New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-14
WHO WILL BE NEXT POPE?
pREI.ATES WHO STAND THE BEST
CHANCE OF SUCCEEDING LEO KILL
THE SUCCESSFUL ONE WILL BE AN ITALIAN AMI
cAnp1NAI.-coNsrDERAT THAT

WILL INFLUENCE THE CHOICE
,,o Eab lon the 2oth OF this month Leo
XIII will complete nineteen iuli !e"'' ,,r.,,
election TO the Sovereign Ponuhca'e' y"
the eve of the anniversary OF MS =,
he will complete eighty -seven years w nv 49,
the davs between the death of fius IN any
o,ec,ion Of Leo Mi in 1873, THESE ""
uttered by a high Roman e'cleSas'", :, -
mo, will not he chosen again TO be pope !,
not good that too long reign sho"'u
the Church in the policy of one man
:. noe not voung man that was elected Tor
CordiraI Iecci was siXty-eight years on i''
osIeo XIII he has had long pontlhCa'e' "u,-
tho which he has "moblzed' the Church IN ms
own nolicv From his bent form, under 'he S''
,,er hair which crowns a face OF ploVoiesS al"
baster. his keen eyes still look out with Vi'a"'y
full Of mental vigor and Of the VIII 10 I'VE i"'e
he may for years to come; hut it is natural 'i"'
,ran sbould look around and conjecture as To ii'
successor. - ,,,o
II may be taken for grant that the "eN' V'
will be an Italian. like those who nave pi'''"V"
Leo Mi for nearly 400 years. Ihere ""S NV
o time less favorable for revolution in this point
or the Church's practice The Popes may NV
again have Rome. or a part Of Rome. a. 'he'
own independently, but nothing will he done TO
,roi,dice their claims when the time for SET
,,er,ant comes ONLY an Italian Pope can treat
with tho people Of Italy concerning the rights "I
The Church in Rome. The same reasoning WI"
make a Roman Cardinal. that Is. one ne'o''E'" INK
~ the former States of the Church more @'-
ceotablc as a candidate to the Papal throne IMAM
q native If other parts OF ltalr THIS mas a.
ready been seen in the elections Of both Pius /"
and Leo MIL
Too much credit for this state Of things shou'o
NOT be attributed 10 the fact that the l'ai'ai'
cardinals are in a majority IN the Hac'e' W.
leo % which the election Of the Pope belongs.
Al present out Of total of fiftT-eGht cardina'S'
,h,-tv.two are Italiars to twenty-sx non
Italians. But il would be impossible for me llt-
Tor 70 unite on any non-Itaan candidate. In
+onse national feeling would keep the Jour
French and four German cardinals apart me
rorr Snanish and two Portuguese cardinals
1vould never support Il candidate nor OF a i-a'lh
race and the six cardinals OF Austria-HuhNd'S
would unite with them in their distrust Oh tHe
liberalism Of the four British subjects VINO are
cardinals and Of the American Cardinal "ln'
bons The one Belgian Cardinal belonging to a
neutral country, half-Latn and hali-Herndn'0
In race and language. is the only hoh-i'""""
who would not be positively OBNOXIOUS 10 'no
majority of non-Italan cardinals But even ne IS
without the necessary qualifications loi ue"'""7
with the Roman question.
a CARDINAL l\E~N i<NpA@A''
II NAV also be taken for granted that the next
Pone will be chosen from among the cardlHa'S
,bemsc,ves There IS no law, and scarcely
Settled custom TO this effect. Eut in the present
administration Of the Church only cardinal Is
,,,xe,v 10 present the necessary guarantees o.
1,oy1edee training and experience in deallhS
,yitb the international questions Of Church
,,,nich &c practically universal For a somewhat
similar reason q cardinal who has served Ms
dime az A. bishop would have the advantage oNVr
one not experienced in the government OF 'he
lower clergy. Frequently Popes nave peeh
chosen from the religious orders The predeces-
cor or1us TX Gregory XVI, was a Canaluo'eSe
monk. and Plus VII, who successfully "llhs'ooi
NenoIeon was II Benedictine. II Is not Hkcly
.bat a member of any religious order would be
elected Pope under circumstances Ike the pres
emf. which demand the worldly experience OF the
secular clergy. except as a compromise among
oocd,rais unable otherwise to unite their votes.
Ut.sboula be added that Leo XIII is In no posi-
t,on.1o dictate the choice Of his successor. or even
serioslslv 10 influence Il by preparing the way
IT Is true that only handful Of the cardlhaiS
named by Plus X survive. but the POPE oN"
choice Of cardinals is often governed ny o'I'er
nbings.than his personal inchnatlons' inc llS'
and most numerous set IS made up or those WHO
,os,oe In Rome and aid him IN the administra-
Of the Church. By IOIB CuH'oHi '''i'N W
.hoss arc former nunoios to the four chief CAPT
tails in communication with the Pope-Mau''n
Lisbon. Paris and Vienna Others have been on
-nociol missions. from Washington to Constan>
+ironle and vet others have worked thel: way
an 70 nosts where their experience makes them
necessary The second class of cardinals CON-
x;sts OF bishops proposed by different govern
,nents. and the third Of Italian bishops VINO
must also be accepted by the Government. IN
oil those nominations the Pope has other 1ntcr-
.s,s tn consult than the electioneering for sue
cessor 10 take his place when he is deaH.
The influence OF religious orders Will count I"r
little in favor OF any candidate; but IL might
count agains, him in this way. If the Jesuit
theologians who are occupied III Rome shou-"
consider q certain cardinal inclined to impru-
a.nt innovations It probable that their opinion
,youId have weight with many other cardinals
whose counsellors they are. The same may DC
said Of the Dominicans and other orders cor
.a.nipg men likely to be consulted. But rheH
positive influence would go for little least OF all
ifi. were cast in favor of one of their own ofuer
No pressure from any European Government j.
,,kelv 10 turn the balance in favor OF cahdl-
date. At most, national eXigencies might Tor
exau,ple. hinder the election Of too enthusiastic
lover Of France or Of Germany the card'ha's
.ra nv an immense majority, prelates first and
sara,nost and they will elect a Pope according
70 thcir IDEAS of the greater good Of the ChurcA
TIE AVAILABLE MEN.
,r,.h ,,,gs conditions In view it is easy 20 pick
ont tho few cardinals who would stand a present
chance of being elected Pope. or course when
,be real election comes stampede may disap-
mint all previous calculation. as in any o;her
voting assembly.
n, tbe cardinals created by PiuX lN Parocch
vas long considered the most likely OF all can
a,do,os He is now sixty-four years Of age ana
,houqb not a Roman by birth. is identified with
po,,c as Bishop Of Albano-one OF the SIX sub
,,,han aces TO which the Cardinal Bishops are
~ - 40 Nicar VI the PODc for the nIsl-