Arizona republican., 1922-01-22

He repeatedly denounced immodesty
in women's dress and what he termed
the indecency of fashion On another
occasion a circular was issued by his
direction to diplomats accredited to
the holy see asking them to add to
the invitations to official receptions
a note requesting women to avoid ex-
cessively decollete gowns.
The pope declared in an address TO
the Sacre college that the world
was affected with five great plaques
which he enumerated as the negation
of authority, hatred among brothers,
thirst for pleasure, disgust for work
and forgetfulness of the supernat-
ural objects of life. These evils, he
asserted, could be overcome only by
the aid Of the gospel.
In a secret consistory In December,
he declared that the Catholic churcn
would never abolish nor mitigate the
law imposing celibacy on the
clergy nor introduce democrat
is forms which had been asked by
priests OF Czecho- Slovakia where a
secession movement had been based
upon that appeal.
Success AS Diplomat
The resumption of diplomatic rela-
tions between the vatican and France
and Germany was attributed to the
diplomacy Of Pope Benedict. The
healing of the breach between the
vatican and France which resulted
from the separation Of the church and
state in that country was crowned by
the canonization of Joan of Arc as
saint.
In comment on these new relations,
1t was pointed out in many quarters
that during the years when Benedict
XIV had directed the policy of the
church there had been an increasing
Influence by the vatican on the public
opinion of the world.
His voice was raised in approval of
the aims of the Washington confer
ence on the limitation of armament
and in a letter to President Harding,
the pope commended his initiative In
calling it up. His efforts in behalf Of
war prisoners were unremitting and
he personally appealed to the pre-
lates of the church to promote amity
among the nations and deplored the
unrest in Europe which had followed
the war.
Appeals For Sufferers
He issued numerous appeals for the
poor children of Central Europe and
for the famine sufferers of Russia
and through his efforts a huge fund
was collected and distributed to the
children OF Germany. Austria, Poland.
Hungary and Czecho- Slovakia. He
also made large contributions to funds
for the relief or Russians and Chinese
and to the International Red Cross.
The pope's brother, Marquis John
Anthony Della Chiesa died in De-
cember 1920.
The pope was reported in 1921 as
having suffered two attacks OF
rheumatism. On January Is. 1922. it
was announced, he had an attack of
bronchial catarrh and symptoms of
influenza which were not at first re-
garded as serious but as he was then
81 years old, complications were
feared.
Probable Successors
In the speculation as to who will
be the successor of Benedict, the most
prominently mentioned is the secre-
tary OF state, Cardinal Gasparri,
whose election would represent an
endorsement Of the policy by him and
by Benedict In the last seven years
during the grave period of the world
war. Cardinal Gasparri, who also has
the position of chamberlain of the
church, is entrusted with the direc-
ton of the holy see during the inter-
regnum from the death of the pope
to the election of his successor.
Another member of the scored col
lege considered as a probable choice
is Cardinal De Lai, secretary of the
consistorial congregation, which
deals chiefly with the selection and