Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-01-30
WORLDS attention ON
ROME NOW, BOWIE SAYS
ST. Paufs Pastor Traces Pow
cr of Medieval Popcs in
Special Sermon.
QUESTIONS MODERN polio
Thinks Successor "f B~nrdirt Nv.
VIII Never FIJI Place Occupied In
Affairs of World by Earlier Pm
pncIes md Rule Europe.

The death Of Pope Benedict and the
prcpa ration for the election Of his
successor have fastened the attention
OF the world for "A while upon Rome
ana upon the thought OF the papaCy
in general What sort Of "a man will
nj the rapal chair next time and
what can he do? Is there any place
o! impressive power for Pope TO
claim in our modern time?
Whoever may he elected IL is cor.
tain that he can never plav the role
which som. of his predecessors as.
sumcd in other centuries. The story
OF the medieval Popcs. who con.
tended with Kings for The mastery OF
Europe. il fun OF dramatic amaze.
rncnt. In those days the office OF the
papacy did grip the imagination Of
the world.
Men shvank before it's awful AN.
monty. The papai accommodation
which once brought an Emperor to
stand outside the door of the Pope's
palace In the snow. craving admit
lance and absolution. and the papal
interdict. which could lay whole
nation under "a spiritual curse. were
terrible weapons before which the
dumb belief OF those DAYS tremblcd
But the power of the papal Office
so far as it affects the great affairs
OF states and nations, is only a
wrath.
influence Not strong.
Benedict Nv. who has just died
lived through the most tremendous
years which the world has known
III many OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES when the
souls OF men were Travelling In
agony bat the influence of the papacy
as an institution was pathetic in its
i"iiiiiy. Cardinal Mcrcier grippcd
the conscience and imagination Of
his world far more powerfully Than
the cautious Pope ever began 10 do
and the words he spoke are more
lasting. because they wcr. morally
more authoritative, than any mana,
bulls.
H's work. az compared with that
OF Benedict. was IA symbol of the fact
'ha' In our modern times spiritual
SUPERIORITY depends upon the marni-
'""c OF mans personality and not
"Po" me suppositions of any Office.
'"nfuscs Two Ideas.
ne limitation of the papacy lies
In the confusion of two ideas. On rho
one hand. there Is the beckoninp of
'hc ola ghost of temporal power Re-
cause Tor many centuries the nan,c,.
CLAIMED the right to dominate ci,.i
governments. ii still canno, yviIIing,,.
loreSo that worldly sovereigntv rbe
ropes opposed the national unity nj
ltaiF. and still protest acnjps, m.
presence OF the Italian government,
HoHe' ana papal Interference in
o'"er lands has frequently been at
'''c 1901 or political discussion.
ne thinG the papacy has not been
d"ie 10 see is that the medieva,
world has vanished. and that Tho M.
i''ical power Of the papacy. which
then made so magnificen, vhou,
Though even then MT tho 49,,
spiritual disinteEration) is nov,
ing more than mummy. which fa,ls
:" ""S' III the atmosphere of modern
"e!' III the papacy is ever
"e"''' I" ne one of the great influ-
e"''S IN our world. 1t can become sucb
o"'E ny completely different con-
'cption from that which has sb,ped
It's former history. II can become such
only in the event that thcre sbo,,,,
be elected a Pope who would de,ih-
crately turn his back on the bur,oa
past ana face the living future
frankly abandoning the claims NJ
rome to political power. reorganjzing
the machinery OF the papal conrt so
that IL should symbolic not ecclesj
asticai monarchy. but spiritual min
istry, and In his own spirit. and in
his policy for all the church should
seek to touch the worlds religious
needs. not with frozen traditions. but
with an open minded understanding
for all the virile forces of Christen-
dom.