The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-16
And BIBLE CRITICISM.
TIE COMMISSION or CARDINALS
no EXAMINE THE QUESTION.

VI
I,bood That the Index E~xpurKat0rius
NAV he Revised Misrepresentation
n, thu Catholic Church's Attitude.
ROME. Jan. 25.-Leo XIII. has just APP
nointed in re bibicd a committee OF Jar
dinals at the head, Of which are CARDINAL
parocchi, Cardinal Segna and Cardinai
Wives v Tuto. This Is an intellectual event.
Cardinal Parocchi IL one OF the most highly
cultured men of Europe. He has amiaole
sraciousness. afability, a brilllant imaglna-
ton. wide erudition. an instinct Tor IAN
oueees. classical eloquence, a broad mind
which is able to combine In a superior
manner the most diverse elements. The
late Vicar Of the Pope will DO an Ideal Presi-
den, In a matter that requires intellectual
tact. a genius for shades Of meaning, and
in~exhaustible power for holding the minu
In scientific. judicial suspense.
In Cardinal Segna the common herd oil
saoristies and the attendants on Academies
beheld a second Bellarmino before he went
into diplomacy. An auditor at the Madrid
.nunciature when Mgr. Rampolla del Tindaro
was nuncio. IN accomplished Jurist. Car
dinal Segna returned to Rome with his
master, and there fills the useful function
Of handspring In the Congregations. Some
impatient spirits have dreamed OF the tiara
for him. He Is the lieutenant OF Cardinal
Rampolla del Tindaro. Cardinal Wives y
Tuto, a Spanish Franciscan settled In
Rome, has won Leo XIII 8, full confidence
through his understanding Of foreign affairs,
his modern spirit, his f~aultlcss Catholicism.
his sympathy for democracy and his won
derful understanding OF Holy Writ. Some
augurs nave already placed on his humble
head the triple crown
The like guarantors Of sagacity and
wide experience are presented by the
Secretary Of the committee, Father David
Fleming. An Englishman by birth. settled
in Rome on account of his office OF Fran
ciscan procurator. Father Fleming is a
man OF executive ability and a Biblical
student. At one time Christian demo-
Gratis formed the greatest hopes Of him.
Blunders committed during the American
adventure detached him somewhat from
the great Socialist policy. but he is so
deeply attached to the Pope, his soul Is 80
well poised, his learning is so varied and 70
profound, he understands 80 thoroughly
and sees through the movements, the
character and the needs Of the world as
It Is, that he has returned to his ~equanimity
and his desire 70 cooperate.
A permanent commission without coun-
cillors Is unknown at Rome. The Pope has
picked them out by nationalities, for Italy
Prof. Gismondi Of the Gregorian University
and Abbate Amelli OF Montecassino: for
France, Able Vigouroux. whose exegetlcal
knowledge Is appreciated by all Christen-
dom; for Belgium, NJ. var Hoonacker.
professor at the University of Louvain;
for Holland, Able Poels; for Germany
Prof. Hdmmelauer, and. for England, Abbot
Robert Clarke. 1t Is an academy Of pro-
fessionals.
To such guarantees Of competence and
OF special knowledge lie Joined the am
phictyonic spirit hat animated the Pope.
For some time past timid minds and bigots
placed every Index and denounced to every
Holy Office books on exegesis that went
beyond a certain accepted mean. Life
frightened them, science irritated them.
The new spirit grated on tradition threw
them into a nervous At. The movement
In all directions disturbs two classes Of
persons, the proprietors Of old methods
and the absolute conservatives. Leo XIII,
however. loves neither auto da fes nor
iOiQutilduds' III Ill OtnCdte matters
be has reserved for himself the right to
Investigate and to decide. The retention
OF the Third Rome has not merely thrown
matters out OF gear, but has put of the
reforms that delighted Leo XIII.
The system of Sixtus V. was an admir-
able adjustment Of the pontifcal functions
10 the moment and the circumstances.
Moment and circumstance have d~isappeared
to-day. Discord Is seen in many placrs.
The readers Of the future and observers
Of the present have warned the chosen
Of this deficiency for the gradual carrv-
ing out of Roman ideas. The practical
government has not risen TO the level of
doctrinal and intellectual policy. Hepoe
confusion and breaks, hence trickery and
uncertainty. misunderstanding and con-
tradiction.
As regards Catholics, the Index will
assuredly receive fortunate notifications
on account Of the weight of actual situa-
tions and Of the reforms Of this pontiicate.
Leo XIII. 20 perfectly understands the i'm
perative need of rejuvenation that he has
suspended tho enforcement Of the Index
ut the critical moments when the HOLY Sec
tries 10 establish the close connection be-
~ NN toSNS VI yesterday ana those OF
to-day.
That Is why the establishment OF this
committee stands for a progress and a
new policy. At the beginning of his pom
tfcate Leo AIII., on throwing open the
Vatican archives, established a commission
consisting Of Cardinals Hergenroethcr
Pitra and De Lucca for higher historical
study. The Biblioth6que de rEnseicne-
ment de FHistoire ecctsiastique has under
taken, relying on purely private resources,
The plan partially confded to the Congress,
namely. h preparation of a Universal
Ecclesiastical History. examined from the
point Of the progress in criticism in our
times. When the Pope in 1858 published
his Encyclical. Father de Cessre. the Aretino
OF the Quirinal, ostentatiously called the
Pope's action "a blow in the air. una can
nondtd senxd p~oirere. New the science of
history has been made over by il. To
describe It's first fruitful crops would be
TO tell the story Of ar intellectual move
ment whose results seem TO lay out before
us a new and more exact conception OF
humanity. Next to the Encyclical Rerum
Nordrurn. Of all the HOLY Father's p,hIio