The herald., 1897-12-08
AN INTERVIEW WITH CARDINAL RAMPOLLA.

"A prospective change in the incum-
bent of the papal chair not only marks
an epoch in the Catholic Church, but
creates great excitement here In the
Eternal City. Judging from the amount
of gossip as to who will be his sue
cessor. the conclusion seems inevitable
that Leo Kills days are numbered:
and not only 10 the religious world agi-
tated by these reports, but Italy and
other European States watch develop
ments with a high degree of interest.
1t needs no prophet to declare that q
change may be followed by momentous
consequences to both Church and State.
To interview" the present Ponttn at
first-hand Is out Of the question. The
next person in power and influence is
His Eminence, Mariana, Cardinal Ram
polla, Secretary of State for the Vati-
can. This great churchman Is almost
at the top Of the ecclesiastical ladder,
and the talk here is that he will sooner
or later climb into the chair OF st.
Peters. He Is one of the four chief Of
ficers of the Pope, and has been sig
nally honored by the Holy Father. Leo
XIII. was himself raised to one
of these high positions only the year
before he was elected pope. AS Secre-
tary of State, Cardinal Rampolla meets
.ne Holy Father nearly every day in
the year for conference and instruction
on matters of church policy. He Is. as
1t were, the visible hand of the invisl-
BILE head of the church; and he is all
the more interesting just now because
of his predicted succession to the chair
| Of ST. Peters.
Hence 1 determined to call upon Car
dinal Rampolla.
The way to the Cardinals apart
ments lis up winding STAIR, and
you are pretty tired by the time you
reach there. The era of elevators has
not yet dawned upon the Eternal City,
and churchmen and others having bus
mess with the Secretary of State must
accustom themselves to plenty OF exer-
else to reach these ecclesiastical
heights.
| Upon presenting my card at the big
bronze doors. the Captain of the Swiss
Guards, resplendent in the costume OF
the papal gems d'armes, conducted me
to the Cardinals suite of rooms. 115
marble steps heavenward, to the fourth
story of the Vatican. I learned after
ward that the Pope's apartments are
Immediately beneath. The Cardinals
| rooms are NtteO up NOIc cAdOoA dSSAy
than those of our own State Depart
ment at Washington. On the walls OF
the first chamber are beautiful paint
ings of the Holy Father, the penitent
Magdalen, the TRANSPORTATION. and st.
Jerome's last communion, while in the
center of the room Is large confer
ence table, something like the one
used by the Presidents Cabinet at the
White House.
Cardinal Rampolla himself Is typi-
cal Italian,-a fine specimen of man,
both from a physical and an intel
lectual point of view. His manner and
appearance strongly call to mind the
! great Cardinal Richelieu; If ever there
were a diplomat, Cardinal Rampolla Is
one. He is suave, considerate, courte-
Gus and seems Just the man to look
after the affairs of State at this crucia!
period of the churchs history.
l first inquired of the Cardinal II II
were true that the Pope was soon to
issue an encyclical asking Christendon
to assist him in regainlng his tempora
authority.
His Eminence promptly characterized
such a report as without foundation
I inferred from his manner that the
Church would pursue waiting