Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-06-07
SOME CARDINAL WILL
TAKE POPE'S PLACE
viii Look After Certain Duties Of His
in Case He Should Undergo ANY
Serious Relapse.

Rome, June 7.-Convinced that Pope
Plus X will never be able to resume
his duties, and fearing that any little
relapse may incapacitate him entirely,
definite steps are being taken at the
Vatican today for the delegation Of his
authority to some cardinal, should an
emergency arise.
That the condition of His Holiness
continues grave enough to warrant this,
was admitted today at the Vatican.
Pope Plus own obedience, for the first
time in his life, of the positive orders
for repose, given by Professor March
iafava and Doctor Amici, is also inter.
preted as ample evidence that the Pope
himself realizes the seriousness of his
condition. That His Holiness is still
too badly broken to permit of anything
but semblance of a resumption of his
duties is also freey admitted. The doc.
tors have only allowed him to glance
over and sign enough papers to prevent
the depression of spirits which he
would suffer if kept entirely from the
exercise of his duties.
Added to this already serious condi.
tion, Vatican dignitaries admit their
fear Of two other elements which may
have a critical effect upon the Pope Is
health. The most serious Of these is
the rapidly approaching Roman sum
mer, which annually is fatal to thou.
sands, and especially to the aged Since
the beginning by the popes of the
'prisoner in the Vatican" attitude to.
wards Italy, which does not permit
them to leave the Vatican, even to es.
cape the fatal summer months Of Rome,
all of them have died during this period
of the year.
Aside from this the Vatican's cele.
bration of Constantine Year is another
source Of serious worry to the pOntific
al physicians. This had been Pope
Plus fondest undertaking, and he had
set his heart on receiving and bless.
ing personally the thousands of pill.
grims from practically every civilized
country Of the globe. The present con.
dition of His Holiness renders this
fatiguing work absolutely impossible,
while on the other hand, the doctors
fear that the disappointment of the
Pope in not being able to realize this
cherished ambition Of his career may
be even more dangerous. For the mo.
ment it has been hoped that this diff.
ficulty has been overcome. Hereafter
the pilgrims will be lined up in the
Vatican gardens and His Holiness will
then pass by them in a carriage, extend.
ing the usual blessings, but dispensing
with the ring kissing
In the meantime, however Cardinal
Merry del Val is making all the ar.
rangements necessary for the delega.
tion Of the pontifical authority Should
this eventually become necessary il is
generally believed that the choice of
Pope Plus would fall upon one of the
three cardinals. 1t might be Merry
del Val, the papal secretary Of state;
Cardinal Pompili, whom the pope re.
Gently created his vicar for the admin.
istration Of the affairs Of the diocese
of Rome, or it might be Cardinal De
Lai, perfect Of the Consistorial Con
gregation, and to whom the Pope has
entrusted the carrying out of all the
big religious reforms Of his pontifi.
cate.
Should, however, delegation Of the
pontifical authority become necessary,
there is no one at Rome but believes
it would be for very short timo only
as such necessity, it is believed, would
be quickly fatal to Pope Plus, who has
stated repeatedly to his intimates that
he would rather die than remain in
condition in which he could not longer
be Of full service to the church.