The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-20


city which. against its own hot will. he
had served so we'll. He was continued
by title and office as Apostolic Admin
istrator of Mantua-
once long ages ago II was and Rome
was frankly heather then, an ancient
Roman bade his friend avoid the num-
bers and refrain from trying to find out
since 1t was sin to know, what end the
gods might give. Now. as then, II Is
quito too much to expect that the Ital-
Ian VIII wholly shun the numbers OF
rate there Will always be the feeling
that the record OF mans life is writ
ten long ere he begins. Such beliefs
still nnger In the countryside. and II
must be remembered that Sartos Riese
Is so tiny a hamlet that It has passed
unbaedekered. since there 4, nothing
there to which star could be affixed
yet II mas given two Popes "urbi ct
orbi"
Pope Plus himself, scantily mindful
OF the injunction of Horace the heather.
has commented upon the nine year-
period OF his life, a certain rhythm of
the years which II calls for but little
mathematics to discern Nine years
the first nine years OF his priesthood
he was chaplain at Tombolo. In the
ninth year OF his rectorate of Salzano
ne received the canonry at Treyiso
Nine busy useful years later he was
consecrated Bishop and yet another
nine years saw him translated to Ven
atrIn
|" 'he calendar OF years It was ten years
utter MS Induction to Venice that he
was crowned Pope. Yet the rhythm
remains unbroken nine for after he was
preconized to Venice It was moro than
year before he received the Sta.e.s
permission TO ofriciate as Patriarch
crowned In 1903 It is small wonder that
sucn man, peasant born and lowlv
oreu' should look upon the next ninth
year. lSl2' as critical in his month";
cate IL is not difficult TO imagine the
sense or relief with which he nassed
'hi' last critical nine and into the
eleventh year OF his pontficate. cheerfu,
under the burden OF feeble years
Created Cardinal in Is0s,
His now honors In 1893. reward sIou,,,,
attained through long years Of faithful
merit. involved him for the first TIM
as an active participant in the dis
oroered condition OF the Church in Italy.
IN June 1898. the Pope created him
cardinal ttular OF San Bernardo allie
Ierne' Immediately thereafter the new
cardinal was preconized Metropolitan
and Patriarch Of Venice.
The see Of st. Mark the Evanve,,st
~ one OF the Oldest In Chrlstendom II
mas an uninterrupted history Of nearly
sixteen centuries. In modern tImes thu
style or Its Metropolitan n no moro
than an empty honor; yet Il serves n A..
a reminder Of an earlier ecclesiasticol
government in which the pone 90 Do
triarch Of Rome was but the nr,no, =
or small group of associated ma
,riarchs, In all this continuity Of his
tory and OF faith privileges had accrued
TO this diocese. some in fact had sur
ViVed from the days of looser constitu-
ton or tho ecclesiastical state. Chief
among these privileges was the right
or Venice to nominate the Patriarch n,
Its choice. In the splendid days OF the
republic OF the sea this right had been
exercised by the Doges and the Coun-
ellis or Ten. Provided that the cleric
upon whom fell the choice OF his fell
low citizens were but faithful TO his
professions and sincere In his conduct
according to whatever the standard OF
conduct then may have been. the Popes
mad no hesitation In confirming the pop
ular selection. When the evil days
fell upon Venice. when its power on the
sea broke. when It passed in the
changes OF bitter politics to the hand
OF the Austrian (there are yet old Vene-
tians who cannot say Tedesco withou,
spite), the right of nomination passed
with the other appanages OF the State
Abolished Right Of Veto.
To this the Curla could raise no OBJ
lection. for Austria has been ever faith
full. 1t was not until after the last
conclave had been held that the church
definitely abrogated the right which
put into effect. the right of veto upon
the choice even Of popes II was Plu,
X, who abolished this right OF inter.
vention. the Venetian loosening one
more grip OF Austrian fingers But
} after Venice had passed from Austria
to Italy, where lay the right to nomi.
nate the Patriarch? The Italian Gov.
eminent, since 1870 at odds with the
papacy, proposed the claim that the
cession included this old right. that as
Austria without challenge had exercised
1t as in devolution from the doges OF