The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-30
WHY RAMPOLLA
WILL Be CHOSEN
Correspondent From Rome Predicts
That Secretary Of State Will
Wear the Tiara.
An Accomplished Diplomat Who I'm.
presses and Charms by His
Grand Air.
New York Sun Special Service.


New York, July 3O.--The following letter from
| Innomita. correspondent of the New York Sun,
and person high in vatican official circles was
forwarded from Rome on the day Of the dea tn
of the pope, and gives clearly the ecclesiastical
view of the situation in the sacred college:
Rome July 2o.-Political currents no
longer divide as they used to do the
various groups of the sacred college.
Never has the papacy beef so much as
now a supernatural institution, an eX-
| clusively religious ministry.
| When the newspapers attribute to any
cardinal, French, or German, or Austrian,
or Italian sympa thies, they make a gross
blunder. 1t would be more exact to say
that such a state is inclined toward such
cardinal and favors his election and
| candidacy.
Thus it is true and undeniable that
Austria will prefer to propose Seraflno
| Cardinal Vannuteli; Germany, Cardinal
Gotti; France, Russia. Spain. Portugal
! and the United States, Cardinal Ram
| pola. But these ''inclusions" or "exclu-
! sions' or predictions rather compro-
misc the candidates.
Nowadays external influences are
! shown to be powerful by the bulls Of
Piux TX, and the regulations Of Leo XIII
! on the intangbility Of the conclave. I am
sure that Cardinal Gotti would have
gladly dispensed with being distinguished
| by the German emperor, however fatter-
ing the distinction was. If governments
wish to extend their action to the sacred
college they can make use of only sound
policy Of silence and discretion.
Characteristics of RampolIa.
| A mystic, discreet. impenetrable. mac
| cessible to intrigue. Secretary of State
| F7arnpol1a avoids coming in contact with
men and does not love politics. Brought
up gradually to the higher employments
| h1,h iS halo
and free from personal interests as are
great saints, he served Leo XIII. and
carried out his sublime designs out OF
| obedience and love for the pope.
He smiles with his mysterious smile
amiable or contemptuous, which marks
| the corner of his lips and lights up his
| pathetic face when he watches the
| changes of events and the campaigns In
| the newspapers.
He has never been heard to utter a
| complaint against the base attacks OF
| the treachery of which he has been SC
| often the object. He fulfls his office as
| he sings high mass, out Of beauty and
| piety His clear conscience and pure in :
tentfons raise him very high above the
dusty battle-ground of political intrigue
| His motto is. I'VE must serve only thu
holy see and the church."
To guarantee the papacy and the con-
clave against the greedy and eager in
Va,s1ons Of parties; to develop the powers
Of the holy see and Catholicism and to
| win back the independence Of the holy
see are his ideals. 1t is he who will make
the pope If he wishes. Will he wish it?
He VIII Have No Candidate.
Will he even select candidate? I don'1
believe it. And that Is the best guaranty
| of success. Cardinal Rampolla del Tana.
daro's candidacy is not put forward di
| Tectlv n Oh ~
tell the truth. 1t Is advanced by public
opinion because really 1t is forced upor
/ the attention of the Christian world. -
| He Is In fact a. sort of vice-pope whom
the Catholic church has become accus
toned to see at the head of its govern
ment. He was nuncio at Madrid when thu
| incident of the Carolines occurred, which
he turned so skilfully to the moral prof
Of the holy see. The great success which
Germany and Spain left the Judgment O.
Germany and Spain left the jdgment O.
their differences to the arbitration of the
pope, was due largely to him.
That was toward the end Of 1886. Mgr
Ra mpolla WAS young-he was not yet 4:
but no one was surprised to see hin
soon after invested with the purple ant
| placed in the position that is prominent
above all, that of secretary of state of the
| holy see.
| Those who have had the honor to NEE
him, at the nuncio's palace at Madrid first
and then at the vatican have always
been charmed by his grand air, which i.
tempered by an amiability and gentlenes!
| that are never failing. His modesty i!
such that when according to custom
people stoop to kiss his hand, he stretche!
out his arms instinctively, offering to the
visitor only the palms Of his open hands
| Yet this a.menity of manner does no
make you forget the strong lines of thu
profile, the broad forehead across which
a strong will flashes at times, and unde
| his usually half-closed lids keen, intel
ligent. searching eye before which yours
drops respectfully.
| His Election Predicted.
Cardinal Rampolla leads a life of asce
ticism and prayer which. accords with thu
strong and patient will that chara cterize:
| him. There Is nothing egotistical abou
him, no avarice; on the contrary, a; grea
deal Of generosity which has been show1
on many occasions, notably on a certa II
feast Of st.. Peter. when he presented
| 100, 900 francs to the vatican basilica, o.
which he Is rich priest. s
| The ambassadors Of the powers with
whom he has frequent relations consider
him an accomplished diplomat who in.
spires you with his opinions while seeming
to ask you for yours.
Leo XIII. will probably be elected, no
because he is opposed by tradition tha
has been more than once violaten bu
because the election will be In the hand,
of his peers; many Of whom, perhaps, owe