The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-12-15
TO SUCCEED POPE Leo
There Is Nu~i spe~wfnsfea In mSDe
- to whS VIII u. the
Next.


The greatest aetuaries say We BE-
fieve. that the expectations of life as ~
is practically nil or rather II an meal
euIabIe quantity. The candle so often
goes out In men Of that age even when
there is no breeze stirring that their
lives are never safe for an hour. Is Is
reasonable. therefore. as Leo XIII.
will be 90 on March next for others
than cardinals to speculate on the re-
suit of the next eonciave- which must
arrive so SOON and viii so profoundly
interest the whole of the Christian
world
II is moss improbable. next 90 Tmpos-
sibIe. that a ron-fta.faH cardinal should
be elected Not only IS the majority IN
the eoneIave composed Of Italians 1orn-
the totals being % 20 IS, but there are
grave reasons. almost overwhelming
reasons, why no one who Is not of that
nation should De elected The old req
son that the church Is centralized N
Rome, and that the congregations or
committees which govern Il would feel
themselves out OF touch with a foreign
pope. IS still operative and rather
stronger than weaker because the new
dogma has compelled them all 20 sxalt
their chiefs spiritual rights InfaIIf-
biIity cannot be entrusted 20 . bar
barian"
International snu tiles have become
more bitter. and no German or English
man could be elected because French
4 -
the choice of Frenchmau would rouse
suspicion I'm ali who think IN German
or possibly in Magyar There are but
two Slav cardinals. Leffochowski and
Missia- and though the former world
be a worthy candidate ne would De dis
liked both IN Russia and Germany. rs
sure TO keep up the sentiment partly
religious and partly national which
prevents Poles from being politically
forgotten. IN American cardinal
might no doubt be elected without ex-
citing much international feeling
though SpanIsh-inerica it must De re-
membered. IS great division Ut the
Catholic world. and both detssrs and
breads the North Amer5can-but the
election Of Cardinal Gibbons would
seem to the congregations revolutions
airy proceeding
We shall he surprised too Il those
grave and courtIy old gentlemen choose
any man who will not look mis- part or
who in his bearing suggests anything
grosesque- At the same time they wTIT
desire. as English premfers do when
they recommend an archbishop n
safe" man certain not 20 shock the
world with novelties or 10 travel On q
line which his subordinate euasf frrtors
do not understand. These conditions
viii be found 10 thin the numbers
greatly, they striking out Cardinal
Oregiia. who would be dangerously
fanatic; cardinal CapscpIatro- who Is
too old-Ts. Cardinal Svsrsrpa- who *
too young-ss; Cardinal ParoccFIf. who
is plebeian and e0rpuTent in outward
appearance Cardinal oIi F'fstro- because
he IS disiiEsd at Berlin: and above ALL
Cardinal RampoTIa The secretary Of
state whose chances ara rather favored
| by the writer in the Quarterly. but who
has probably offended half ths Sacred
college by his Tmperiousuess- and all
che governments of Europe espeeiaIIy
the French He will he NJ. more elected
than AntoneiTi world have been.
This leaves IN the front rank of the
Papabili only three men: Cardinal Got
IT, whom the pope has Indicated as his
Successor Cardinal .Jaeobinf and Car
dinal VanuteIIi- The frst-narrsesf X de
scribed in the Quarterly as Il reserved
man. CarmeITre monk who Is greatly
favored by Cardinal RarnpofIa. but
whose purposes may be kept Secret
even from him. and he either Is Der-
sonalIy kind of saint or he 7sr,.--~
saintship- The second is u Roman he
birth. of moderate opinions. m eff
etent organizer with n democratic
turn devoted 20 the papacy- and sup
posed to be in bad health which NAV
mean only that he is frtfi<posesf In
play n cardinals part in the society
of Rome The third Is u man OF ae-
eompflshments- who has crnciIIarefT
fhe foreign vote. and who NAV vet
succeed in soothing away the opuoSf-
ton of the Jesuits- I've should ne
inclined to- fancy that unless fhe
choice fell upon some coE1YparatfvsIv
unknown Italian IL would rest 1psr
one of these three The chaaees Of
the unknown. II should be rerner1-
hered- are greatly impaired by a Ger
tain necessity for speed fine coneiave
desiring not to leave time 20 ths. gov
ernments TO Interfere or to exert pres
sure on behalf of n favorire with their
peoPles.-Loudon Spectator