Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-19
MGR. MERRY DEL VAL
His Appointment as Secretary
of State.
CAUSED A SENSATION
PLACE NEVER OCCUPIED BY A
MORE ACCOMPLISHED MAN.
Was a Protege of Cardinal Rampolla-
His Selection by the Pope Was
Largely Accidental.
CAUSED A SENSATION
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

| the most important in all the organizations
| of the holy see, created profound sensi-
| ton for several reasons. 1t was character
| istic of the new pope, for 1t demonstrated
| his Indifference to precedents, his indie
| pendence of the sacred college and his de-
| termination to be the actual as well as the
| nominal head of the church. There can be
| no question as to the ability and other quail
| ifications of the appontee. He lacks only
| age and experience, and those can be ac-
quired
The position has never been occupied by
a man of higher accomplishments, refine
meut or culture, and Mgr. Merry is as
learned any man in Rome of his age.
1t Is not learning, however, so much as
tact common sense and executive ability
that is needed in the official who Is to adj
minister the business affairs of the holy see.
The secretary of state has nothing to do
with spiritual matters except indirectly,
but stands between the pope and the rest
of the world to see that his will is carried
out. and all the departments and subordi-
nate organizations of which the church is
composed are directly responsible to him.
He Is the vicar of the pope in all relations
with the outside public, with nations as
well with men, and is the general man
ager of the greatest institution in the en-
tire world whose affairs reach the utter
most parts of the earth and concern direct
ly or indirectly every human being.
A Young Man.
Merry del Val Is a very young man to
carry such a responsibility. He is only
thirty-eight years old He was born Oc-
tober 10, 1865, when most of his fellow car
dinals were already bishops; hence it is
not strange that those venerable men
should object to having him placed in au-
thority over them. The only other car
dinal under fifty years of age is Skrben-
a naYf &c
Wives Tuto, Spaniard, who is fifty
years old, and the only man in the sacred
college who wears whiskers Ferrari is
ffty-three, all of the rest of them are
over sixty; more than half of them are
seventy years old RampolIa was con-
sidered a very young man when he was
appointed secretary of state, but he was
six years older than Merry del Val, hav-
ing just passed his fortyfourth birthday
There was no objection to him because he
Is an Italian.
The youth and inexperience of the new
secretary was the chief objection raised in
Rome to his appointment Germany and
Austria objected on other grounds The
aged cardinals considered it reflection upon
the sacred college that the pope went out
side of their number. to select the chief
officer of the church. as If none of them
were fitted for the duties or capable of
being trusted. But that is a mere pre-
text; the real objection is that he is not
held the office for several centuries, and
thirty-Seyen CT the SiXty-fOur car
dinalS were born in Italy, and as every
other important official in the Vatican is
and always has been of Italian birth, this
departure from precedent should be COM
mended by other countries.
To remove another objection, the pope
promptly created his appointee a cardinal.
1t was not necessary for him to do SO.
There is nothing in the canons of the
church that requires the secretary of
might lawfully have selected a lawyer, or
a banker. or a merchant, or any layman.
Precedent, however, has been observed
without exception for several centuries
A Native of England.
Rafael Merry del Val was born in Eng
land. where his father was the ambassador
of Spain. His mother is not of English
BIRTH as l have seen frequently stated in
the newspapers, but his grandmother was.
The family is one of the oldest of the
Spanish aristocracy. and traces back its
ancestry for several hundred years For
generations 1t has furnished able dlplo-
matists, statesmen and generals, but more
priests His younger brother Is one of the
tutors and aids of the King of Spain. The
Merrys have been celebrated for their piety,
their devotion 10 the church and their 10y
atty to the King of Spain, but more than
all for their conservatism and rigid adj
herence to the customs and traditions of
their race.
Merry del Val. ST. who is now living at
San Sebastian, is described as the typical
old-faShioned Spanish aristocrat; he is
called ''retrogrande," which means that
he looks backward instead of forward and
the son has partaken of some of these
characteristics. The father has been in
the diplomatic service of Spain all his life,
and his latest post was that of amba SSador
to the holy see, where he was so strict
that he would not recognize his cousin,
Count BenaneZ. who was ambassador to
the king. The son has thus been born and
reared In the atmosphere of diplomacy; he
was educated at the Jesuit college at Stone
hurst. England. and at what is known as
the College of Mobiles in Rome, where the
fan lies or the papal aristocracy and no.
biity send their sons to be educated for a
diplomatic career.
Protege of Rampolla.
The young man became acquainted with
Cardinal Rampolla when the latter was
papal nuncio at Madrid and became his
protege. Their relations have been very
intimate ever since. Rampolla has taken as
much interest in his welfare and advance
ment if he were his own son. Although
the new cardinal took priestIy orders he
has never performed parish duties He has
frequently preached in the churches In
Rome, particularly for Father Whitmer at
st. SylVesters which is attended by the
English-speaking Catholics, and the service
is conducted in that language. He has
quite reputation for pulpit eloquence and
might easily have secured advancement and
acquired fame in that direction had he not
| been kept within the walls of the Vatican
performing confidential duties assigned him
! by his patron and the late pope He speaks
| five languages fuently-English French
| German. Italian and his native Spanish he
| sides Latin. the tongue of the church. He
| reads and writes all of them with great
| facility. and has thus been able to acouire
| a familiar knowledge of political as well as
| ecclesiastical affairs in all the European
countries
| His social position has been of great ad-
| vantage to MIN, as well his ACCOMPLISH
| ments and personal attra ctions and he ha
! been very useful to the Vatican for CONT
| Dental missions to the different captaIs
| Handsome of person. of polished manners
| genial disposition and charming converse
| uonal powers, able. intelligent and keen of
perception, he Yves one of the most useful
| and most favored of all the clergy under the
| last administration and was perhaps more
/ constantly at the side of the holy father
| than any other man during the last ten
years
| Visit to the United States.
| In 1896 he was sent to Canada as a special
| legate to settle a dispute over what was
| known as the Manitoba school question He
| remained for six seven months, visited
| the principal cities of the United States and
| accomplished his mission to the entire salts
| faction of all concerned. He then returned