The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-23
OREGLIA is ACTING POPE.
The Only Living Cardinal Who Was
Created by Plus TX.


Created by Plus TX.
Cardinal Luigi Oreglla de Santo
Stefano, who becomes the acting head
of the Church of Rome during the in
terregnum, is not only dean of the
Sacred College, by reason of seniority
of creation as a cardinal. but is the
only member of that body who was
elevated to membership in it during the
pontifcate of Plus TX. His further
titles are those of Bishop of Ostia and
Valletri, Camerlengo of the Holy
Roman Church. and Project of the
Congregation of Ceremonials.
Mgr. Oreglia is descended from one
of the oldest baronial families of Pied
mont, and is the exact type of a court
ly and noble churchman of a bygone
age. Ordinarily affable, courteous, gem
erous, a perfect gentleman, a profound
scholar, an accomplished diplomat, he
is nevertheless a man of quick and
irascible temper, and it is a notorious
fact that for many years his relations
with the late Leo XIII had been very
strained.
Cardinal Oreglia was born in Bene,
Mendori, Piedmont, on July 8, 1928, and
has consequently entered upon his 18th
year. He was educated at the Eccle-
SIdSllCdl tACdu6Ily LOT NODlS
and at first served as director of the
poor school at Termini. In later life
the most uncompromising foe of the
Italian Crown and government, he be-
gan his ecclesiastical career as chaplain
to the late King Victor Emmanuel then
ruler of Sardinia alone, being the
adopted son and nephew of that Count
Solaro dell Margherita who was the
intimate friend and political adviser of
King Charles Albert. Subsequently he
held for years the title of honorary
almoner of the Royal House of Pied
mont.
| He had, however, a passion for Dip
| lOmacy, and was sent as Nuncio, first
| to The Hague, and subsequently to
Lisbon. AT the time of the capture of
Rome by Victor Emmanuel, in 1870,
Mgr. Oreglia was still Papal Nuncia at
Lisbon, and he brought so much pres
sure to bear upon Queen Pia of Portu-
| gal. to induce her father, King Vel
| tor Emmanuel, to restore Rome to the
| Pope that the Court of Lisbon finally
demanded his recall.
He was created Archbishop of Dam
ietta in partibus, and on Dec. %, 1873
was created a cardinal by Plus TX. be-
ing made one of the five Cardinal Bish-
ops. the highest order in the Sacred
College, to the position of dean OF
which he succeeded on the death OF
! Cardinal Monaco La Valetta, in 1896
| In the conclave of 1873 he distinguished
| himself above all other members Of
the Sacred College by his bitter oppo-
stion to the election of Cardinal Pecci
who became Pope as Leo XIII
Throughout the long Pontif1cate of the
latter he opposed his policy in almost
every particular, and numerous stories
are current at Rome of his encounters
with the late Pontiff.
Leo XIII was perfectly aware of al
this, and of those who were behind the
scenes at the Vatican there was a good
| deal of humor in the occasions wheT
Cardinal Oreglia was called upon t.
| offer in the name of the Sacred College
wishes and prayers for the long life
] health and happiness of his holiness
who listened with a twinkle in his eye
to these compliments uttered in a rasp
ing and irritated tone of voice, InC
then suavely responded by assuring iht
cardinal that, thanks to the prayers o.
his eminence, his health was becom
ing stronger, that he never felt better
in his life, and that he expected to b.
\spared for many years to come.