Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-22
SOME PAPAL TRADITIONS.
THE POPE IS SAID TO BE NOW vIO-
LATINO THEM.
In the Matter of Diplomatic Appoints
ees He Is Selecting Cardinals of
Noble Birth Who Are Not
of Italian Nativity.

From the Lonion Times.
No pontif has broken away from the ira
ditions of the holy seat more than Leo
MIL, who has just appointed several for
eign prelates to diplomatic posts.
From time immemorial the papacy has
been represented at foreign courts invaria-
bly, by Italians. and as far as possible by
Romans, and an endeavor was made to re-
cruit the papal diplomacy almost exclusive
" from patrician families. But within the
last fifty years the Italian aristocracy,
which was formerly wont to devote at
least one son of each family to the service
OF the church, has manifested aversion to
this career, and to-day there are but three
PAL Diplomatic Gfieu Yerviee nameIy Mgr. Gra-
nito, prince of BelmOnte. who Is nrst Sec
rotary and auditor of the nunciature at
nunico at Madrid. and Mgr. Peri Morosini.
auditor and secretary TO the papal mis-
sion at Munich.
Leo NIL. while exceedingly democratic.
is imbued with the conviction that the in
terests of the Vatican can be far better
represented abroad by .prelates of noble
because of a scarcity of Italian patricianS
available for the purpose, he has resorted
TO foreign ecclesiastics of ariStocratic line
age.
He first sent as secretary and auditor
to the nunciatu-a of Madrid Mgr. De-
RIiac. scion of one of the nobiest Alsatian
IliiIc HE II was ~
deputy in the legislative chamber at Paris.
bur after 1870 became naturalized as a Ger,
man, owing to all his estates being located
in Alsace. Old NJ. DeBulac had two soEs.
the elder of them married. but without
children. The second wished to enter the
church: but owing to the failure OF the
elder brother to perpetuate the family
name he forbade his doing so. Young De
Bu!ac consequently entered the diplomatic
service of Germany and served as sec
rotary of legation at Stockholm and at
.. Washington. After some wears. however,
his elder brother became the father of Il
son. whereupon, free to follow mis- own
inclinationS. he at once resigned from the
German diplomatic service and entered
holy orders.
Though his black cassock he now re-
enters diplomacy. and at Madrid will find
several of his old cronies and colleagues
representing Germany. while he is engag-
ed in representing the interests of the
papacy.
The pope has likewise intimated his in
tention of assigning to a post in the papal
diplomacy Prince de Croy, ;, scion of the
princely Belgium house of that name, who
was ordained 4 priest about five years ago.
He attracted the notice of the pontiff. and
was nominated a Cameriere participants,
or personal chamberlain of the holy father.
The latter has eight of these chamberlains
two or three of whom are always in at
tendance. and it is generally leaning on
the arm of young Prince Croy that the VEN
cradle pontiff takes his daily walk in the
Vatican grounds when the weather is fine.
The pope has now assigned him to addi-
tional duties in connection with the sec
r%etaryship of state. with a view of Initial
ing him into the mysteries of pontifical
diplomacy. and as soon as ever this has
been achieved he will be appointed secre-
tary and auditor TO the papal mission a,
the court of Vienna. to which so many
members of the princely house of Croy
belong.
AS if to offset this leaning toward the
aristocracy, native as we'll as foreign. in
diplomatic matters. the pope. has violated
all ecclesiastical traditions by nominating
| a prelate of the most humble origin to the
! vacant archbishopric of Naples. which fol
| the past 800 years has been occupied ex-
clusively by noblemen.