Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-11-07
POpe's Right Hand in Dealing
With the Civil Govern
ments.
Was Successful in Negotiations
in Belgium, Switzerland
and France.
an OUTLINE OF HIS CAREER

With the accession of a new Pope
to the chair of Peter, the world, even
amid wars alarums, has watched
with expectant interest the first acts
of the Pontiff. OF these acts the
ones which excites perhaps most
general interest is the appointment
of Cardinal Secretary of State.
Each Pope appoints his own Car
dinal Secretary of State, for that
official is the Pope's right hand in
dealing with civil governments. 1t is
therefore of the utmost Importance
that the Cardinal Secretary, besides
being a man of affairs, should also
be like-minded with him whose chief
instrument he is to be. Seldom per-
haps has this rule of common sense
been more clearly exemplified than
in the appointment of Pope Benedict
XIV. of Cardinal Ferrata.
Born at Gradoli, near Viterbo, in
1S47, Domenico Ferrata came of a
family of much consideration in a
neighborhood which had furnished
many members to the service of the
church. One of his brothers died an
Augustinian monk. Reading maketh
a full man and talking a ready man,
and Dottore Ferrata's years of study
and teaching had completed the
formation of mind singularly able
and supple. So he was called upon
to exercise his abilities in ecclesi-
astical diplomacy. After a short
time at the Secretariate of Ex-
traordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs he
was in the summer of 1879 appointed
auditor Of the Apostolic Nunciature
at Paris, where he had the good
fortune to serve under a Nuncio
whose ability Is still tradition, the
Polish prelate, Mgr. Czaski, after
ward Cardinal. Here Ferrata
showed himself a quick learner in
the delicate intricacies of diplomacy.
After these years of training the
time had come for Mgr. Ferrata to
be intrusted with work of the high
est importance. In April, 1888, he
was recalled to Rome as Under
Secretary of the Congregation of
Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs,
in which post he was quickly con-
fronted with matters of extreme diff
ficulty. The first was concerned with
switzerland, the Government of
which had adopted sort of
kulturkampf and broken off all rela-
tions with the Holy See. He was in
trusted with the arduous mission of
appeasing the Government and clos
ing the quarrel. On his first visit to
Berne he set himself to gain its good
will and in this he was, by a happy
combination of affability and plain
speaking, so successful that he
brought the Government to see the
desirability of a reapproachment
with the Holy See.
In the following year he again
went to Berne, but this time with the
official status of Apostolic Delegate.
The matter in hand concerned the
diocese of Basle, which included
cantons where feelings against the
Holy See was bitterest and in one of
which the ecclesiastical organizations
had to be arranged and established.
Firm In his adherence to essential
ecclesiastical principle, the Delegate
Apostolic showed himself at the same
time able TO understand and allow
Tor minor differences. Thus in the
canton last mentioned the Govern
ment OF Berne refused to allow a
diocese to be erected. But Mgr.
Ferrata prevailed upon II to accept
an administrator apostolic having
episcopal authority. Peace with
Rome was the result, which was
ratified by a convention
signed at Berne In March, 1888.
This signal success in SO difficult a
matter was marked by lively ap-
preciation on the part of Pope Leo
XIII, who appointed Mgr. Ferrata
President OF the Academy OF Noble
Ecclesiastics In Rome (the nursery
OF the church's diplomats) and
canon OF Santa Maria Maggiore.
Through his tact and ability Car
dinal Ferrata established friendly
relations between the Holy See and
Belgium, and also did excellent work
as Nuncio Apostolic TO the French
capital, a post which he held for five
years and by his moderation
and tact kept the storm that was
and blackening from
breaking.
In 1896 he was created Cardinal,
and returning to Rome he gave him
self up TO the silent but important
and far reaching work OF the Roman
congregations. Besides the Congre-
cation OF Extraordinary EccIesi-
asticai Affairs, with which he had
been so long connected, and the
commission for the codification of
the canon law instituted by Plus K.
Cardinal Ferrata was successfully
Prefect OF the congregation OF in
dulgences, OF rites. Of Bishops and
regulars. OF the sacramento, and on
the death Of Cardinal Rampolla he
became Secretary Of the Holy Once.
Such In outline IL the career Of the
great prelate who has now been
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