The Irish standard., 1897-02-27
Speculation as to Those Who
Are Most Generally
Spoken of.
Generally Conceded that an Italian
!. Will be Elevated to
the Chair.
1t is Said the Present POntiff Cam
not Induce Choice of
a Successor.

On the Goth of February Leo Kill will
complete nineteen full years since his
election to the sovereign pontificate. On
March 2, the eve Of the anniversary of
his coronation, he will complete eighty
seven years of his life. In the days be-
tween the death Of Plus X and the elec-
tion of Leo XIII. in 1873, these words
were uttered by high Roman eccle-
siastic: "a young man will not be
chosen again to be Pope. 1t is not good
that too long reign should immobilize
the Church in the policy of one man"
1t was not young man that was elected,
for Cardinal Pecci was 68 years :oId.
Yet as Leo XIII. ne has had long pom
tificate, during which he has mobilized
the Church in his own policy. From
his bent form, under the silver hair
which crowns face of bloodless alabas-
ctr his keen eyes still look out with a vi
tality full of mental vigor and Of the
come but it Is natural that men should
look around and conjecture as to his
successor, says the Standard and Times.
It may be taken for granted that the
next Pope will be an Italian, like those
who have preceded Leo XIII. for nearly
four hundred years. There was never
time less favorable for revolution In
this point of the Churchs practice. Only
an Italian Pope can treat with the peo-
pie of Italy concerning the rights Of the
Church in Rome. The same reasoning
will make a Roman Cardinal. that Is,
one belonging to the former States OF
the Church, more acceptible as q can
didate to the Papal throne than na-
tive of other parts of Italy. This has
already been seen in the elections OF
both Plus TX and Leo XIII.
Too much credit fir this state.ot things
should not be attributed to The fact that
the italian Cardinals aer in a majority
in the Sacred College, to which the cleo
ton Of the Pope belongs. At present out
of a total of ffty-eight Cardinals, thir-
ty-two are Italians to twenty-six nom
Italians. But it would be Impossible for
the latter to unite on any non-Italian
candidate. Intense national feeling
would keep the four French and four
German Cardinals apart. The. four
Spanish and two Portuguese Cardinals
would never support candidate not OF
Latin race, and the six Cardinals of
Austria Hungary would unite with
them in their distrust of the liberalism
of the four British subjects who are Car
dinals and of the American Cardinal
Gibbons. The one Belgian Cardinal, be-
longing to neutral country half Latin
and half Germanic in race and lam
guage. is the only non-ltalian who
would not be positively obnoxious to the
majority of non-Itallan Cardinals. But
even he is without the necessary quail
fications for dealing with the Roman
question.
It may also be taken for granted that
the next Pope viii be chosen from among
the Cardinals themselves. There is no
law and scarcely settled custom to this
effect. But in the present administra-
ton Of the Church only Cardinal.is
likely to present the necessary guaran-l
tees Of knowledge, training and expert
ence in dealing with international ques-
tioDs of a Church which is practically
universal. For a somewhat similar rea-
son Cardinal who has served his time
az q bishop would have the advantage
over one not experienced in the govern
ment of the lower clergy. Frequently
Popes have been chosen from the re9igt-
Gus orders. The predecessor Of Plus
TX, Gregory XVI. was IA Camaldolese
monk, and Plus VII, who successfully
withstood Napoleon, was Benedictine.
1t is not likely that a member Of any re- !
ligfous order would be elected Pope
under circumstances like the present,
which demand the worldly experience Of !.
the secular clergy, except as compro- Il Il
mise among Cardinals unable otherwise
to unite their votes.
It should he added that Leo XIII. fs g.
NO position 10 dictate the choice Of his
successor or even seriously to in1nertcs
1t by preparing the way. 1t Is true thatsss.
only handful Of The Cardinals nanas q M VI
BY Plus TX survive but the Popes, \ ~ ss.sI AsI
choice OF CARDINAL als NJ often gover1s s HI
other thinsa than his essonai y f. sg
tons. hs frst and nca RI
il nj ia hose who Il