State and Church Relations
At a dinner given by Secretary-of-War Taft in Washington, June 20, the guest of honor was Cardinal Satolli, who was present as a church prelate, arrayed in robes of his ecclesiastical office. Secretary Taft gave a toast to the cardinal, in which he spoke of the great honor of the prelate’s visit and his indebtedness to the cardinal for past favors. The cardinal, in reply, said that his debt of gratitude to the secretary had been increased by his invitation to the dinner, with the distinguished company of guests. The secretary was endeavoring to pay back some “small measure” of his indebtedness to the cardinal, and the latter found himself in turn still more indebted to the secretary. It would seem that the proper adjustment of this mutual indebtedness will call for further interviews and courtesies between these representatives of the American state and the papal church, and by the time the account is balanced, the idea that a permanent relationship between state and church is necessary, may be much more prominent here than it is to-day.