The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-23

to choose . foreigner. he will have no rival, hs
will DO elected unanimously.
In the famous legend Of Malachi tho futu,.
| Pope Is called Ionis Ardens. Now. Cardinal
| Gibbons has chosen this device. 90 TO tho
| Church OF Saint Maria Of the Transtevere. and
YOU will find the crest OF tho Cardinal, with
these words and the symbol Of the Holy Ghost
spreading its fires over the world. have
| been told that It was not the Cardinal whc
chose this emblem. Had the inspirer Of II an
arrisrs pensse. OF did the breath Of God. that
| brings about mysterious condolences inspir.
| the thouRhtp
| Ihave been reasoning. up to the present on
| the hypothesis OF Conclave outside OF Roma
| like that OF Venice: but II the normal condl.
lions OF the state Of Europe should permit the
session of the Holy College in Rome. would 4
| foreign Pope be impossible? That ia the ques.
| ton which we hear every day: and It seems Ia
| me that In answering 1t people forget too much
| the novel conditions in which the Roman
| Pontiflcate Is struggling.
| The fall OF the tenn poral power has nut An
! end to a whole world This date marks in.
| contestably the dawn Of another climatic sea.
| son for the Papacy. The invasion OF Rome was
| q crime, an injustice from the point OF view Of
law. OF International equity. and OF cvillza.
| ton. But this occupation has commenced the
| work Of clearing away the italian character.
or rather. the Italo- Roman character Of the
Papacy. On that day the Fontiflcate opened
UP a new series OF metamorphoses IN
it's historical attitude and its exterior mani.
festation. Universal by its nature and
its mission. the PApacy had. in thu
federal constitution OF Italy. local
and national organ. In this respect Il
was Roman and italian. The central govern.
ment Of the Church took on that restricted
character from that very time. TWAS neces.
sity OF the hour. and not Of its nature. Now Il
is this particularly which gave rise to the
series. almost uninterrupted. Of italian popes
Radical crises alone have been able to break
this law. The Pope was italian because Italy
was not a unity or q political country. Its
placement az q public organism made its
greatness as privileged and religious peorle
Rome remained a power OF Italy. because Rome
was the capital OF small state.
which WAS free. because the name
of italian inspired neither fear nor
jealousy. Tho day when Italy consummated
her unity. this law Of history was suspended.
Rome became free city. internationally GO.
clesastic. it was promoted to the rank OF .
universal and cosmopolitan city the moment
statesmen made 1t the capital Of local king
dom. God has His m ysterous views and His
hidden pathways. In becoming q slave no.
liticaly. Rome has regained her ecclesiastical
independence. She has reconquered morally
and implicitly her cosmopolitan character.
That is the only way to secure her liberty in
the presence Of jealous and aggressive
power. Why was the Pope an italian? Because
the Italian had nothing to fear from the influ-
ence OF a local State He was above all nation.
al competitions.
Now. that this situation has ceased, the day
must come when its historic consequences will
cease also. The ono comes from the other
That which originally made tho Pope Italian
will now help to make the Pope q foreigner.
1t is. in fact. the influence OF Italian unity
which is the most redoubtabe. because it is
tho nearest. II. In former times q French.
Spanish. or an italian Pope had to be elimi-
mated: it, in the zenith OF European monarches,
when Spain. France. and Austria. each in turn
dictated the law to Rome. the Sacred College
made marvellous efforts to secure the liberty
OF its choice and the independence Of the pom
tif1cal policy. it was because the Church and
the Papacy feared the agg rcssion and the dom.
ination OF the secular power. But at the pres
emit day. in normal conditions. when peace shall
be made with official Italy. Italian influence
will be the nearest around the Vatican.
Then Christendom will feel a renewal Of
all its iealouses and all its approximations.
Tho Powers themselves will increase their
vigilance and exact guarantees An italian Car.
dinal. with his family ties and his friendships.
with tho world OF his relationships ramifying in
all the cnroers and all the functions Of tho
itatan etate' wouio ne not be more accessi-
PIE 10 the oreatn ana the orders OF the Quirinsl
than neutral Pope or a foreign Pope2 A neu.
trail Pope American. Swiss. Belgian. or Orlen-
tai' VIII DC. unquestionably. IN the course OF
.'e present TRANSFORMATIONS the Pope OF the
future. Years. tens OF years. may pass. but the
poltical metamorphoses In Italy must impose
upon the Vatican its religious metamorphosia
us new world which Is coming from the en-
trals OF he"ofld whichls finished Tho Pa
pacy ID commencing lts thlrd historic cycle.
know very we'll that the majority OF Italians
ana Romans carp against these realities and
inc tyranny OF TINS law. They feel vaguely
that .he exclusive enjoyment OF the pontilcsl
sceptre Is going TO slip from their hands. and
this perspective mas nothing cheering for
mem. we snail probably witness superhuman
ehor's 70 arrest the iorce OF the present sltu"-
,'oh. ana 10 STOP the normal course OF events:
uut cue more tne resistance is multiplied. tho
more .ne solutiohs involved IN the new posi-
ZION OF italy ana OF the Papacy will come to tho