The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1914-08-28

elected August 1, 1903, and f:e days
later he was crowned In st. Peters
cathedral, Rome, with all the mas.
nifcence and brilliance Of ceremonies
that distinguishes the coronation OF
each successor to the apostolic throne.
From the post Of spiritual head Of
gondoliers and peasants. a work that
he loved, to the throne In the Vatican
was the career Of Giuseppe Sarto,
Pope Plus x.
Loved the Simple Life.
And he never had been ambitious
to be the head OF the Catholic church
and the successor Of st. Peter. He
loved the simple life among his friends,
his relatives, and his proteges In the
parish he first held. The grandeur,
the pomp. the great power of the Vat
lean did not appeal to him.
There was a great difference OF
opinion as to the qualifications of Pope
Plus x. for his office. His election, a
compromise, was particularly pleasing
to Austria, Germany and France, and
in these countries, with the exception
Of France in recent years, he was
highly commended for wisdom and
strength.
While at first he was referred to
an apostle, executive and reformer. In
the later years OF his reign there were
many reports of dissatisfaction
among cardinals and factions in the
church because OF a lack Of strength
I ~ ooy,, ), p;iro v,ou.or on1 irnp yrjll -
Pope Plus policy was the simplest.
Ills election resulted because a me-
iority of the cardinals had wearied or
! diplomacy and its barren results, INT
longed for a pontiff who would build
up the units Of organization-that Is,
the dioceses they ruled by bishops. In
France, Italy and Spain those units
were either paralyzed or directed by
the hostile or Indifferent states.
There was a show of life, but not
such teeming and varied life as is
seen in the dioceses Of America, Can
ada and Ireland. 1t was known that
Plus would desert diplomacy n try
to make all dioceses as they are In
English-speaking countries.
That diplomacy found no place in
Plus mind was evidenced by many OF
his acts. His action toward the
French government was perfect indif-
ference. Therefore, France had all the
trouble and the pope IA out of It.
Brought Church ard State Together.
AS to Italy, he increased the cordial
understanding between church and
state. which was not thought wise by
Italian churchmen. However, his ac-
tion resulted in an uplifting Of the
church in Italy.
One great -s:3rm Pope Plus accom-
plished, and it promises to be ever re-
nember>c IN history. lie proved that
diplomacy in church matters is a
thing Of little Importance compared
with the direct teaching and preaching
of the gospel to the poor.
Opposed - Woman's Suffrage.
Compared with the policies Of his
predecessors of recent times, the lean
Ing Of Pope Plus X. have been held
to be ul~tra-orthodox In purely ecclesi-
astical principles and ultra conserya-
tive in temporal relations.
An instance Of his welIknown I'm.
compromising attitude against ad-
yanced tendencies was afforded in his
opposition to woman suffrage as voiced
by the pope upon the occasion of his
reception Of a delegation Of Italian
Catholic ladies.
His now famous Apostolic consti.
tuition was considered as embodying
the most sweeping reform ever at
tempted by a Roman pontin since the
celebrated council Of Trent. In the
years from 1545 to 1863, in that it dis
missed the entire congregation Of the
council. a committee OF cardinals
charged with the Interpretation OF
the council Trent and placed all affairs
In the hands Of separate tribunals and
courts Of appeal
BY virtue OF one Of his documents,
known az the "Sapienti Consillio," the
congre composing the Roman Curia
OF the Catholic church have been COM
pletely reformed and the American
hierarchy has been accorded = recog.
nized voice in the government Of the
church. In fact. all Catholics outside
| Italy have been granted a new pO-
litical standing by the order here
under 200 bishops, $4,000 priests and
10000. 900 Catholic laymen in the Eng
| lish speaking countries will have their
affairs examined and passed upon &C.
cording to the general law Of the
church and by ten different congre-
cations. instead Of one. as heretofore.
Another reform was that effected
by the papal bull requiring the return
Of sacred music in use by the Roman
Catholic churches throughout the
world to its austere and suave purity.
Pope Plus was in every respect a
man of peace. and the clerical trou.
bles In Spain and Portugal during the
latter years Of his life greatly at.
fected his health. When Spain and
Portugal, following che lead of France
broke away from the church, he re.
fused to take any decisive action
against them.
This camDaign OF peace has earned