Evening star., 1903-07-22
VIEWS OF CARDINALS
CHARACTER OF LEADERS OF THE
ROMAN CHURCH.
Men From Among Whom the Successor
to Leo XIII Will Be
Chosen.


From the New York Evening Post
OF the cardinals in the Roman Curia
the most conspicuous is Rampolla. secie-
tary of state archpriest of the Basiiica of
St. Peters, and grand prior Of the knights
of Malta. The most conspicuous, but not
by that fact the most likely to become
pope. A conclave is just liable to de-
velope a dark horse as is national con-
vention in this country. But in Rome,
when you say simply ''the cardinal. 1t
goes without saying that you moan Ram
polla. He offlciates at the great ceremo-
malls in ST. Peters. thousands of people
from all over the globe see him and dis
cuss him, and remember him after they
have left Rome. His appearance and man
ner all contribute to this. Emphattcaliy
he has distinction He does things with
an air. Tall. broad-shouldered, straight
Indian. robed in his gorgeous eccle,
siastical vestments and with his air OF
weary dignity. he looks the ideal prince OF
the church--a grand segneur every inch OF
him. If he should come into a care, wear
ing citizens clothes l still believe mat ne
would have the instantaneous attention or
every soul in the place. Yet he is anything
but handsome man. With his coppery
Sicilan complexion and heavy features,
especially the long nose and large mouth
with thick lips he might even be called
ma rkedly homely. But n personal fasclna-
ton he has beyond question: especially for
women.
Rampolla a Sphinx.
have known scores of women who were
not Catholics and with whom no religious
considera ton was involved, who would get
up at unhappy hours in the morning and go
clear across Rome for the chance OF merely
catching a glimpse Of Rampolla 1t may
be the fascination OF mystery. There Is no
other celebrity of our time. except poss: Oily
I l.,,, E %
about whom know 50 little. Pope Leos
sayings and doinGs have been almost MI
croscopically chroncled for years, but no
one claims to know anything about Ram
polla. l remember once talking with
court chamberlain at the vatican me
brother OF a cardinal. He hab.tuaily saw
Rampolla every day But, although gave
him very good cigar, he vainiy spent half
an hour trying to tell me what ia" man
was like at close range and what sort OF
life he led. and ended by leaving the i'm
preston that he himself knew nothing
whatever about it The cardinal has the
same power which DisraeN IS said to have
had. that of completely dIsCharsing his face
of all expression. AS he stalks past III the
professions with that long skidding stride
of his. the eyes almost closed, the lIS rap
idly and in:,ud,bly mumblng something
devotions. we will suppose-he is utterly
Sphinx-like He may be thinking OF the
Heavenly City, or longing for his lunch
You get no Indication from his face. J on
come away with the conviction that If this
man should ever become pope he would at
least make church history interesting. That
is all one feels safe in saying of him.
Etiquette Of the Curia.
The cardinals cultivate invisbility. The
etiquette of the curia forbids their walking
in the streets. They must drive in closed
carriages and with coal-black horses Oc-
casonally. In villa gardens or out in the
Campagna. they descend to earth and relax
their venera BILE knees. On the Janiculum !
once saw four cardinals gravely suspend
their promenade to watch one small boy
trying to get the string of his kite disen-
tangled from a tree. / regret to say that
he finally broke the string, and their emf
nences went away disappointed But that
incident exceptional Asarule, you must
go to some church when a fiesta Is taking
place. To Cardinal VannutelN. one
should go to Santa Maria Maggiore on
Christmas afternoon. At veSpers there is
a procession with relics. the most highly
venerated of which is carried in a richly
adorned glass case. 1t Is reputed to be moth
ing less than q portion of the Savior's cradle.
The cardinal arChprieSt brings up the rear.
and is visible from afar. If Rampolla is a
tall man. Nannutelu is giant: and l am
convinced that the sediari the men who
carry the popes throne on their shoulders).
must view with CONSERVATION even the
vaguest rumor Of his succession to the al
most incorporeal incumbent who has just
passed away.
Should he become pope. theirs would
irdeed be a strenuous life. Bishops inter
and all. he Is simply a walking campanile;
and this is almost comically emphasized by
the square. dumping figure of Cardinal
Matthew. who, for some reason, always
insists on toddlng along just behind him
Vannuteli has strong striking. homely
face 1t Is the face of a man who, by hard
thinking and sheer merit has gone far; but
of personal magnetism not an atom a
vigorous mind in herculean body, the
n al n M q LAT mi tn1 on
to rise and to rule, all are there But at
the end you have the feeling that you have
seen another cardinal-and nothing more.
Besides, the climax of his splendid abilities
is now behind him. He has never looked
the same man since his bitter disappoint-
nent at not being made prefect of the
pr opaganda last summer He had SERVED
up to it," as Lord Holland said of the
treasury, and he fully expected to have 1t.
When ! first saw him after the appoint
ment of his successful rival I had diff
Guilty in recognizing that 1t was the same
Vannutelli He had suddenly grown a
morose old man.
Cardinal Gotti's characteristics.
The prelate who then stepped In before
him may very possibly block his aspira
tions to the papacy as we'll Cardinal Gotti
is usually described by enumerating all the
things that he isn't. To begin with. he Is
not an aristocrat. But that he happens to
be the son of Genoese laborer Is neither |
new nor startling in the Roman Catholic |
Church The first pope was fisherman. |
Hildebrand was the son of carpenter and |
the one English pope, Adrian Nv, began |
life as a beggar boy. But the negative |
side of the cardinal goes beyond this. He |
appertains to no party, he represents no |
Somehow the idea has gained |
currency that he is a liberal. but no one. |
not even Roman correspondent could In |
stance anything authentic to prove it. Dur |
ing the that 6a has lived |
he has carefully avoided being seen in pub |
lie except when indispensably necessary, |
and with even more care he has avoided |
himself on any important ques- |
ton. He is believed to be the choice of |
Leo XIII for the succession, but that is |
pure conjecture. In short, nobody knows |
about him. Personally. he is a
man of medium figure, irregular features |
and peculiarly white complexion.
1t is a thoughtful face but what Is he |
thinking abOut2 Rampolla's appearance |
piques conjecture and challenges even the
most fantastic speculations. There is some
thing about Gotti which discourages in ad-