The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-11-04

proceed to Rome and endeavor to ap-
proach the Vatican through the officers
of the American college. 1 was then
in Spain, where l had been dispatched
by the President as the bearer Of the in
vitaltion to her majesty the queen and
the descendants of Columbus to attend
the exposition.
! arrived at Rome one Wednesday
morning in November, 1892, bearing a
letter from John w. Foster, secretary
of state, enclosing a copy of the reso-
luton passed by Congress, and request
ing. in the name of the President of the
United States, the loan for eXhlbluon
at Chicago of all the records, books,
mans and manuscripts in the archives
and library of the Vatican that related
10 the VOYAGES Of Columbus and the
discovery and early settlement Of Amer
lea. An assurance, was given on behalf
of this government that these precious
relics would be conveyed to the United
States and returned to Rome at the
close of the exposition on man-of-war,
and that they wou' always be under
the protection of a M itary guard while
they were in our Gu. ody.
Copies Of this letter and my official
credentials had been forwarded through
Cardinal Gibbons, and reached Rome
several weeks before my arrival, so
that the authorities of the Vatican were
fully informed of my coming and the
purpose of the visit.
Upon my arrival in Rome I reported
myself at the American college. Mon
signor OConnell. the rector, was away,
having accompanied Monsignor Satolli
to the United States, but Father Rock
er. IF Albany, the vice-rector, and Faith
er Farelly, of Nashville, the secretary
and executive officer, received me with
great cordiality. They had already ar
ranged for an interview at the Vatican
that evening, and Father Farrelly kind
" offered 10 be my escort and inter-
prefer.
We climbed up the long marble stair
ways of the Vatican, the largest and
one of the grandest buildings IN the
world, passing at every turn groups of
Swiss guards, whose uniform, designed
by Michael Angelo, is especially pic
turesque and artiStic-a Slashed jerkin
of yellow leather over gorgeous colored
tunics and trunk hose. AS we reached
the fourth landing a Young priest met
us, as If he had been awaiting our COM
ing, and led us into a large and plainly
furnished ante room, where a cardinal
and an archbishop of distinguished rep
utaSion were engaged in an earnest dis
cussiOn. We were informed that this
cardinal was in Rome on an important
mission and had come to pay his fare
wells. 1t was not long before he was
admitted, and he remained but a few
moments; so that we were summoned to
the audience chamber almost before we
had time to recover che breath we had
exhausted in our climb.
CARDINAL RANIPOILA.
AS the doors were thrown open there
stood before me one of the most males
tic men have ever seen-Mariano Ram
polla, the premier of the church Of
Rome, the man who, next to Leo XIII
IS most powerful and influential in ali
the sacred congregations, and upon
whom the latter leans He is voi1ne
man, A years of age. and was cardinal
at 80. He occupies the second nlace in
the ecclesiastical as well as the noIiti-
cal orga nizatien of the church bv the
selection of the sovereign pontiff. hy-
reason of his ability. his learuins ara
his wisdom. To his influence is iareaIx,
due the present very liberal and demo,
cratic policy OF the pope, which has
aroused against him the bitterest on
position of the conservative and reao-
tioEary party. When I asked a, gen
tien1an who is thoroughly familiar WITH
the politics of the Vatican whether |
Cardinal Ranlpolia might not he fbs
successor OF Leo XIII, he answered.
No; his views are too byos6 h;-
theology is too liberal and his tenden9
cscS are 100 democratic to permit II
besides he has come up too soon. He
Is in years the youngest man but one
in the college of cardinals. and there
Is Just as much jealousy among the
heads of the church as among the
leaders OF any political party. Besides
1t is well known that Cardinal Ram,
polla has strong democratic tenden-
cdes in politics and that he adn1ires
The government Of the United States
ana the constitutions of France and |
switzerland more than those of the
European monarchies. ! believe the
influence Of every sovereign in Ellrope
would be used, il necessary. to prevent
his election as pope But it would be
4 great thing for the church TO have
1 man of his energy and young blood
and progressive ideas in the pontificiaI
shadr. 1t would mean a revolution i'm
Catholicism"
The cardinal stood in the center of
! sunptupus apartment, tall, broad,
erect ana vigorous, with a cordial
smile o. welcome, and extended his
7ard. Accepting the rule that people
who SO to Rome must DO as Romans ]