The chronicle=news., 1913-04-18

I4"0s 4SsANAOA0, SV4VhAOV.
Istranse yc, eloquent title OF the
Grand Silcncer. which in oldcn times
was used TO designate the secretary
OF state OF the Byzantine Empcrors.
The Curia.
Cardinal ltampolla. however, suf-
fcrs from the disadvantage OF being
u Cardinal Of the Curla--that Is 10
sny. he IL y member of that small
body Of Cardinals resident ut Rome
aS Projects or Presidents OF one or
another OF III. cougro ogations or de-
partmcnis OF government OF the
church. Forming II species OF cab
met OF the pope and executive COM
mittcc Of the Sacred College, they
are regarded as the principal ahyis-
crs Of the Holy Father. They are held
rospomsiblc 10 u grca, cxtcu, both In
Italy ana abroad FOR anything IN
popular that Is done al he Vatican,
and. being fupposcd to have ut all
times the ear ni III. sovereign Pom
tifr. are. like the secretary OF state.
the objects OF jealousy and often Of
iil-wili. Not many popcs have been
| IrhOs"n from among their number.
conclavcs have. as rule. preferred
to 70 outside Rome in clcctinS u sue
o'sor to til" Chair Of ST. Peter. Thus.
RUS y. was Cardinal Patriarch oi
Venice: Leo XIII. WAS for more than
thirty years Archbishop of Pcruggia:
Plus TX. was Archbishop OF Spoicto
and Of Inola, while Plus viii. was
Archbishor Of Frascati. None %:
them were Cardinals OF the Cmrin.
II is bccans. they are members Of
the Curia ihai Cardinal Mariinciii.
" no Is the Prcf.ct Of the Congrcga-
tIOn of Rites. and Cardinal FalconIo
are considered ns handicapped IN
their chances OF being elected. Yet
the elevation OF either OF them ns
pope would he exceedingly welcome
In the United States. where they
have each spent several years M Pa
pal Delegate Mt Washington. making
themselves thoroughly acquainted
with the conditions and people OF
this country Ms We'll an With III"
needs Of tn Catholic church as II
exists and pr,spcrs under the Stars
aud SiripcS.
Cardinal f'alconio. indeed. ncImir-
ed citizenship Of til" United States
In his earlier years. when he wns
living and working In the lake re-
Gions out West ns "a member of the
great Franciscan order. to which hc
belongs. His membership thereof
II no; calculated to promote his can
didature for the tiara. For although
one Of the popcs during the uinc-
tccnth century. namely Gregory WI
was monk Of the Camaidoli order.
there has usually been u disp0A Ion
On the pari of the Sacred CoiiSI. 20
Zee: TINT the election OF u monk
would he unduiy favoring his par,ir-
ular order ut he cNpcusC OF the 9th
crs. aud that II" would be- exposed to
charges o! a,or.ng the brotherhood
to which h. belonged. not only Mt
the cNpcns" Of other kindred sorlr-
ties hut also at tina; OF the regular
clergy.
Mere pic,y the sole qualification
needed FOR u Pnn;ir. the choice
would undoubtedly fall upon Cardi-
nal ScrnftnO Nannniclli. the most
sanity member OF the Scored College
aud brother OF Cardinal Vincent
Nannutclli. who visited tho United
States year ago In connection with
the Eurharistic Congress in Canada.
But lie Ia In III health. and the same
may be said OF Cardinal Gotti. Pro-
feet OF the Propaganda. who travel
cd extensively In the United States
while General OF the great Order Of
Carmelitc monks, to which he be-
longs. Like Plus ". he Is n man OF
very humble birth. and prior TO the
last conclavc was considered ny ahv-
ing some prospects OF election. pros.
pcc.s whic!. Iailed to matcrinlizc.
. Another Possibility.
a inrmlrr' Of the Sacred College
who is much spoken Of at Rome MS
n possible candidate Is Cardinal Fer
rata. who has II record as one of
the most successful Nuncios OF the
di plomatic service OF the church. or
tcii most conciiIatory disposition. he
smoo;hcd away difficulties and dis
armed hostility II all the various c!A,-
itols where he was stationed. lie rep
resented the Papacy In turn a'
Bcrnc. brussels. and in Paris. and
everywhere left the reputation of
being a cOnsmmmatc diplomat. n
most able and successful Dcgo,iator.
aud. .nbovc all. u real priest.
Both in Switzerland and In Bel |
gimm hc managed TO restore friendly
relations between The church aud
state. which had become cstarngcd
by all sorts or hisscnsions. while if
b" had bccn left as Nuncio at Paris |
where he was on terms of warm
friendship and intimacy with the
leading republican statesmen OF tho !
hav. irrcspcctiv" of their religious ,
beliefs or unbcliefs. il is doubtful |
whether there would ever have been |
any break OF tho Concordat between |
the French government and the Pa
pacy.
Perhaps the best description that |
I can give OF his appearance is tha; |
he bears the most startling rcscn- |
blance to that wonderful portrait. OF |
Pope Leo n. familiar to all the vis-
itOrs to tho rrrizi Galleries at Flor