The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-05-15
MERRY DEL VAL WANTS PLACE
Holds Position at the Present Time
as Cardinal Secretary of.
State. .,sE
STILL ONLY 4S YEARS OF AGE
Which Fact Would Ordinarily Bar
Him as Being Considered as a
Papal Candidate.

BY HENRY WOOD.
Rome Correspondent Of the United
~ Press
Rome, May 15.-Though Pope
Plus has so far recovered from his
recent critical illness as to enable him
to receive several Cardinals in aud
fence today, in addition to devoting
a considerable portion of his work
day to matters referred to him by
Merry del Val, the fact is. generally
recognized that the aged Pontiff has
lost so much ground as to make the
matter of his death an event to be
expected at any time. This condition
has very naturally served to crystalize
the issues and the question of the
candidates about which will center
the selection of the next Pope.
3 In the situation three important
motives will largely dictate the choice
of the next Holy Father. First there
will be the strong element OF person
atty, second the element of the
the church's religious policy, and
third the element of the church's fu-
ture political attitude. That. the
personal element will be the strongest
seems a certainty.
~ No secret is now made of the fact
that the recent illness of the Pope has
brought to definite focus opposi-
ton largely amongst the older men,
bers of the Sacred College to Merry
del Val and his policies. This un-
popularity dates back to the time
when Merry del Val was created Car
dinal secretary of state, position
rarely if ever occupied by foreign
cardinal or by any other than a car
dinal grown gray in the diplomatic
service of the Vatican. -
Still only 48 years of age, Merry
del Val would ordinarily be barred
by his age alone, from being serious
ly considered papal candidate. But
he is shrewd man at the height of
his powers, man of unusual ability
with genius for politics and diplom-
acy and a consuming ambition to be
Pope. He will enter the consistory
assured of a good following on the
first ballot and with a determination
to either secure the high Office him
self or force the choice of some other
cardinal who will retain him in his
present position as cardinal secretary
of state. - .,. ;. :..'..-H. .. TIL,
AT the same time there will also
enter the conclave as an ayowed cam
didacy for the Papacy, Cardinal
Rompolla, former secretary of state
under Pope Leo XIII, and who but for
the veto exercised on behalf of the
Emperor of Austria would have been
the choice of the last election. Car
dinal Rompolla will oppose any policy
Of Merry del Val and about these
two Internationally the most
forceful and resourceful in the Sacred
College center the contest.
After the question of personality
the Sacred College will unquestion-
ably be largely Influenced in its
choice by the probable attitude of var
io,ls possibilities to the future relig-
ious policy Of the church. Pope Plus
has consistently striven against
modernism" and the attitude of any
candidate toward the present Pope's
policies will have weight when the
Sacred College begins to vote. Pos
sibly the Cardinal whose modern
ism is most clearly defined is Maffi,
of Pisa. Should the tendency toward
modernism manifest itself in the
consistory Mafi would admittedly be
a strong probability.
After the question Of religious pol
icy will come that of the church a g
political attitude. The important is
sue in this respect is whether the
Pope should be released from virtual
Imprisonment in the Vatican through
action that while not renouncing its
claim to the right OF q temporal
Kingdom, the church could comprorn-
ise In some manner. While Cardinal
Ferrari, archbishop Of Milan, has not
openly expressed himself on this sub
ject he Is being looked to by many
who favor 9 change in the political
attitude Of the church and for this
reason is considered one Of the strong
papal possibilities,