Evening star., 1902-03-04
THE FR|AR. PROBLEM
Attitude of the Vatican to
the Question. =.
THE POPE'S POSITION
CHURCH OF ROME LOOKS
AsKANcE AT TAFT COMMISSION.
The Sacred College Inclined to Support
the Troublesome Ecclesiastics
in the Philippines.
THE POPE'S POSITION

The settlement Of the Philippine question,
which is in large part religious and eccle-
siastical is at present the most important
problem which the Vatican has before 1t.
After the termination of the Hispano-
American war, when the Philippines came
under the supremacy of the United States,
the Washington government saw at once
the necessity Of an understanding with the
Vatican SO as to facilitate a definite set
tlement Of the affairs of the islands. Mr..
McKenna. then Attorney General. was
charged by President Mckinley to take
| the necessary steps to this end, and he
found in Cardinal Gibbons to whom he
turned. a willing, enlightened and patriotic
medium for the laying of the desideratum
of the executive before the holy see.
The chief point in this problem consisted
In the withdrawal of the frairs, to whom
all the evils of the unfortunate Filipnos
are attributed. The negotiations with the
Roman turia We're so ably conducted by
the archbishop of Baltimore that they
were, on the whole, most satisfactory. and
the Vatican appeared to agree with the
views expressed from Washington. How
ever, from that moment dates the first
hitch. due to the different methods of pro-
cedure on the part of Washington and
Rome. and to different readings of yes
and no. To the Americans yes meant
that the friars would leave, if not al once,
the Vatican it sgnified a lengthy process
to be consummated in an unlimited time.
Appointment of Chapelle.
When a prelate came TO be appointed to
carry out in the Philippines the plans which
| on both sides 1t was believed had been
| agreed upon Cardinal Gibbons proposed
Monsignor Chapelle, a great favorite of
his, whose career he has been instrumental
In furthering. although by many the arch
bishop of New Orleans was not SO highly
considered. The cardinal, however, it
seems made this choice fer-besides his per-
sonal liking-two reasons: Because Mon
signor Chapelle, during his sojourn In
Washington as pastor of ST. Matthew's.
had become socially acquainted with the
people of the highest standing in politics,
and because. although an American citizen
and archbishop. he Is French by birth.
Cardinal Gibbons thought to thus please
the Vatican, which. notwithstanding the
universal character of the Roman Church.
leans toward the Latins. and looks askance
at the modern ways and ideas of the An
glo-Saxons. whom she desires to curb by
the appointment Of Latin prelates to the
higher positions.
The manifestation of this tendency began
with the sending of Monsignor Satoll now
cardinal as papal delegate to Washington,
followed by Monsignor Martinelli, still
there In that position 1t continued with
the choice of Monsgnor Chapelle as apos-
tolic delegate to Cuba and the Philippines
and that of Monsignor Sbaretti as arch
bishop of Havana who is now to replace
Monsignor Chapelle at Manila. while the
same attitude is seen in the already an
nounced nomination Of Monsignor Falconio,
another Italian. to succeed the present del
egate at Washington. -
Strained Relations.
Monsignor Chapelle. who has never
| ceased to be archbishop of New Orleans,
| and was already apostolic delegate in Cuba,
when appointed in the same capacity to
the Philippines asked to come to Rome be-
fore going to fill his new post. The Amer
| lean government was somewhat surprised
| that when starting for Manila Archbishop
Chapele was appointed apostolic delegate
| there, thus being in direct dependence on
| the holy see. The divergence in the reading
| of the agreement supposed to have been
decided upon became more evident when
| the new apostolic delegate entered upon his
| duties.
| He thought he was faithfully following
| the instructions received from Rome. while
| the American officials considered him almost
| a traitor Meanwhile his position soon be-
! came untenable. Monsignor NoZa1eda de
| Villa, the Spanish archbishop of Manila,
quarreled with him and accused him of ir-
| tentionally ignoring the rights granted to
| the friarS by the treaty of Paris which
! ceded the archipelago to the United States;
the military authorities accused him of con-
Spring with the insurgents, and the COM
plants went to such lengths that General
Otis threatened to have him arrested.
| Meanwhile the Vatican was not entirely
| satisfied with his work because of the an
tlpathieS he aroused and the management
| of the difficulties he encountered, SO ne was
| recalled, and kept in Rome for about a
year. so that advantage might be taken OF
| the knowledge OF men and things he had
| acquired during his sojourn in the Philip
| pines. and thus more favorable condition
| of affairs be prepared for his successor.
Cardinals Divided.
| At the Vatican. even among the cardinals.
opinions are divided as to the best policy to
| follow with regard to the friars. Some
| have openly declared the advisabilty of re-
moving them as soon as possible from the
| islands. Among these are Cardinal Satolli
| who, because OF his long service in the
United States, Is more competent to judge
| the feelings and wishes of the American
people than the other members Of the
Sacred College: Cardinal Agliardi, one of
| the cleverest. most enlightened and pro-
gressve of the princes of the church. who
distinguished himself as papal nuncio at
Vienna: and. finally. Cardinal Cavagnfs
Who. speaking Of the Philippines. said. "Bi-
sogna fare casa Ova,' characteristic
phrase which means I'VE must clear the
not to the maintenance OF the religious
orders. at least to the recall OF the friars in
such a gradual way as to take very long
time. Is certainly at the present moment
tue strongest
The Dominicans, Augustinians, Recollects
and Franciscans. besides being supported
in Rome by the generals Of their orders
and by those OF their fellow monks who
occupy high positions I'm the inner circles
OF Catholicism. have the assistance of all
other monastic orders. and in this special
question OF the Jesuits also. who generally
| are at war with the Dominicans. So, TAX
| ing for instance the sacred college, we
| find that eight Of it's members are directly
| interested In the support OF the friars-
namely. Cardinals Oregla di Santo Stefano,
| chamberlain Of the church. doyen Of the
/ Sacred College as he was for a short time
! q Jesuit: Steinhuber. a learned Jesuit; Got
| t. Carmelite. considered the most prob
| able successor OF Leo XIII: Ciasca, an Au-
| gustinian. for long time secretary Of the
| propaganda fide and very influential there
| Pierotti. a Dominican: Celesia. a Benedic-
| tine; Wives Tuto. Capucine. and. finally,
Martinelli himself. an Augustinian.
Friends OF Friars.
| Eight cardinals are a very considerable
number even taken by themselves, but,
naturally. there are those who for one rea-
| son or another follow their lead. among
| whom are undoubtedly to be counted the
| other Spanish cardinals besides Wives y
Tuto. who are now only three but will soon