Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-04
CARDINAL AND A KING
Satolli Has Become Friendly
to American Ideas.
HIS RECEN T ILLNESS
RULER OF SPAIN IN SEARCH OF
A. WIFE.
Liberal Element Favors an Alliance
With Great Britain-Conservativ
for Archduchess Gabrielle.
By VIM. E. CURTIS.

Written for The Evening Star and the chicago
Record Herald
Cardinal Satolli is better known in the
United States than any other member of
the sacred college, because he spent four
years in this country as apostolic legate at
Washington, and came back in the summer
OF 1904 to represent the pope at the st.
Louis exposition He has kept in touch
with affairs also because his official posi-
ton as project of the Congregation of Stu
dies gives him jurisdiction over the educa-
tional institutions of the Catholic church
in America. He is not only better posted
than any other cardinal concerning Ameri-
can affairs, but he is actually the only
member of the sacred college who knows
anything about them, has any adequate
appreciation of the situation, the sentiment
or the Importance Of the Catholic church in
the United States. Cardinal MartinelH, his
successor as apostolic legate, never took
much interest in American affairs, and has
lost what little he had. He never took the
trouble to learn the English language. His
prejudices against the liberal tendency of
the church in the United States are in
tense He formed few permanent acquaint-
ances during his stay IN America, and
since his return to Rome has broken Off
all of his relations and knows very little
and cares less about this country. He Is
now archbishop of Turin.
Cardinal Satollt came to the United States
very much opposed to what is known as
"Americanism'' in the church, and it took
long time to remove his prejudices, but
he has gradually changed his position and
sentiments on that subject until from one
of the most conservative of the cardinals he
has become more liberal than any other,
and Is enthusiastic and Jealous in support
of every proposition that comes from the
liberal element of the hierarchy In the
United States. His serious illness Is there
fore a matter Of great concern, and
Lt tinr 30 hfc I,,t{a c
is Of the greatest Importance to the well
fare of the Catholic church in America,
which really has no other representative in
the curia, or the executive organization Of
the holy see.
There is no American cardinal in Rome;
there is no American connected with the adj
ministration of affairs at the Vatican nor
is there any Australian. Canadian, English
man or Irishman. which is a matter of Sc
rious complaint from all these countries.
There are at present sixty-four cardinals
and three vacancies in the sacred college.
Thirty-nne of them Italians, six
French, five Spaniards, five Austrians, three
Germans, one Portuguese, one Belgian, one
American, one Irishman, one Englishman
and one Australian.
Thirty cardinals reside In Rome and COM
pose the curia, or parliament of advisers, to
the sovereign pontiff. OF these twenty-six
are Italians; two, Wives Tuto and Merry
del Val, the pontifical secretary of state. are
Spaniards; Steinhuber, Jesuit is Ger
man, and Matthew is Frenchman. Stein
huber is project Of the congregation of the
index, which has charge Of publications.
Ten of the cardinals belong to religious or
ders. the Benedictines, Dominicans, Capu-
chins, Franciscans, Jesuits. Carmelites and
Augustinians being represented.
An Important Position.
Cardinal satolli stands sixth in rank Of
the cardinal bishops, and hence occupies
most important and influential position. The
m
him are Oreglia, dean Of the sacred college,
a very old man, upward of eighty years,
who Is the only survivor of the appOintees
of Pope Plus TX; Cardinal Mocenni, who
had charge of the finances under Leo XIII
and was responsible for the many bad in
vestments. is eighty-four years of age: Agli-
ardi vice chancellor Of the Holy Roman
Church, is seventy-four, and the brothers
Serafino and VincenZo VannutelH are sew
enty-one and sixty-nine, respectively. These
are the only cardinals who outrank Satolli,
and he is the youngest of all the cardinal
bishops, being only siXty-ffve years of age.
The majority of the cardinals are old men,
Twenty-three are more than seventy years
of age four are more than eighty, and Car
dinal Richard, archbishop Of Paris, the
senior In age, is eighty-sx. Cardinal Cru
sha, archbishop of Austria, is eighty-five.
In addition to his duties in charge of the
educational work Of the church, Cardinal
Satolli is pastor, or arch priest. of the
famous Church of ST. John Lateran, the
oldest in Rome and next to ST. Peters the
most important and interesting. Cardinal
Satolli lives in a splendid palace adjoining
the Basilica, but to reach his apartments
one has to climb long flights Of marble
stairs This, however, is the usual custom
in Rome. Nobody lives on the ground floor.
Satolli's apartments are comfortably, but
not sumptuously, furnished. His office, in
which he spends most of his time, is
sunny room with three large windows
facing the south, and his American visitors
who are always cordially welcomed, will
recognize upon the walls and mantel sew
eral highly priced souvenirs Of his sojourn
in Washington.