The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-22
F. MARION CRAWFORD ON
 SUCCESSOR TO POPE LEO

and practical sense, well accustomed to command through long experience in gov- erning one of the largest and most dlfh- cult dioceses in Italy, and thoroughly able to cope with all sorts of difficulties. great and small sudden and menacing. or deli- cately intricate. He possesses, too, a fine appreciation of modern intellectual and social wants ready intuition and a strong will A very good candidate him self, he is essentially a man who influences others and whose power will be felt in the coming conclave
 Cardinal Ferrari's reputation, scarcely deserved. as an 'lntransigeant' and belli- cose, will initiate against him. He Is un- popular with the aristoeracy.
 'It's not easy to judge of his chances of election, and be is only 53 years old, but he would surely make a good pope. of the charitable and pious' type"
 In the case of Cardinal satoilf. as m that of Cardinal Rampolia, MT Crawford things it more than doubtful that he will be able to make his present power felt in the future conclave, or under the reign of another pope. It would certainly be unjust to deny that he possesses a cer- tain limited ability in matters of govern ment and he has the reputation of a pro- found philosopher and theologian; but whatever his capacity for lofty and speeu- lative thought, he is certainly not en- dowed with sound common sense in ordi- nary affairs. long residence in Amer lea, has, to some extent, opened his eyes to look upon the world and mankind otherwise than through q medium of scho- lastlc syllogisms; but his real nature has always remained the same, and his rule of life continues to be a sort of idealism, guided by the wish to lay out the uni- verse under the fixed lines of a system. in spite of main checks and dlsillusion- ments. It is extremely unlikely that he should ever be a candidate and I think 1t impossible that he should be elected pope"
 On the whole MT. Crawford seems to be lieve most firmly in the chances of Cardi- nal Gotti Perhaps few men," he says. "are more generally looked upon as eligl- ble.
 "The obscurity of his monastic life en- hances the affectionate esteem in which he is held by the other cardinals. He was suddenly brought from the silence of his cell to Rome, to be raised almost directly to the cardinalate. after one short mission to Brazil and the monastic humility and simplicity which are second nature with him make his high merit more conspicuous and confer upon him the sort of power which is not feared but loved
 Though so long a monk, he seems to possess a thorough knowledge of the world and though he has lived a great part of his life in the solitude of the cloister he has a marvellous power of know him. He has not been long at the head of the propaganda, but his manage ment is both keen and wise, and tho opinions he expresses in the other congre- gations to which he belongs are remark able for their simple clear-sightedness and wholesome wisdom.
 Leo XIII. showed attachment for him and esteemed him so highly, according to report, as to designate him as his prob- able successor. This may or may not be exactly true. but the Catholic church could scarcely have a better head and leader. I think that a certain prejudice which now undoubtedly exists against the choice of monk for the papal throne may prove an obstacle in the way of Cardinal Gottis election, but this is a purely personal opinion and one which il is to be hoped will prove to be mis- taken"