The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-12-05
"This is the
victory which
overcometh the
world-our
faith"
Church Universal


When it is known that the plan is applied to
every diocese and every parish in the United States,
ii is not difficult to imagine that the results are
exceedingly fruitful Indeed it may be said that
the collection of Peters Pence is the most thor
ough the most systematic and the most economi-
cay managed revenue producing agency, combln-
ing both business and religion, that has ever been
attempted in this country The method of coIlec-
ton demonstrates the power of perfect organlza-
ton. From top to bottom, every bit of the vast
mechanism works with absolute precision. There
IS order and authority everywhere. The spectacle
Is presented of one cardinal thirteen archbishops
eighty-seven bishops, 1865 priests and 1l,2S9,1O
of the laity working in entire harmony to ac-
complish a given purpose. Consider that these
figures relate merely to the United States, which
is only one nation out of many, and the magnl-
ude of the operation BECOMES apparent.
Some parts of the distributions of the Papal in
come are regulated by rule, but the Pope is the
unquestioned dispenser of the Peters Pence. In
the early age of the Church i'll England this was
regarded as a fixed tax; but now, while considered
pious duty it is purely voluntary contribution
The Pope, besides allotting hundreds of thousands
of dollars for the running expenses OF the Natl-
can for maintaining schools and libraries, for sup
porting cardinals and diplomats and for gifts and
charities. maintains also the Pontlhcal army. 1t
is composed of four sections-the Noble Guard,
the Swiss Guard the Guard Palatlne and the
are the Swiss Guard and the gensdarmes who live
in the Vatican. The other guards are made up OF
the sons of wealthy families. They reside outside
the walls and support themselves. The Swiss
Guards receive $40 month. out of which they
must pay for one meal The fact that every mem
Der of the Noble Guard is a count, marquis
titled nobeman of some rank makes it the most
unique the most exclusive and the most aristocratlc
body of soldiers in the world.
The Pope has no personal salary. There is a
reason Being a spiritual sovereign, he cannot
be a subject of subject to any person on earth.
This one thought contains, in nutshell, the whole
theory and contention of the Church as to the tenn
poral power of the Pope. He not only protests
against the confscation of Church property, but
he declines to be an Italian subject, and is thus
a self-mmured prisoner in the Vatican The Popes
have followed Plus TX in steadfastly declining to
receive the money voted for the maintenance OF
the Holy See by the Italian government. 1t is a
grant of about 100000 francs a year, and, it
has been refused for thirty-three years. the total
is now about $20000000 with interest. No tax is
imposed on the Church for the support of the Pope.
In this the Pope differs from every other minister
of the Church. Rectors and eurates receive specl-
fed salaries. The bishops and supported by the.
pastors. Every parish sets aside pro rata sum,
known as "Catherdaticum," for the bishop. Car
dinals are paid a salary of $4,000 per annum
actly the amount paid by our government to each
member of the United States senate. Nuncios, le-
Pomp and power and responsibility surround /
the Pope. He has control over immense sums of
money But out of it all he gains temporal
or personal advantages He receives simply food
and lodging. And it is no exaggeration to say
that his living expenses low, if not lower
than those of the humblest curate in any one of
our large city parishes. One authority has placed
the amount at four francs day.
The Papal delegate to the United States re-
ceives salary of $4,000 per annum, out of which
he pays an auditor and a secretary. Fortunately
some years ago. he was presented with an official
residence in the city of Washington, that he is
relieved from the payment of house rent. His ex-
penses for travel, in going from city to city, are
paid by fine Propaganda. The United States is not
a diplo1t attic mission. The delegate resides here
as the personal representative of the Holy Father
for the purpose of settling ecclesiastical or other
dsputess between bishops and priests, and priests
and people. Nuncios are appointed by the Pope to
nations having regular diplomatic relations with
the Holy See. The principal missions are at Paris,
Madrid Lisbon and Vienna, the capitals of what
are popularity known as Catholic countries.
The congregations committees are the me-
dums through which the greater part of the bust
ness of the Holy See is transacted
The general plan of doing business at the Vati-
can may be best explained by saying that the Pope
is the great centre towards which all of the con-
converge. Everything of Importance
they pass upon comes to him for final confirmation.
mass of mail matter is received at the Vatican
every morning-t has been estimated at $4,000
it is distributed with promptness and
exactness That which is addressed directly to the
separate congregations, of course goes to them at
first hand. The multitude of letters addressed to
the Pope are opened by his secretaries, and the
that do not require the personal
attention of His Holiness referred to the APP
oropriate congregations -Four secretaries, with
heir assistants, have all they attend to in OPEN
ing sorting and distributing the daily mail.
To be an employee of any of the congregations
REQUIRES high degree of intelligence Accuracy
is required above all else, and rarelessness in
ranscribing important decisions, relating to faith
and morals can easily assume the Importance of
= venial sin Salaries of the officials are SMALL in
some cases not over 5000 per year. To this is
added the cost of maintenance. incidentally, it |
night be stated that the Vatican itself is par
sh quite distinct from st. Peters. The Vatican
parish includes all who live in that vast and beau
iful edfce The men who reside and en-
oloyed there are thaught that there are only two
vays to do task-the right way and the wrong |
vay The man who does it the wrong way more |
han once is soon informed that his usefulness has
been impaired and that it would be well to seek |
employment elsewhere But the forms are so pre-
: commanded to do certain thing in certain
rav. and apparently nothing but perversity |
ret him in the erroneous way. Rules are .indelble
# is like pouring hot metals into carefully pre-
,ared molds The mass of matter is bound to come