The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07
H NEW POPE.

ed the news around the globe into
pope had been chosen. And the Sc
lection was a surprise to every one,
even to the new hope himself proba-
bly,. Before the sacred college met
the name of Cardinal Sarto had not
been prominently mentioned. if men
toned at all, for the exalted position.
When his name first came into prom
inence before the c%onclave is of course
not now known to the public. The
first intimation of his candidacy was
the announcement of his election.
He was probably a compromise can
didate, the followers of the two lead
ing candidates, Rampolla and Sera-
fino Venutelli, finding that neither
side could secure the place for it's
leader, agreeing to unite upon Car
dinal Sarto; or, perhaps. his election
was accomplished by making a united
effort to defeat Cardinal Rampolla-
From the start it has beer the field
against this candidate. The most
probable theory is that Cardinal Sac-
lCSll "dS LIE 1SSulI u oil
agreement among the opponents of
the late pope's secretary of state for
the purpose of insuring the latter's
defeat, and hat man was chosen who
could control the greatest number of
votes. These are all matters of con-
lecture. but there must have been
some such procedure to secure the
election of this cardinal.
Cardinal Sarto stands twenty-fourth
on the list of members of the sacred
college. He was appointed car
dinal in 1893 and patriarch
or archbishop of Venice in the same
year. He is an Italian-was born in
Ireviso, in 1885, and is, therefore six
ty-eight years of G AS Cardinal
he was of the same rank as Cardinal
Gibbons, both being cardinal priests,
but the latter has enjoyed the honor
for a longer period. having been ap-
pointed in 1886. In the list of car
dinal priests the pope-elect is the
twelfth after Cardinal Gibbons.
The superstitious will no doubt
claim this to be another fulfllment of
the prophecies of ST. Malachy, who
declared the none succeeding Leo
XIII would be ''ignis ardens,'' a fam
ing torch. The conclave met on st.
Ignatius Loyola day and the
election was made on the day
Of st. Dominic, one of the
fighting saints in the Roman Catholic
calendar of saints. This is ground
enough for many to claim fulflment
Of the prediction. although there were
facts and circumstances connected
with two of the other candidates
which. had either been chosen would
seemingly have been more like fulfill
ment of the prophecy.
the policy of the new pope VIII
be is not generally known. but as he
was chosen by the opponents of Car
dlnal RamDolla it is most likely that
he will not continue the policy of the
late pope in his attitude toward the
italian governme~- and foreign DOW
ers. This may mean that the church
will make an effort to regain its tenn
poral mower in that part of Italv
wrested from it by Victor Emmanuel
NS NAC bO4lNIAINolC VI IluS LIZ.
The panal territory at that time ex-
tended clear across Italy. comprised
nineteen states. with an era of seven
teen thousand square miles and a pop
ulation of three million. The pope's |
income from these states was four
teen million dollars.
Cardinal Sarto most probably be-
longs to the Oreglia schoo whose at
titude is Illustrated by the recent re-
mark of hat cardinal that he could
not stand being a prisoner in the
Vatican for the balance of his life.
which was construed to mean that if
ne We're elected pope he would not
submit tamely to the encroachments
of the Italian kings upon the temporal
powers of the pope.
1t is said of Cardinal Sarto that he
enjoys great popularity in his diocese,
and is honored by all for his purity, for