Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-07-28

elders Of Israel In 1902 there were &c.
divided into cardinals, bishops, priests and
deacons. How many there are now do
not know. On the tenth day after the
death of the pope, large chapel has been
fitted now in Sistine chapel, for the cleo
ton Of successor.
His Death Important.
1.-THE death of the pipe at present is
even more important an event than the
death of the ruler of England, Germany
or Russia, because it affects people in
all parts of the earth; while that Of a
civil ruler affects only his own country.
Then there comes in the element of I'M
certainty of who will follow the pope. No
such uncertainty comes in any other po-
sition. The heirs to European thrones are
members of certain families, and in re-
public the rulers will be of certain par
ty. All we know of the successor of Leo
NH is that he will be one of body of
fifty or sixty men, in all probability an
Italian.
Affects National Affairs.
what if he should be man of great
force and character, strong conviction and
great executive ability, the affairs in
many countries might be affected. Then
althouSh there seems to be given nbSo-
lutte freedom given the cardinals in their
choice, yet there resides in the govern
ments of France, Spain, Portugal and
Austria, veto power. Austria used
its veto power in 1928, and Spain in
| 1921.
The Election of a Pope.
Sin this conclave each cardinal has
two rooms or cells and two attendants.
No communication with the outside world
| is permitted. The method generally used
| for election is by ballot, although twelve
or fourteen popes have been elected by
reclamation, in which the cardinals spon-
| taneousy and unanimously designated
their choice: such were Innocent III, Mic
olas and Pious II. Papal politics have
often been marred by the art of wire
| pulling and some times ambition of n
very ungodly sort has prevailed. True,
It's pity; pity, It's true. This does not
| belong to any one church or creed. Not
| only in political world have we seen
| quarrels for the spoils of office. but even
| in the American Protestant churches. But
thank God, there is less of this now than
there was in the Roman curia few CEN
turtles ago. The cura that will assemble
August 1 or that met in 1916 when Plus
IN was elected, or in 1878 when Leo NH
1 was elected must not be compared with
those which elected Boniface VIII. John
NN1I, Urban ii, Julius III. Paul III, nor
would it he possible for some men, who
Wore the tiara in the middle ages, such
at Alexander vi or Leo to be elected
Mt present. The Roman Catholic church is
far better now than it ever was before or
during or Immediately following the re-
formation and as a matter of fact, its
popes must be better men.
Sketch of Leo's Life.
Pope Leo NIII was born March %,
1913: he belonged to the nobility living
in Carpineto, in the Balscian hills, about
30 miles from Rome. His baptismal name
| was Vincent Rafael Joachim Louis Peccf.
Joachim he called himself. He was n
bright. studious boy, and always took
highest honors. AT % he was priest.
AT 81 nuncio at Brussels; soon made bish-
OPP of Perugial; in 1877 made cardinal ca
merlingo by Plus IN and on February
%, 1878. elected pope; died July 20, 1903,
having been pope over twenty-five years
| He was without doubt the best pope
ever the Roman Catholic church had. Su-
perior in many respects to Leo the Great,
Gregory VII or Plus IN. Leo's reign has
not seen the disturbances that some of
his predecessors, namely Plus IN saw,
| who was the last to enjoy temporal pow
er. We believe that the lack of tenn
poral power has been an element of
strength to Leo, because it has enabled
| him to give more tine to the mental,
moral and spiritual leadership of the
| church
Temporal Power.
| "The church at Rome did not possess
it until it was given by Pepin. Charles
Martel's son, to Pope Stephen III in 754.
| Why should the Roman pope have tenn
poral power any more than the archbish-
op of Canterbury or the metropolitan at
Moscow. The church of Jesus Christ is
always weakened and demornlized by I'M
ion of church and state.
A Christian and Statesman.
"Leo's work and success in connection
with the Culturkampp in Germany, where
Bismarck attempted coercion and put the
Roman Catholic church under certain re-
straint unworthy of the nineteenth CEN
fury civilization. Throughout the struggle
Leo displayed Christian and statesman
| like character. Then his action with
France would have been far more success
full had his plans and suggestions been
carried out. He has always shown him
self a friend of America and in his en-
cyclcal on Christian constitution of states
he showed how the Roman Catholic church
can live and prosper In republic. and
that civil rights and freedom are not an
tagonistic to religious rights and freedom.
He had clear. although nothin new on
the labor problem. His solution was the
application Of Christ's principles.
Believed in the Good.
"Pope Leo was characterized as a
staunch friend and believer in education;
he gave credit that there was good out
side of the Roman church; he opened the
vatican library to others than Roman
Catholic scholars; be believed in inyesti-
eating biblical criticism and appointed a
committee to look, into modern meth.
DDS.
with multitudes of others we kindly
say, Rest in Peace
DAIR YMEN ELECT.
National Convention of Food Commits
sioners at St. Paul Choose Officers.