The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-09
GIBBONS STARTS FOR ROME.
THE CARDINAL UMNONED BY
TINE PAPaL SECRETARY.
VIII Sail on La TOmraine This Morning
and VIII Remain I'm Paris Tlll Called
10 the COncla,e- Not Discuss
tho Succession TO the Papacy.

Cardinal Gibbons has been summoned
to Rome. He received at Baltimore yes
tprday morning a telegram from Cardinal
Rampolla, Papal Secretary OF State, in
which the serious and perhaps fatal i'll
ness of the Pope was officially announced
and suggested that the head OF the Roman
Church in America prepare for the journey
to Rome. Such message is always re-
garded as summons and Cardinal Gibbons,
who had been expecting it, completed his
preparations and with his secretary, Fa-
tier Gavin, left Baltimore for this city at
ll5 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
He arrived here at O'Clock last evening
and went TO the residence Of his friend,
John d. Kelley, at 2l3 Clermont avenue,
Brooklyn. The Cardinal and Father Gavin
will sail for Havre on La Touraine this morn
ing, and from there will proceed to Paris,
where his Eminence will remain until sum-
moned to attend the conclave which will
elect the successor to Leo XIII.
Cardinal Gibbons was much fatigued
by the journey from Baltimore. the fatigue
being the greater because OF the great
amount Of work he has had to do In the
last two months. For sixty days and more
he has been at his desk on an average OF
fourteen hours a day, and the Cardinal
is now OK years old, In Jersey City his
Eminence, in response to questions, said:
al am going to Rome in response to a tele-
gram from Cardinal Rampolla which in
formed me of the Holy Fathers very Sc
rious illness, | shall go TO Paris and, In
the event of the death of the Pontiff, shall
probably be called to Rome within ten
days thereafter to participate in the election
of 1eo's successor
ais there any possibility Of an American
Cardinal being elevated to the Papal
throne'" Cardinal Gibbons was asked.
The reply was only smile and his Eminence
was then asked who he thought would
b. the choice Of the College Of Cardinals.
"The election Of Pope is a sacred f,inc-
ton" WAS The answer, "and cannot be dis
Cussed with propriety while the present
great head Of the Church still lives, espe-
cislly by one who may help to choose the
successor. But you speak of tho old feeling
of some of the foreign cardinals-that Is.
those outside ltaly-that one oftheir number
should be chosen a. Leo's successor, While
it is a tradition that none but an Italian
Cardinal shall be elevated to the Papacy,
there is no real force in the tra1itio n, and
foreign Cardinal might be selected il the
College, in it's wisdom, should SO dec rec
OF the chances of selection Of either
Gotti, NannutelG, Rampolla or SatoE.
Cardinal Gibbons would not say a word,
but reverting to the POpe's illness he said
The vitality of the Holy Father is simply
amazing, and is owing entirely, think,
to the we'll order d life he has led for almost
a century. l fancy there IL absolutely no
organic disease, In a frame SO slight as
his has always been there ia little upon
which disease may fasten. If this be the
beginning Of the end Of that beautiful
life, then 7 am sure we must all regard
the end as no less beautiful and serene
than the whole life has been