The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-07
The Republic Bureau.

tsth ST. and Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, July 6.-Roman Catholic &C.
clesiastics in this city consider the danger
Gus illness and Imminent death of Pope Leo
XIII one Of the greatest misfortunes which
could befall their church in the United
States at the present time. Pope Leo loves
the American people. His Philippine policy
has smoothed away many difficulties.
With the addition of the Filipino HER
archy to the American and the contem-
plated possibility that the two ecclesiastic
Provinces Of Cuba may be added in the near
future. the American hierarchy would be
second only to that Of Italy and far more
powerful in influence and numbers than any
nationality except Italy. At no time have
SO many plans of far-reaching importance
been in process of maturity between the
American church and the Holy See.
The successor of Leo may frown upon
many of them. They are yet 90 young that
an unfavorable Pontiff could easily destroy
the work accomplished. For instance. the
next Pope may not favor the Americaniza-
ton of the Filipino church, and It would be
an easy matter to transfer Archbishop
Harry and Bishops Rocker and Dougherty
from the Philippine sees to other work
and encourage the Filipinos toward national
aspirations by consecrating either natives
or foreigners ASSOCIATED with them to the
vacant Filipino bishoprics.
The next Pope will not escape pressure
from interests hostile to the United States,
as the French and Austrian hierarchies are
not friendly to policy which inevitably
would curtail their influence In the ecclesi-
astic affairs. The Americanizatiou Of the
Philippines has been personal policy of
the dying Pontiff. and was opposed by the
most powerful influences in the church.
The fate of the Catholic University Of
America also hangs in the balance. Mgr.
OConnell, the new rector. Is now on the
ocean, recalled to Rome by Pope Leo for
the purpose of giving eclat to pronuncia-
mento in favor Of this institution. The
next Pope may not consider 1t necessary
II support this Institution by the full power
of his authority. 1t is only within the
past few months that dangerous contests
and rivalries within the faculty of the uni
vcrsity have been composed.
Should the next Pope expect the Catholic
University to drop its swaddlng clothes
and walk alone. 1t may require decades
to accomplish what the policy of Pope Leo
expected in the immediate future.
INSTANCE OF POPE LEO's LOVE
H'OH THE UNITED STATES.
AS an instance of the Pope's estimation
and love for the United States. the follow
ing authentic incident may be related The
General Of the Dominicans was laying be-
fore the Pope his difficulties incident to
the operations of the recent French laws.
The great distributing house of the Domin-
ica ms has been located at Paris since 1900.
Their great plant was wrecked, and the
- .l,nN
be saved to Rome. Pope Leo astonished
the Dominican by suggesting that he
transfer his partisan establishment bodily
to Washington. and stated emphatically
that the United States was the one Govern
ment In the world which offered the church
free and untrammeled opportunities to
carry forward its work. The Dominicans
are now engaged in erecting n gigantic
cost of 100000. whence its army of mission
ers will be sent throughout the world.
1t was also through Pope Leo's advice
that the great order of the Franciscans
| transferred their commissariat to loca-
! ton near the Catholic University. Acting
upon similar suggestions, other orders and
congregations are considering plans to make
| their working headquarters at Washington
All this has been so quietly accomplished
! during the past half dozen years that lit
| tie attention has been attracted. even in
Roman Catholic circles.
The succession to the papacy is matter
| OF vital interest. not only to clerlcs, but tc
the Diplomatic Corps. Just before he de.
parted for his Western trip. Signor des
Planches. the Italian Ambassador, said:
He VINO goes into the conclave a pro
spective Pope comes out Cardinal"
Aside from the fact that st. Malachfl
prophecy indicates that the next Pontif