New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-20
Pope Plus the Tenth.

Plus y throughout his pontifcate was at once n
suggestion OF and a commentary upon the much
debated question whether Pope in the twentieth
century should be primarily a political or a re-
ligious leader, = statesman or apostle. lie began
his career in the Vatican in the latter capacity.
Il have no other programme" he said. than to
restore all things in Christ The habits Of his life,
his simplicity. his democracy. his deyoutness, all
gave color to the expectation that he would justify
st Malachys prophetic name Of him, "lgns
Ardeus" by being burning fire Of faith and re-
liafous zeal.
Nor was the beginning Of his service incompati-
bic with that anticipation. lie gave himself with
sngleness Of mind 70 the work Of religious con
frmation and-so far as he touched politics at all
to that Of secludng the Church from political
influence. Most notable in this respect was his ac-
ton, which II sustained as precedent will have
marked effect upon the selection Of his successor,
in abolishing the veto power which three European
governments had long exercised over pOntifcal
elections. by declaring an automatic decree Of
communication agant any one who should act as
the intermediary Of any power in thus meddling
with the deliberations and acts Of a conclave.
Events, however, soon constrained him, against
his will, to engage in political controversies and
conflicts to perhaps even greater extent than his
predecessor had done. His campaign against
Modernism" was nominally ecclesiastical rather
than political but il became inextricably involved
with purely political issues Throughout the latter
half of his reign, therefore. Plus seemed to be
more concerned with matters Of statecraft than
with matters Of faith and doctrine
Nevertheless, II must be recognized that Plus Y
was primarily an apostle and that his incurslon
into the domain Of politics was made for the sake
Of faith and not Of temporal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. 1t
does not appear that he had political designs save
as adjuncts to the propaganda Of religious faith.
He abolished the veto power because he regarded
it as a secular menace to the spiritual integrity
Of the concave So he opposed the policies Of
the French Spanish and Portuguese governments
because he saw in them, as he thought an attack
upon the spiritual authority Of the Church. They
were welded TO the hated heresies Of Modern
ism" and were therefore inlmcal to that "restora-
tion Of all things in Christ" at which he supremacy
aimed Even non-Catholics who regard him rs
mistaken in his anti-Modernism will generally give
him credit for entire sincerity and unselfshness in
that campaign and will pay tributes to the purity
and nobility of his personal character and to the
value Of many Of his acts
In another respect than that Of the abolition Of
the temporal veto power he has left a marked
legacy Of influence the papal succession and Oh
the future Of the Church Something like an epoch
was marked by his creation of additional American
cardinals. There is presumably no thought of
electng one of them his successor but there can
be little doubt that they will exercise in the com
ing election an influence somewhat greater than
tier mere numerical ratio Of the whole college
This will be the more assured by the fact that
IT is in America that the Roman Church is making
its greatest progress in numbers, wealth and in
huence. If the successor Of Plus Y shall incur
the name Of "Religio Depopulata," as prophesied
by St Malachy, it will not be in America that the
Church will decline in numbers. Its continued
growth here seems to be as well assured as any
thing Of the kind be in this world and for th9t
it has in a great degree, to thank the Chief Ponuf
whom il has just lost