The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1900-01-06
TO SUCCEED POPE Leo
There In Much Speculation In Rens
~ to Who VIII BE the
Next.

The greatest actuaries say, we be-
lieve, that the expectation OF life at 30
is practically nil, or rather is an meal
culable 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. 1t 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 conclave, which must
arrive so soon, and will SO profoundly
interest the whole of the Christian
world.
1t is most improbable, next to impos-
sible, that non-Italian cardinal should
be elected. Not only is the majority in
the conclave composed of Italians born,
the totals being IS to &c, but there are
grave reasons, almost overwhelming
reasons, why no one who is not of that
nation should be elected. The old rea-
son that the church is centralized in
Rome, and that the congregations or
committees which govern it would feel
themselves out of touch with foreign
pope, is still operative, and rather
stronger than weaker because the new
dogma has compelled them all to exalt
their chiefs spiritual rights. lnfalli-
bility cannot be entrusted to "bar-
barian."
International enmities have become
more bitter, and no German or English
man could be elected because French
men would believe him hostile, while
the choice of Frenchman would rouse
suspicion in all who think in German
or possibly in Magyar. There are but
| two Slav cardinals, Ledochowski and
Missia, and, though the former would
be a worthy candidate, he would be dis
sure to keep up the sentiment, partly
| religious and partly national, which
prevents Poles from being politically
| forgotten. An American cardinal
might no doubt be elected without ex-
citing much international feeling
though Spanish-America, it must be re-
membered, is a great division of the
| Catholic world, and both detests and.
breads the North American-but the
election of Cardinal Gibbons would
seem 10 the congregations a revolution
airy proceeding.
We shall be surprised, too, if those
grave and courtly old gentlemen choose
any man who will not look his part, or
who in his bearing suggests anything
| grotesque. At the same time they will
desire, as English premiers do when
| they recommend an archbishop,
"safe" man certain not to shock the
world with novelties, or to travel on a
line which his subordinate coadjutors
do not understand. These conditions
will be found to thin the numbers
| greatly, they striking out Cardinal
Oreglia, who would be dangerously
| fanatic; Cardinal Capecelatro, who is
too old-77; Cardinal Svampa, who is
| too young-4s; Cardinal Parocchi, who
is plebeian and corpulent in outward
| appearance; Cardinal di Pietro, because
he is disliked at Berlin; and, above all,
Cardinal Rampolla, the secretary of
state, whose chances are rather favored
by the writer in the Quarterly, but who
has probably offended half the Sacred
college by his imperiousness, and all
the governments of Europe, especially
the French. He will be no more elected
than Antonelli would have been.
| This leaves in the front rank of the
Papabili only three men; Cardinal Got
ii, whom the pope has indicated as his
successor, Cardinal Jacobini and Car
dinal Vanutelli. The first-named is de-
scribed in the Quarterly as a reserved
man, Carmelite monk, who is greatly
favored by Cardinal Rampolla, but
whose purposes may be kept secret
even from him, and he either is per-
sonally kind of saint, or he affects
saintship. The second is Roman by
birth, of moderate opinions, an eff
cient organizer with democratic
turn, devoted to the papacy, and sup
| posed to be in bad health, which may
mean only that he is indisposed to
play a cardinals part in the society
of Rome. The third is man of ac-
complishments, who has conciliated
the foreign vote, and who may yet
succeed in soothing away the opposi-
ton of the Jesuits. We should be
inclined to fancy that unless the
choice fell upon some comparatively
unknown Italian it would rest upon
one of these three. The chances of
the unknown, it should be remem-
bered, are greatly impaired by GER
tain necessity for speed, the conclave
desiring not to leave time TO the gov
ernments to interfere or to exert pres
sure on behalf of favorite with Their