Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-07-15
THE PAPACY
CANDIDATES
Something Of the Men Who Aspire to
Succeed Leo at the Head Of the
Catholic Church.
eoTTI is POPE LEo's CHOICE
vannutelii, oreglia and Rampolla
Complete the List Of the Most
Eligible Candidates.

few days from now be charged viii
the solution of this most vital prob
lem. which member will be acclaimed
worthy and able to lift up the mantl,
of the dead pontiff?
Even at this hour nobody coult
venture to prophesy with anything
like certainty which Of the red.robed
princes of the church. now gathered
together or on their way 10 the i'm,
pending conclaye, will be awarded the
two-thirds vote indispensable to his
election by the Sacred College.
Should the conHictin= groups find
themselves after a few preliminary
ballots unable TO agree upon the choice
of n of the more powerful candidates
it is possible that a compromise will
be effected and greater ambitions will
be sacrificed in favor of some color
less and neutral cardinal who may be
judged pious enough 10 occupy the
throne Of St. Peter.
vannutelli Brothers.
BY a majority OF those WATCHING
the currents of Catholic politics Car.
dinal Serafino Vannutelli. bishop If
the great suburban sea of Fraseati,
was long thought most likely to be
the choice of the conclave. He is the
elder Of two brothers in the Sacred
College.
An aristocrat, both by birth and
taste, wealthy. and much courted by
the Black" section of Roman soci.
ETY.. he has had unusually wide exper,
fence as a diplomatist, having acted
as nuncio to several courts and not.
ably to Vienna.
BY the supposedly initiate he is be.
lieved to have the good wishes of the
German and Austrian empires. and.
as a logical consequence, TO be per.
soma non grata to France and Russia.
In bygOne years he leaned. il is
said. to ultramontanism. But he is
understood TO have largely modified
his views and grown moderate. His
wide influence and somewhat imper.
ious character caused him to be re-.
garded with alternate disquiet and re-
spect by Pope Leo. for whom he some
times showed scant Difference.
Courtly and somewhat stately in
manner. with his high forehead. elon.
gated face and enigmatical smile. he
is impressive. though not intellectual.
ly or spiritually as fascinating as the
late pontiff. Latterly he has paid
close attention to American politics
and to American social movements.
Cardinal Vincenzo Vannutelli is gen.
orally regarded less as himself a pap.
able that as the grand elector of his
brother.
Amiable, polite. unobtrusiye and in
telligent. his is. however. not TO be
disregarded.
Should Cardinal Serafno be elect
ed. Cardinal Vincenzo will ~unquestion-
ably have great authority at the Vat
lean and become one of the factors
in ecclesiastical world politics. He
has had experience in the admins.
tration of church affairs as papal un.
der secretary OF state PiuX IN. and
he has occupied other equally impor.
tant. although more strictly ecclesias-
teal offices.
Cardinal oreglia, Perhaps.
The cardinal who at the time of =
pope's decease fills the place of Cam
erlengo is usually regarded as a pos
sible future pope. During the inter-
regnum the Camerlengo of right eXer
cises certain prerogatiyes of sover-
eighty in virtue of which he assumes
possessiao of the vatican.
II is his duty to assure himself. in
accordance with custom, of the pope's
death. and to take measures with the
other cardinals for the election of a
new pontiff. The present Camerlen-
go. Cardinal Oreglia di Santo Stefano.
must be numbered among the papa
bill.
He has a strong following inside
and outside of the vatican. An able
and determined man, he was dreaded
by Leo KILL. as too violent, too un-
bending and TO be likely to bring
upon the cnurcn.
Rampolla Stands High.
For reasons which have just been
indicated. II is most improbable that
Cardinal Rampolla. the man who for
some fifteen years was the mouthpiece
and alter ego of Leo KILL. will be &c.
corded many votes at the approaching
c%onclave. Cardinal Rampolla has long
been the most ardent advocate of a
policy specially favorable to the Fran.
co.Russian alliance. That alliance. II
may be added. he is generally beliey.
ed to have In some measure helped
to realize.
On the death of Cardinal Jacobini
in the spring of 1857 he was appoint
ed to the paPal secretaryship of state
and thus became identified with the
remarkable series Of official acts by
which Leo proclaimed his CROWNS
sympathy with the democracies Of thu
world in general and with the democ
racy of the United States in particu
lar.
Those who have seen much of hin
know that his %urbanity does not ex
clude obstinacy. But till ~increasinl
weakness compelled the late pope t.
confine his activity to the ~essentia
duties OF his office he was only nomI
nally the director Of papal policy a
it affected foreign Catholic countries
Throughout the greater part of hi
pontifcate Leo Kill was In effect hi
own secretary of state. consulting thi
adviser or that. but deciding mos
things according to his W. Iudgmen
Nevertheless. to the triple allianc
and 10 the ultramontane or extrem
Catholic party Cardinal Rampoll
seems tainted with liberalism. II
has Of necessity made many enemie
who will now be eager TO crush hin
Yet some Of his colleagues ma.
out Of respect for the affection born
him by Leo Kill. pay him the compl
ment OF giving him their votes,
Leo Named Gotti.
OF recently created cardinals MOI
has ZONE further In a few years