The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-06-14
A PROMINENT CHURCAMAN.
CARDINAL RAMPOLLAS PLACE IN
PAPAL HIERARCHY.
A Possible Pope, But for His Broad
Views and Strong support of the AM
erican Roman Catholic Churchmen.

Cardinal Rampolla, says w. f.. Cur
tbs. the papal secretary of state, is likely
to be a very prominent figure in the
affairs of the Catholic church during the
next few years. He is now the rlght
hand man of the pope in action, and his
chief adviser in council. Except for the
holy father he is the most powerful and
| influential force in the Catholic HER
archy. Cardinal Rampolla is still a
young man, a Sicilian by birth, but a
descendant of the kings of Saxony
| through his mother, who was the Ouch
ess Lanzi He was born at the little
town of Polizzi, Sicily, on August II,
1S43, educated at the Vatican seminary,
| the Capranican college and the aca-
DENY of noble Ecclesiastics at Rome. In
| 1875 he was sent to Madrid as auditor
| of the papal legation. Two years later
he was called to Rome and made sec
rotary of the propaganda for oriental
| affairs in the vatican. His next promo
ton made him secretary of the congre-
cation for extraordinary ecclesiastical
| affairs, which is a bureau of great i'm
portance in the vatican.
| In 1882 he was conseCrated archbishop
of Heraclea and sent as papal nuncio-
that is, the diplomatic representative
of the Vatican-to Madrid where he re-
! NAMED for five years Until he was
created a cardinal and appointed sec
| rotary of state, or prime minister in the
cabinet of the pope. BY virtue of his
office he is president of the executive
| and administrative councils of the holy
| see. He is arch priest of the vatican
basilica and grand prior of the military
order of the knights of Jersualem. He
is also project of the congregation of
| Loreto, and project of the congregation
| known as tire Fabrica of st. Peter S
| cathedral.
1t will thus be seen that Cardinal
| Rampolla's career has not only been
brilliant, but rapid. SO young a man
never held such important positions and
welded so much Influence in the church.
He was only 80 years old when he was
made archbishop and nuncio to Spain,
| and was the executive head of the
church and cardinal at A. Rampolla's
life has been marked by piety and sim
plicity. At the same time his presence
is impressive. His dignity BELTS his
eminent position. His disposition is
genial; he is fun of wit and humor. and
he has great social popularity without
| as well as within the circles of the
! church.
Cardinal Rampolla is quite as ia
nous for his Tearing as for his ability
He has written the best works eXtant
upon the traditions of the Greek church
and upon the infallbility of the pope
and has Just published a notable vol
lume on the historical accuracy of the
story of the Maccabees His views are
quite as liberal as those of any of the
hierarchy. In fact he might be the sue
cessor of Leo XIII. in the pontifcate
but for his extreme liberality, which is
offensive to the narrow and conserva-
tive members of the college of cardinals
from southern Europe.
He is a great admirer and warm sup.
porter of Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop
ireland, Mgr. Eeane and other mem
bers of the liberal party of the Catholic
church in America.