters pence fund BY n
decree Of the Holy Office Monsignor Fochi. the
secretary of the commission charged with the adj
nnstration of the fund.- has just been deprived
| Of his dignitrs Of prclatc and of Nicc-( amer
! lcngo. in consequence Of his having been found
, guilty Of maladminsiration II does not appear
from the report Of the committee of Cardinals APP
| pointed by the Pope to investigate mis- accounts
that the disgraced bishop appropriated the mssl nc
million 10 his own use, bnt merely that be invested
it in unsuccessful undertakings. and loaned il to
people who were not Ia repay either the capital or
! even the interest Among those who have thus
| obtained enormous sums loans from the Peter 5
| pence fund are no less than eleven Roman princes
bearing the grandest and most ancient names OF
| Italy, and who. having been reduced by untortu-
nate spcculatons to poverty. are now forced TO
appeal 10 the Vatican for financial assistance. The
| Holy Father, who s Of the most sagacious men
| Of tho century, il able better than any one else
10 appreciate at its full the de porablr effect which
| il certain To he created in pariblrs inhdelium by
| the revelation that the Peters pence subscribed
| by the fathful-and mr. usuol II is the poor and
| lowly who are the most generous contributions
| for the benefit Of the Pope and the Church are di-
| verified from the use intended by the donors and
wasted on impccunious and spendthrift Italian
| mobiles. Bv appointing q foreigner instead OF an
| Italian TO the Dictatorship Of the Propaganda,
| and above all. u man of Mgr Lcdochowskis nm
| compromising and untlinching character, Leo NH
intends convey kind of guarantee TO the faith
| full in pariibus inlidcum that hcnccforth their
| contributions toward the Peters pence fund will be
devoted strictly 10 the use OF the Papacy. and not
| to the support Of u degenerate Roman arisocracy.
| for which Mgr. icdochowski as n foreigner, would
have less pity or compassion than prelate of their
own nationality
| Another reason which renders Cardinal rrLo-
chowski-s appointment peculiarly opportunc is the
fact that during the past year the Peters pence
receipts have been declining. owing to an impress
sion that thr fall of Sisnor Crispi and the adj
vent 10 office Of the present. Prime
Minister, the Mqrchcsc di Rndini. had diminished
the Government persecution of the Vatican and