The Washington herald., 1911-07-31
IN THE LEAD
AS POPE Plus SUCCESSOR

The recent rumors regarding the state
Of health Of the pontin at Rome lend
interest to the current official statistics
Of the College Of Cardinals upon which
would devolve the selection of new
Pope in the event Of the death OF
Plus x.
The membership Of the Sacred College.
which normally is seventy, now has fallen
to forty-nine, and Of these at least
twelve virtually are incapacitated by ex-
treme old age.
No cardinals have been created for more
than three years, and It Is not likely
that a new consistory for that purpose
will be held before at least one year from
now. Twenty-eight of the living cardi-
nails are Italians, twenty-one- are for
eigners. The English-speaking people
have three cardinals: Gibbons, of the
Moran, of Australia
In case Of the demise OF Pope the
Sacred College is summoned at once and
its members are locked ip vau!tlike
chamber. where each one has a very
small room to live, eat. and sleep in
until the members announce that they
are agreed. The balloting is going on
constantly. There have been known oc-
casions at such elections where the
princes of the church had to remain
behind walled-in doors to keep them at
their task and to speed decision.
To Judge from the aforegoing, the
pontiff seems to have less intention Of
being seriously ILL.," or Of dying. than
some OF the European papers would
make their readers believe. II, however,
vacancy in the papacy were to oc-
cur In the near future, the chances OF
Cardinal Rampolla are considered at
Rome as brighter for the succession to
the chair of st. Peter than those Of
Cardinal Vannutelli.
1t is remembered that Rampolla un-
doubtedly would have been elected at
the last conclave but for the peremptory
veto of the House OF Hapsburg. the
rulers Of Austria. Yet. strange to say.
although he was elected by means Of
that veto, Pope Plus, by one Of his first
acts after his accession to the throne
OF the Vatican, definitely abolished the
veto, and, under pain of excommunica-
ton, forbade any cardinal in the future
to become the vehicle for the carrying
out of any such dynastic interference
in the most intimate affairs Of the
church.
OF the cardinals who voted for RAM
polla at the last conclaye, a sufficient
number are still living to constitute a
substantial majority in the Sacred Col
lege. and 1t is. therefore. believed as
be held at the present time, the Sicilian
cardinal would be designated for the high
Office. All this, of course, is mere specu-
lation. The Pope may outlive Rampolla.
Vannutelli, as a candidate for the pa
pacy would not necessarily be unpopular
in Italy. and Rampolla once out of the
way, he appears as the strongest pos
sibility. AS papal nuncio he has trav-
eled in nearly all Catholic countries, and
has gained a host Of friends among the
priesthood and the laymen by his OPEN
handed and open-hearted disposition and
a shrewd diplomat and progressive. not
at all the cast-iron disciplinarian and
strict-to-the-letter Catholic that Merry
del Val is in his dealings with the secular
governments.
One thing may be predicted with GER
tainty. 1t will be an italian Pope again,
though the advisability of a non-Italian
pontif often has been discussed and even
advocated.