Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-24

/ ecclesiastical authorities are almost un.
uvoidable Cardinal Rompolla del Tin.
iaiO the secretary Of state wants 10 be-
pOno His Office. however. puts him al
e disadvantage and he does not expect
90 Doe the immediate successor OF Leo
Kill lie can afford 10 wait as he Is
only 81 years OF age. His candidate Is
Cardinal Angelo al Pietro. who owes ey-
erythlng 10 him and who Is " years OF
age and a Roman. Everything has
been made ready to push his candidacy.
according to the Independence; among
other tn ngs a story is being snrea thar
when he was q boy monk phophesled
that he would succeed S. Peter. He
VIII be supported by Cardinal RompOl-
las friends and opposed by the antag-
onlsts Of the secretary Of state
Cardinal ClrOlamO Maria GOtti. "a
Carmeito monk. man Of great learn
in@ who has shown remarkable quail
ties as an administrator in his own OF
der as superior general In settl 20 the
ecclesiastical affairs Of Brazil and In
other matters requiring tact and dipl0-
macy Is strong candidate among
those who wish Tor a reforming and
religious pope. Should the conclaye
seek anon. the cardinals who DO not
belong 90 the curla Cardinal Sarto. pa
triarCh Of Venice, may have some
chance, while In the improbable event
that a pope of ConClatlon" Is chosen,
u may be Cardinal Capecelatr0. arch
hisho? OF Capua. The serious candi-
dates. however seem 20 be Cardinals
III pietrO and Gott and perhaps. one
OF the Vannutellls.
The predominance OF Italians In the
sacred college makes II improbable that
any foreigner VIII be- considered serious
ly. The Italians have the advantage.
besides their slight numerical superior
ity, Of being united. while the foreigners
belong TO a dozen different nationalities.
Moreover. political difficulties would be
sure 70 rise In case a pope were chosen
from one OF the nations that rank as
great powers, a German for instance,
could hardly be selected without pro-
vOklng a protest from France. The
Independence nevertheless, points out
certain advantages In "unitallanizing"
the church. and suggests the possibility
before long Of electlng a pope from
some nationality that could give offense
TO no one. II takes America and Car
dinal Gibbons as an example:
why should not the new world In It's
turn give pope 90 the church? Amer
lea has It's cardinals since Plus IN. the
only pope who ever trod on American
soil. determined 90 give the United
States the first American cardinal. Glib
bons, they say, would not be a bad
pope, his influence would be enormous.
and Americans even those not Catholic.
would be proud 90 see one Of their peo-
pie attain the highest ecclesiastical hon
or. A broad. open mind. highly cult
waited, very modern, Cardinal Gibbons
would be. above all, an excellent re-
former, who would put an end to all
superannuated systems, and would turn
the church into entirely new paths. He
Is not a courtier. aud Leo XIII had a
proof of this when, not long ago he
condemned Americansm. and a great
number OF bishops in the United States
fastened TO write to him their assent
Their letters We're published but they
took good care not TO publish Cardinal
Gibbons which. / am assured was so
as 20 stir up the Vatican
which Is no longer accustomed 20 hear
true and sincere speech that departs
from the ruts Of routine admiration"
II takes a two-thirds vote Of the
cardinals 10 elect a pope. and, though
Cardinal Gibbons and his foreign coll
leagues viii have a great Influence in
the next conclave, the Independence
does not expect 20 see a non-ltalian
elected, II thinks however. that the
time Is not FAR distant when, In the
Interests Of the church, a pope may be
taken from among Catholics who are
not Italian.-Paris correspondence Of
The Chicago Inter-Ocean.