The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-17
Cardinals Will Dispose of Impor-
tant Questions When They
Convene in March.
SECRETARIES AT WORK
And Heads of Congregations Dis
cussing Intricate Problems
with His Holiness.
MINED MARRIAGE EVIL
Priests Said to Be Careless-Amer-
lean Hierarchy Asked to
Effect Remedies.
Special. TO the Indianapolis Journal.

Special 10 the Indianapolis Journal.
ROME, Jan. 16.-The consistory, which
was to have been held some time this
month has been again postponed because
of the amount of work TO be done in the
several congregations before the event can
take place, and it is now probable that it
will be held some time in March. 1t is not
generally known that no appointments are
decided upon in the consistory proper but
that the selections for new cardinals, arch
bishops and bishops for the whole world
have been carefully considered and pre-
pared for months beforehand by the many
congregations that compose the Roman
Curia. This work is now going on in the
Eternal City, and the Pope himself looks
into all cases of promotion and suggests
the changes that are desirable in the
church. The secretaries of the congrega-
tions are received in audience once a week
in order that they may submit for the
Pope's approval the results of the delibera-
lions of their bodies. The cardinals who
preside over the congregations are also re-
ceived weekly and discuss with Pope Plus
the more intricate problems submitted for
his consideration.
The coming consistory will have an i'm
portant bearing on the affairs of the church
in the United states, and the Propaganda
Is waiting for the results of the conference
of American archbishops which is to take
place in Washington toward the end of
archbishop of New York, who has planned
to visit Rome, Will be charged to bring
here the minutes of the conference. One
OF the matters which must be considered in
Washington is that of Catholic marriages.
The Congregation of the Propaganda re-
Gently sent circular letter TO every men,
Der of the American hierarchy calling at
tention to the fact that not sufficient care
is exercised by the clergy regarding the
marriages of Catholics to noncatholtcs.
Priests do not always ascertain whether
hQ hnr rf cd
with the conseQ Ience that in many cases,
when dispensation for a mixed marriage
has been granted, the marriage is null and
void because OF defect of baptism on the
part of the noncatholic. The Congregation
urges the American clergy to be more
act In their Investigations, and has asked
the archbishops 10 consider the matter at
their coming meeting in order that rene
dies for the evil may be adopted.
Another question TO be considered will
be that of the appointment of coadjutor
bishops for several archiepiscopaI sees
Many requests of this kind have come to
Rome OF late, but the Propaganda has de-
cided TO take no action until il was proved
that the incumbent prelate was either too
old to perform the work alone or because
of inf1rmities needed help in the admins
tration of the diocese. Among the many
dioceses for which requests for a coad-
Jutor have come Rome may be men
toned Boston, New York, Cincinnati, Du-
buque, Philadelphia and number of minor
ones AT their coming meeting the arch
bishops are expected to pass upon the adj
visibility of granting these requests, send
ing their recommendations to Rome.
1t is not thought that the question of a
prfmate for the American church will even
be considered at the meeting of the arch
bishops, for Ii must be well known 70 them
that Rome will never countenance any such
proposal as 1t would tend TO give too much
autonomy to the American portion of the
church.
AS to new cardinals nothing is as yet GER
tain except that at least three will be NOM
mated at the consistory. Many names are
mentioned in the European press in this con-
nectiOn, but it can be taken for granted that
at least two of them will be Italians prob
ably Scalibrini, bishop of Piacenza, and Ga
giano de Azevedo, the maggiordomo, whose
place will be given to Mgr. BiSleti, the lat
ter having lately become quite a favorite of
the new Pope. A foreign cardinal will GER
tainly be created in order to leave undis-
turbed the proportion in the Sacred College
between foreign and Italian members. This
proportion Plus y, at the instance of sew
eral foreign cardinals, promised at the time
of his election to preserve. The recent death
of Cardinal Espinoea has disturbed this pro-
portion which had been maintained at the
last consistOry by the elevation of one Ital-
ian and one foreigner. 1t is therefore, i'm
perative that the Pope create at least one
foreign cardinal. and perhaps two, If he in
tends to add more Italian members to the
Sacred College.
1t is taken for granted in Rome that the
first foreign bishop to be selected for the
honor of the cardinaltial dignity will be the
new archbishop of Westminster, Mgr.
Bourne, who has already done wonders in
his new dioces in raising large sums of
money for the completion of the new cathe-
dral. AS TO an American cardinal, the prob
abilities that none will be named at the
coming consistory, unless Archbishop Far
ley, of New York, should favorably impress
the Pope during his coming visit to Rome,
as he is admitted to be first in the list. All
talk about Mgr. Ireland being promoted be-
cause of the successful ending of the Philip
pine negotiations is. to say the least, pre-
mature.