The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-05
HIS VISIT TO ROME
DISCUSSED BY CARDINAL GIBBONS
AT SPECIAL SERVICE.
GAVE SKETCH OF Plus X
AND PAID TRIBUTE TO WORK OF
HIS Predecessor, LEO NH.

| NOnclHNe MARKED New Era in An
nails of American Catholic Church.
First Time Western Hemisphere
Has Been Represented in ChOOs-
ing IA Successor to Chair of st.
| Peter-United States May Have
| Several Representatives at Next
COnclave-EIectiOn of Plus Con-
Quoted With Absolute Freedom.
Baltimore, Oct. Especial services
were held at the Baltimore cathedral
| to-day in honor of the election of Plus
| X. Cardinal Gibbons preached the SER
mon at high mass, and was listened
attentively to by a congregation that
filled the edifice. So dense was the
throng which filled every inch of the
cathedral that the procession of clergy.
seminarians and acolytes following the
mass was delayed until hundreds of
persons cleared the sisles of the
church.
In addition to being the first sermon
delivered at the cathedral by Cardinal
Gibbons for three months, it had been
announced that he would speak of the
conclave which elevated the new Pom
if and speak of general conditions at
the Vatican.
At the conclusion of the Pontifical
mass the Popes' prayer was chanted
by the choir of st. Mary Seminary of
thirty voices. His Eminence spoke as
follows:
You naturally expect me to make
| observe tiO11G in 70
recent conclave, and to the new
Pontiff who has been happily chosen
to preside over the Church of God.
Seventy members constitute the
Sacred College, when the body is COM
plete, but the college rarely attains
that number, as between one con-
| sistory and another several deaths ere
| apt to intervene among body of men
usually advanced in years. At the time
of the conclave the cardinals amount
ed to siXty-four members, of whom
| sixty-two took part in the election of
the Sovereign Pontiff.
The following nations are represent
ed in the Sacred College: Italy, France,
Spain, Portugal. Belgium, Germa NY,
Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Poland.
Ireland, Australia and the United
States. 1t. is to be regretted, how
ever. that the deaths of Cardinals
Taschereau and Vaughan, and the alb
scene of Cardinal Moran. prevented
England, Canada and Australia from
having a voice in the conclave. And
had the election of a Pope been held
some years ago, the illustrious Cardi-
mails Newman and Manning would have
adorned the venerable Senate by their
learning and experience.
New and Important Era.
The conclave which has just taken
place. marks new and important era
in the annals of the American Cath
olic Church. This is the first time in
the history of the Christian religion
that the United States, or any part of
this western hemisphere was ever
associated with the other nations of
| Christendom in selecting a successor
to the chair of Peter.
II would not at all be surprised if in
the next conclave the Catholic Church
| of the United States will be represent
| ed by several members of the Sacred
| College, so that the number of cardinals
from our country may be common
surate with the population, the grand
eur and the commanding influence of
the nation, and may be in keeping also
! with the numerical strength of our
| hierarchy and laity, and the splendor
and progress of our religious and char
| liable institutions.
"At the time of the conclave, and
| for weeks preceding it, Rome was full
of newspaper reporters gathered from
various parts of the civilized world.
| They were there to furnish the earliest
news to the journals which they repre-
sented The great majority of these
! journalists were men of truth and
honor. But few of them who could
not obtain trustworthy facts, or be-
cause they regarded facts as less saw
| DRY than fiction, yielded to the tempta-
ton of making statements which were
| the offspring of their fancy. The more
spicy the dish which they served to
their patrons, the more eagerly 1t was
! devoured.
I'm the judgments of mankind, the
| cardinals of the church are acknowl-
! edged - be generally men of high
order of intelligence, Of great discre-
| ton, of large experience, and of in
tegrity of character. In these re-
spects 1 believe they are not surpassed,
! if they are equalled, by any delibera-
tive body in the whole world.
Cardinals Not Angels.
"The cardinals, however, are not an
gels, but men, subject to the usual in
firmittes and ambitions of flesh and
blood And because they are not ex-
empt from the frailties incident to man
kind, and because of the peerless dig
nifty of the Supreme Pontifcate, as we'll
as of the tremendous responsibility 1t
involves, every precaution that human
ingenuity and experience could sug-
gest, has been awaited of in this, as in
preceding conclaves, so that no cloud
should rest over the election of the sue
cessful candidate.
such were the circumstances which
marked the election of our new chief
pastor, who has assumed the title of
| Plus x.
II was present at the conclave, and
took part in the proceedings, and with
out revealing it's secrets, can most
positively assure you and the American
people that the election of the Pope was
conducted with absolute freedom, with
the utmost fairness and impartiality,
and with the dignity and solemnity be-
coming the august assemblage of the
Sacred College, and the nomentous
consequence OF their suffrages.
by the Finger of God.
"I have witnessed debates in the
british Parliament, in the French
Chambers and in the houses of Con-
aress. and / must candidly say that
in sobriety of language, and in cour-
teous department of members toward
one another, the College of Cardinals
SURPRISES them all. And this Is the
more noteworthy when we consider
that some twelve different rationale
ties swayed by as many national
characteristics, were represented In the
assembly. on leaving the Sistine
Chapel at the conclusion of the con-
clave and contemplating the overrlIl-