The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-07

unused 60 per cent. of the italian electorate
are added 10 those of the very large number
of adversaries of the crown who are al
ready engaged in Italian political life then
the throne of King Humbert may be con-
sidered as doomed and the sun of the house
of Savoy to have reached its western hori-
ION. In one word the Italian dynasty and
the Italian government are to all intents
and purposes at the mercy of the papacy.
II is therefore a matter of life and death to
them that the next Pope should be a friend
and not foe of the state.
POWERS RESOLVED TO ACT.
The Italian government, as stated, will
be encouraged to act with decision in the
matter by the knowledge that it has behind
it Germany. and possibly Austria, neither
of which was its ally at the time of the
last papal election. AT the moment of the
death of Plus TX the late Prince Bismarck.
speaking in his capacity as chancellor of
the German empire in the Reichstag in Ber-
lin, exclaimed: We shall abstain from
weighing on (sic) the papal election. But
when the latter has been terminated, and
the result is announced to US, we shall have
70 examine whether not we will accept
the result Apparently Germany was sat
lshed with the choice of Leo XIII. But it
may De SAFE 10 assume tnat had any prelate
been selected who was antagOnistic TO Ger
many the latter would have declined TO
recognize the election. II would imply an
Emperor William TO imagine for mo-
ment that he had receded in any way from
the position then taken up by his great
chancellor On the contrary, 1t IS well
known that, instead of Contenting himself
with accepting or rejecting the result OF
the COnclaVe after its conclusion. he has re-
solved TO influence the election and to strain
every nerve to prevent the choice of a Pope
who might be inimical to Germany. For
the most powerful party in the German
ReichStag is the Catholic party, which, by
casting its vote EN- bloc for or against
lament. decides its fate. This Catholic
party takes its orders from the Vatican,
and should these commands be issued by d
Pontin opposed TO German interests I'M
derstoOd by the Kaiser, parliamentary gov
eminent at Berlin would become just as
impossible as il is al Vienna. 1t is for this
Won Buelow, his envoy to the court of the
Vatican, well as Cardinal Archbishop
Kopp. to proceed in all haste to Rome in
order TO watch the course of events.
Austria is equally interested in having on
the throne of St. Peter a prelate who is
friendly rather than inimical to the triple
alliance. For there is no empire in all Eu-
rope save perhaps Spain and Portugal.
where the Catholic episcopacy and clergy
take so prominent part in political life as
in Austro-Hungary. Indeed. many of the
recent troubles at Vienna and at Pesth have
been due to conflicts between the eccle-
siastical element and the government, the
clergy receiving it's instructions through the
papal nunciO. More than once. Indeed, has
Emperor Francis Joseph been obliged by his
ministers to ask for the recall of nuncio
owing to the influence exercised by the lat
ter at the expense of the administration
Of the day on the episcopacy and clergy of
the dual empire.
France on the other hand. is interested in
having Pope who. if not foe of the triple
alliance, at any rate may be relied upon TO
be politically impartial For it cannot be
denied that she has suffered considerably
from the pronounced German sympa mics OF
Leo XIII. thanks to which she has been
virtually deprived of that protectorate of all
throughout the Orient which formerly con-
stituted the principal source of her prestige
and power in Asia, as we'll as in parts of
the dark continent.
FORMER PREROGATIVE OF VETO.
We have. therefore. practically four pow
ers, namely, Italy, Austria, Germany and
France, each resolved to influence the forth
coming conclave to the extent of endeavor-
ing either to revive the old-time right of
veto or else to refuse to recognize the cleo
ton of the new Pope. The privilege of veto,
considering which much misconception pre-
walls, has been definitely abolished by the
Holy See, which is determined at all costs
to prevent its revival. The veto, which con-
sisted in the right of certain monarchical
powers to initiate at the beginning of a
cOnclaVe that they vetoed the selection OF
this or of that cardinal, subSiSted by virtue
of pact, according to which certain Catho-
lie states bound themselves to the defense
of the church and of the Papacy, in return
for which they received the privilege of
veto. which was considered by the church
as the ne plus ultra of the concessions that
could be granted to friendly and protecting
pOtentates. These states however, no
longer defend the church or Papacy, and
the cessation of the whole combination of
circumstances which justified so great a
concession has therefore enSued. Its formal
abolition may be considered to have 9TH
cially taken place at the time of the last con-
clave, when Leo XIII, while still Cardinal
iii 1r,1 hrENcN xrrifh he
administration of the PaDacy during the
nterregnum, informed the representatives
of the foreign Catholic powers that not only
would no veto be tolerated, but not even
any effort be permitted that could be con-
strued as tending toward persuasion or in
fluence on the part of any state. The con-
claVe which elected Plus VII was harassed
and prolonged by Austria's use of its right
to vetO and Austria, too, had resolved to
veto the election of Plus TX, the execution
of It's project being, however, frustrated by
the delay in the arrival of Cardinal Gay
struck, who reached Rome only for the pur-
pose of using the veto after the election had
already taken place.
In conclusion it is scarcely necessary to
point out that neither Cardinal Gibbons,
nor any other cardinal of foreign BIRTH has
the remOtest chance of election In the
first place. Their is species of century
old tradition of the Holy Sea- sort of un-
written .aW-that the Pope must be IN
italian, and. aside from the pre1udices of the
Italian moiety of the Sacred College against
a foreign Pope. it would be too much TO
expect the Italian government to submit
TO the presence at the Vatican, in the very
center of the national capital. of a pre- late
of alien birth belonging to some nation that
might or might not be foe of Italy and
yet who as Pontiff. would be able through
the Italian clergy to control and influence
the major portion of the Italian electorate.
Besides this the very fact that the conclave
is almost certain to be held at once on the
death of Leo XIII, perhaps around his
deathbed, and before the Italian eoVernme enc
or any foreign power is made aware OF lis
demise, and before any foreign members OF
the Sacred College, after being Informed
thereof. can reach Rome, will practically
have the effect of restricting the scarlet
robe electors to the Italian cardinals. ard to
their four foreign colleagues resident in the
Eternal City who may be relied upon to
choose only an Italian member of the Ro-
man cUria.