The Irish standard., 1903-08-22
THE POpE's OFFICIAL FAMILY.

The transition from one pontiiictC
to another, being complete, the world
is now interested in the question us tc
the makeup of the new Pope's olliciH
household. There is not. and never
WAS on earth IL work of human policy
| so we'll deserving of examination as the
Church Of Rome" said MaciuIay Mac
aulay was of course non-CathOlic and
more than that was Il vigorous enemy
of the Church. His statement was
correct, except that it included ont
premise vitality wrong. Had it not
BEEN for the assumption of this one
false premise, the organization of the
Catholic church would not have sur.
priSed and started the wonder of
Maclulay. The mighty mind of the
great historian and css;lyist failed to
comprehend fact, known by the
humhlest and most illiterate Catholic
and that fact is that the Church is an
organism of divine origin. OF the agen,
cies of the organization something
may with propriety be said. Catholics
rclxlcr implicit obedience to the see of
Rome. because they recognize in the
Pope the vicar of Christ. When this
fact is understood there is little diff
Guilty i'm understanding the obedience
rendered by the Catholic world to the
duly constituted authorities in the
Church. The college of cardinals as
HOW constituted consists of siXty-fOur
members. The full number allowed
by the rule of the Church is seventy.
This number was fixed upon by Pope
SiXtus V, following the number of ell
ders. which God commanded Moses to
select to aid him in governing the Jews.
The number has not always been sew
enty but varied ut different periods Of
history. The office of cardinal seems
to have had it's origin in the second
century. The cardinals are divided
into three classes, bishops. priests. and
leacOl,s. This division refers only to
their position in the college of calNlin-
ais and has no connection with their
actual rank in the episcopacy Of the
Church. Plus Y, was il cardinal pdiest
while he was at the same time the pat
r;,rch and archbishop of Venice, Card
ilmll Gibbons is Il cardinal priest in the
sacred college. but he is in Holy Orders
Archbishop of Baltimore. The above
division has nothing to do with the
red college.
The college is divided in Il more i'm
portant way as far as duties are con-
cerncd. into those members who reside
permanently i'm Rome. and constitute
the curia or papal court and those who
reside outside of Rome and administer
metropolitan sees. the latter are known
as provincials. Leo Nil. when elected
pope was Il member of the curia. Plus
y. was provincial.
The curia whose members are the
immediate advisers Of the pope. is still
further divided into different congrrgH-
lions. In this respect they might he
compared to committees of our senate
The different congregations have differ
ent departments of church government
entrusted to their care. At the head
of each congregation is a project. There
are twelve of these congregations con-
nected with church work. the congre
CATION Of propaganda fide, of the con-
sistory. Of sacred rites. Of the index
of prohibited books, of the fabrics. of
the council. of the holy office Of the in
QUESTION. of bishops and regulars, of
discipline. of Indulgence and relies. of
immunities. and of heads of orders.
The project of the propaganda is
head of the twenty-seven cardinals
who compose this congregation. sixteen
of whom are curia and eleven provinci-
ais. They direct not only the evten-
sion of the Catholic faith in all parts
of the world, except those European
countries where Catholicism is the