The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-08-06
Plus KS FIRST YEARS
RECORD ON PAPAL THRONE
Especial Gable to Cleveland PlaindeaIer.)

Especial Gable to Cleveland PaindeaIer)
Rome, Aug. 2.-The first year Of the pontifcate
of Plus X will have closed on Thursday next when
Cardinal Del Val, as the first cardinal promoted by
HIM, will celebrate solemn mass Of thanksgiving
IN st. Peters and thus commemorate the first an
nlversary of Plus KS accession to the throne. Al
ready many kilograms and letters of congratulation
have reached the vatican, of them from Euro
pean soveregns, and the private secretaries of the
Pope are kept busy sending answers to all these
messages without delay.
The general opinion among the preates here
regarding the work accomplished during the first
year of Plus KS pontiicate seems to be that the
new Pope has made good his promise to promote
religion and It's interests above all and regardless of
political and human considerations. Many much
needed reforms have already been introduced IN
the church, principal among which is that of eccesi
astical music which Plus Y strenuously pushed
along In the face of the strongest opposition from
persons interested i'll the old order of things. As
the head of the church. Plus has also given album
dant proofs of the zeal that animates his whole be-
ing IN providing worthy pastors and bishops for the
church. One of the first acts of his pontifcate was
to reserve to himself personally the nomination of
all the bishops, to be appointed all over the world
thus taking away the right of investigation from
one of the Roman congregations, which had exer-
cised such a right for centuries Plus considers
that the selection OF proper persons for the epiS-
eopal dignity forms one of the chief responsible
ties OF his position and III the of the vacant
French dioceses having reasons to reject the names
submitted by the French government he preferred
to leave the dioceses in question without incum-
bents rather than anoint whom he thought I'M
fit for the important positions.
The lower clergy has become also one of the
chief concerns of the new pontif and many and
wise rules and regulations have been issued within
the past twelve months, which will go far toward
preventing the promotion of unworthy persons or
the hasty ordination of halfeducated clergymen.
In all ecclesiastical questions Plus has been able
to make use of his own judgment experience and
faith and in their solution he has always obtained
the unanimous support of the curia In the vatican
itself all business is transacted in perfect ac-
cord, and the Roman congregations which during
the last few years of the late Pope's reign seemed
much disorganized and slow in their method of
procedure. displaying much activity with
corresponding results
As to political issues, Plus X himself is con
vnced that he has not as yet been very successful
in their solution. Speaking on the subject to
friend. the other day. the Pope said: Il am sure
that l be good pastor of souls. 1 may even
make good minister of the interior but know [
can only be poor minister of foreign affairs be-
cause of my own lack of experience
During the last twelve months the religious in