Evening star., 1901-11-25
MAY BE PAPAL DELEGATE
PLAN TO SEND MGR. DEL VAL TO
THIS CITY REVIVED.
Church in Porto Rico and the Philip
pines Would BE Returned to Its
Spanish Allegiance.

According to gossip prevalent in Roman
Catholic circles the plan to send Monsignor
Merry Del Val to Washington to succeed
Cardinal Martinelli as papal delegate, mas
been revived at Rome, and the impression
prevails that unless there are unexpected
developments at the Vatican the announce
ment of the appointment may be shortly
expected.
1t was stated with almost official posi-
tiveness last spring that Monsignor Del
Val had been selected for this mission and
it is understood his appointment was held
up because it was believed at Rome it
would be injudicious to announce it at that
time.
In considering the situation the New York
Sun today has the following to say:
Should the selection be confirmed by
the pope as now seems probable, there Will
doubtless be vigorous protests on the part
of the Catholics of America and much dis
content.
..Monsignor Del Val is the son of Span
lard, who for many years filled the post or
Spanish ambassador to the Vatican. He
was born in England and educated there.
which leads many to suppose that MS
mother is an English woman and that he
is partly English in his sympathies. This is
a mistake as his mother, like his father, is
a full-blooded Spaniard, and he was educat-
ed In England because his father was at
:
Part I'm Spanish War.
aside from the question of his nation
ality, however the American Catholics are
more deeply interested in the part played
by Monsignor Del Val and his father in
the Spanish war. AS is well known, the
sympathies at the Vatican were entirely
pro-Spanish at the outset of the war,
which. when the close relations between
h. yvat .ncid
not to be wondered at.
Next to Italians the SpaniardS have al
ways been the most Favored py the popes,
and the relations between the court or
Spain and the Vatican are more intimate
now than ever before. During the late
Spanish war Spain had at Rome circle OF
powerful friends Cardinal Rampolla, In
addition to holding several Spanish orders
is the cardinal protector of Spain ana very
friendly to the Del Val family. He is the
cardinal secretary of state to Pope Leo
Kill and such was, perhaps, the strong
est member of the Spanish circle. Next to
| him in rank and influence was Father Mar
tin, S. j., general of the Society of Jesus.
the greatest order of the Catholic Church
and strongest in Spain. Father Martin is
Spanard. Monsignor Del Val with his
father, the Spanish ambassador, conferred
with Father Martin and Cardinal Ram
polla frequently during the progress of the
Spanish-American war, and every effort
was made by them to secure the favorable
influences of the Vatican. 1t was realized,
however, that the American Catholics
would resent any interference so strongly
as to make 1t dangerous to the welfare of
the church in this country and the Vatican
remained neutral, outwardly, at least. The
pope, however, did all he could to prevent
the war which resulted so disastrously to
Spain. But while the Spanish influence at
the Vatican was not strong enough to Sc
cure an open avowal of friendship from
the Vatican, 1t secured the support of the
leading newspapers.
Would Crafty the Grandees.
Nothing could please Spain more than
the appointment of Mgr. Del Val as apos-
tclic delegate to the United States. 1t is
recognized that in the course of time Porto
Rico and the Philippines must come under
the jurisdiction of the American hierarchy.
In the Philippines the Spanish religious
orders own hundred of millions of dollars
years Spanish priests have been the su-
preme power in the islands. The papal
delegate to the United States is the personal
representative of the pope to the American
hierarchy. Should, therefore, the Philip
pines be placed under the jurisdiction of
the American hierarchy, the advantage to
Spanish ecclesiastical interests in the event
that Spaniard holds the, place of apostolic
delegate to the United States. is very ap-
parent
Soon after peace was declared Arch
as apostolic delegate to the Philippines
He is French by BIRTH He was succeeded
by Bishop Sbaretti. an Italian. who was
trained under Cardinal Satolii at the delega-
tion in Washington. Now 1t is proposed
that Spaniard shall represent the pope