The Detroit times., 1910-04-08
ROOSEVELT AFFAIR
IS REGRETTED BY
POPE Plus
Close Advisers Urge Him To Send
Letter To Former President Re-
gardless o: Consequences To
Cardinal Merry Del Val.
Pontiff Tries To Find Way To Do
So Without Embarrassing Papal
Secretary.

ROME. April There is semi OFF,
: ciai authority today for the statement
that If the Pope can find a way 10 do
SO without arraiguing too severely the
conduct OF Cardinal Merry Del Val, he
will send letter 10 Col. Roosevelt re-
gretling the Vatican incident.
II is known that several OF The
Popes closest advisers are urging hiu
10 do This regardless OF the conse-
quences 10 tie papal secretary OF
state, but the Pope has expressed the
desire not 10 cmbarrass the cardinal
There IS no doubt III The minds oI
those who have talked with the Pope
that lie regards the breach III the
negotiations between Roosevelt and
the Vatican as the most reSrettabls
Incident Cf his career as pontih. one
OF the highest officials in the vatican
declared today that If It were all 10
do over no such unseemiy situation
EJuld arise"
The Popc's consideration sor Cardia-
al Merry Del Val is not shared Sen-
orally by the cardinals or those III
Authority In Catholic circles. AInons
them the feeling = strong that ne
yapal secretary has comEitteu al
other b.under," anu one thai should
mark his retirement from the respon'
aible position he holds. Tnis sentl-
nent finds frequent expression BON
In public utterance5 of high clerics
and In papers friendly 10 the Vatican.
The Osservatore Romano. the organ
of the Vatican, publishes the follow
ing note from the Office OF Cardina.
Merry del Val. papal secretary Of
state, it's publication following trans
lations OF Rev AZ. Triples state
merit and the one b. Mr.. Roosevelt:
in the last analysis * is ques
ton of simple. pure courtesy. The
holy see die not impose on Mr. RooSe-
relt, as has been falsely stated,
condition thar he must net approach
The Mcthodists or other non-Cathoilc
religious associations in Rome. There
are severa. non-Catholic centers III
the city, which. however. do not be-
have in a haTshly hostile and often
sive manner towards the Pope and
everything the Pope and all Catholics
hold most dear. The Methodist cen
ter In the Via VENT Settlembre is,
instead, Systematically united with
the worst anti-clerical and anti-papa,
elements in the city. and displays
such attitude in the most notorious
manner and in the most aggressive
and insulting form. Mr. Roosevelt
himself had a slight limited sample
of this in the declaration published
recently by the Methodists which he
felt obliged 10 disavow.
THE holy see, after the regrettable
Fairbanks incident. had every reason
to fear that Mr.. Roosevelt unwilling
Is and in perfect good faith would
he led
patty and friendship towards this
hostile center of aggression against
the Catholic church in the very heart
of the Catholic world Therefore,
when Mr. Roosevelt requested indi.
rectly and confdentially an audience
of his holiness. the hope was courte-
ously expressed that he would be
guarded against being dragged into
the false position OF seemingly public
ly supporting the offensive campaign
against the Pope within his own see.
"Mr. Roosevelt replied by refusing
any condition or stipulation, thus adj
hitting the possibility OF his ac-
complishing an action which would
be a grave offense to his holiness
This was amply confirmed by the re-
fusal to give any assurance An
audience thus became impossible
. Therefore 1t was a question of pure
ordinary courtesy and surely courtesy
is not incompatible with the rights
and freedom OF any American citi-
zen"
Albert Lawrence Janssens. learn
ed Benedictine. and secretary of tho
Congregation OF the Affairs OF Re
ligions, called on Col Roosevelt last
evening and. not finding him in. lett
card on which he expressed thanks
for the constant support given to his
:. order and the Catholic church in gen
eral In America
Col Roosevelt also received letters
from relatives Of high prelates and
cardinals condemning what they styl.
ed the personal attitude of Cardinal
Merry Del Val, for which neither the
Pope nor the Catholic church was
responsible"
DR.. Willing Clark, head OF the
Methodist organization of Italy. also
wrote Col Roosevelt expressing re-
gret for the denunciation OF the Cath
ole church In Rome that was uttered
By Rev. p. NJ. Triple.