Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-15

Princes of Catholic Church
viii Get So, 900 a Year
Boost in Salaries. 1

ny the Associated Press.
VATICAN CITY, June 15.-The car
dinals of Curla, those 20 or more
princes fthe Catholic Church residing
permanently in Rome, are soon to have
their modest stipends of about $1,000 q
year raised to approximately $4,000.
In the process of recognizing the
Pspal Court and the Vatican services
generally, it came to light that those
wearers of the red hat obliged by their
duties to reside in the Eternal City were
being paid less than some OF the most
modest lay functionaries. Moreover
Vatican tradition required that they
employ at least one secretary and one
servant. and it was desired that each
should have his horse drawn carriage.
On a meager thousand a year, such a
style of living could hardly be ex-
pected: yet. by dint of the most rigid
economy, some of the Curia cardinals
have actually been able to keep up
with 1t.
Many Have Private Means.
To be sure, a goodly number of these
prelates have had ecclesiastical per-
uuisites of various sorts, or private
means which enabled them to maintain
their rank without undue counting OF
pennies But even for them, the cost
of living in twentieth century Rome,
above all after the forced Sterilization
of the Italian Ira at 10 to the dollar,
presented serious obstacles. But those
who had to content themselves with
the mere 81 900 might well have envied
the lot of many parish priests in the
United States.
The expense of accepting a call ito
the purple" with implied residence in
Rome. has deferred many an ecclesi-
aStical diplomat, assigned as papal
nuncio abroad, from returning to the
mother city of Christendom and receiv-
ing the highest reward within the
Pope's gift The tradition has 1T that
when a papal envoy has reached the
summit of his career he shall be ad-
rnftted to the Sacred College, and leave
his diplomatic functions to younger
man. But the difference between the
$4,000 a year. reputed to be the salary
and expense allowance of nuncto in
major post, such as Madrid, Paris or
Berlin, has caused several ENJOYS to
use all their diplomatic skill to fore
stall the descent of the papal pleasure
upon them before they had saved
enough to provide for their old days. .
Are Averse to Accepting Aid.
There are always wealthy Catholic
iaymen, of all nationalities, ready to
make UP any deficit in newly created
cardinals budget; but that very alacrity
makes those princes OF the churcn
averse to accepting such aid. Some
times the problem has been solved by
a rich nobleman'S requesting the new
cardinal to oficiate at the wedding or
q son or daughter. The fee discreetly
slipped into the hands of the secretary
has often enabled the prelate to con-
tinue his duties in Rome with compare
tive comfort, without offending his sus-
capabilities.
Pope Plus XXI, born in extremely mod
est circumstances, having lived Tor
years on the meager emoluments OF an
ecclesiastical librarian, and having held
onlv two fairly remunerative posts. those
of Nuncio to Poland and Archbishop OF
Milan-and those for only short pc
riods-is determined that his present or
future collaborators shall not suffer
want because of being summoned to
serve close to his throne.