The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-06

1t may be interesting to know just
what the receipts and expenses Of the
vatican are and how the pope provides
for the administration Of the church and
the papacy. It is well known that there
is a committee on Peters pence. COM
posed of several prelates and cardinals,
whose business it is to regulate the use
Of money at the disposal Of the vatican.
1 sought one of the most prominent
members OF the committee and he gave
me the following details:
THE wealth of the vatican" he told
me, comes from two principal sources.
First, the revenues of the invested sums
that the vatican possesses and secondly
the offerings Of the faithful known un-
der the name of Peters pence. The in
vested funds Of the vatican are of diff
ferent kinds; the greater part is placed
in French or English banks. The largest
amount is in the Rothschild banks Of
Paris.
The Peters pence is an annual rev.
enue, which is far more regular. In good
years the total of the sums received
throughout the world may reach eight
millions. Sometimes it is only five or
six millions or even less Such has been
the case in the last few years. This
decrease is due largely to the discon-
tent of catholics and French royalists
on account Of the pope's republican pol
icy. France alone sends two-thirds and
often three-fourths of the Peters pence.
And in France it is the royalists swho
show themselves most devoted and
most generous. Since the adherence of
Leo XIII to the republic many royal
ists-more royalists than catholic-have
closed their purses. Hence the decrease
that has occurred in the Peters pence
collections during the past two years.
Nevertheless, in spite OF everything,
it is the French bishops who bring the
pope the largest amounts. Thus, only
the day before yesterday, the bishop
of Nantes sent the pope 100000 francs
in the name of the diocese.
Italy only contributes a very small
sum-some hundreds of thousands of
francs. The Romans are even less gen.
erous than the Italians. On certain fes-
tlvals collections are taken in all the
large churches in Rome for the Peters
pence and there are churches where the
collectors only receive a few sous.
ION the other hand, the Anglo-Saxon
countries-England, Ireland, Australia
and, above all, the United States-are
beginning to send important amounts.
If catholicism continues to develop in
those countries. it is easy to see that
the vatican will draw from them con-
siderable revenues, because the English
or American catholics are as rich as
they are generous.
There are also royal courts, such as
that of Austria, who send annually to
the pope very rich offerings. Likewise
the old Italian princes, who have been
deposed, such as Francis II, the ex-king
Of Naples, and Maria Theresa, the for
mer grand duchess Of Tuscany, never
fail to send to the pope their gifts,
which consist almost always Of sew
eral thousand francs. The Comte de
Chambord used to send every $4,000
francs and the Comte de Paris does the
same.
1.-The total budget of the vatican can
be estimated at about seven millions.
This is the way it is spent:
Francs
1. At the disposal of the pope. 100000
2. For the cardinals. .......... 100000
3. For poor dioceses ............. 100000
4. Prefecture Cor administration
of the vatican ............. 500 600
;. Secretary of state. 1000 900
6. Employees and officials ....... 100000
Z. Free schools in Rome and
aims for the poor Of the
city ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1,2O0OOO
Total Observation-Disclosures. $4,000
1.-THE 500. 900 francs placed at the dis
posal Of the pope serve to maintain the
pope's household and other expenses not
included in the other budget; such as
decorations, gifts to princes and pur-
chases of objects of art.
THE cardinals who live in Rome are