THE PAPAL “LEGATION” IN WASHINGTON.
Rome is pressing the idea of diplomatic relations with the United States Government in a most persistent manner. That persistence amounts almost to an assumption that such a condition really exists. When Francis Satolli came over from Rome the first time (1892), he was not a cardinal, but he came as a special ablegate of Pope Leo XIII. On the face of his mission was the representation of papal interests at the Columbian Exposition. But there were important controversies in the church in this country that he was to settle, and, beyond this, he was to be permanent apostolic delegate at Washington, the capital of the nation. The importance of his mission was emphasized by the assurance, under authority of “the fisherman’s ring,” that all his official acts would be confirmed by the pope. Satolli established headquarters at Washington, which are still recognized as the “papal legation,” and the “embassy.” The apostolic delegate has been a feature of the capital ever since, the evident purpose being to become recognized eventually as an ambassador to the United States Government. During his first visit, when he came as delegate, Satolli delivered, at the Chicago World’s Catholic Congress, a message to the Catholics of America from the pope. In that message were these significant words:— In the name of Leo XIII., I salute the great American republic; and I call upon the Catholics of America to go forward, in one hand bearing the Book of Christian truth, and in the other the Constitution of the United States. . . . Bring your fellow-countrymen, bring your country, into immediate contact with that great secret of blessedness—Christ and His church. . . . Here you have a country which will repay all effort not merely tenfold, but aye! a hundredfold. This no one understands better than the immortal Leo; and he charges me, his delegate, to speak out to America words of hope and blessing, words of joy. Go forward! in one hand bearing the Book of Christian truth—the Bible—and in the other the Constitution of the United States. It will be observed that, while the address from which the foregoing words were taken was ostensibly to the Catholics of America, it was primarily a bid for governmental favor. The same year, and a few months later, the jubilee of Cardinal Gibbons was held in Baltimore, when Archbishop Ireland delivered an address, in which occurred these words:— I preach the new, the most glorious crusade—church and age! Unite them in mind and heart, in the name of humanity, in the name of God. Church and age! Monsignor Satolli, the church and the age. Rome is the church; America is the age. During the same jubilee occasion, on the following evening, the archbishop again spoke, and in course of his remarks gave further expression to the long-cherished hope of the Papacy:— I do not know whether or not you appreciate the full value of the union you see typified here to-night—the union of the Catholic Church and America; the fraternity between the church and the non-Catholics of the nation. The vice-president of the United States comes here and takes his seat alongside the cardinal. The spirit of fraternity between church and state thus typified, is the result of the work of our American cardinal. Eleven months later, in September, 1894, Bishop Keane having returned to Washington from a visit to Rome, an interview was published in which he was quoted as saying:— The policy of the pope, in view of the late overtures in Italy, is the union of the church with the10great democratic powers of the future—that is, America and France. This is his hope, and toward it all his remarkable energies are bent. A few days later, the press despatches announced that Bishop Keane was “the bearer of a rescript from Pope Leo XIII.,” in which were the following utterances:— The papal rescript elevates the United States to the first rank as a Catholic nation. Heretofore this country has stood before the church as a missionary country. It had no more recognition officially at Rome than had China. . . . By the new rescript the country is freed from the propaganda, and is declared to be a Catholic country. . . . The importance, not only to Catholics, but to all citizens of the United States, of this radical change in the relations to Rome of the church in America, can scarcely be overestimated. After the United States had acquired the Philippine Islands by conquest, and there was much controversy over the status of certain lands claimed by the Roman Church and held by the friars, the government proposed to buy the lands in order to settle the question. It was decided by the government that Governor Taft, of the Philippines, should visit Rome and deal directly with the pope. Altho the administration regarded the visit simply in the light of a business land deal, the pope being recognized only as the representative of the church and holder of the title, with sole power to consummate the sale, the papal authorities lost no opportunity, then or since, to make the incident appear as a really diplomatic affair. And the line between that land deal and recognized diplomacy is so fine that even many Protestants are unable to see it. And now comes Satolli again to this country. This time he is a cardinal, and, among other things, he is to visit the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, at St. Louis. On this occasion it may be expected that further claims will be advanced in behalf of the nation’s obligation to the Roman Church. But the notices of his reception in Washington are significant, as a preface to which it is pertinent to recall the fact that on his first visit, to establish the position of apostolic delegate in Washington, a government vessel was sent out from New York to meet and greet him officially. His recent reception in the capital is in harmony with this action. The Washington Times, of June 21, 1904, gives several items that indicate progress in Rome’s great purpose. We take the following extracts from that journal:— Cardinal Satolli at 2:30 this afternoon visited the White House and was received by the President in the Blue Room. The Rev. Father Stafford, pastor of St. Patrick’s Church, made the introductions. The President and the distinguished prelate conversed for some time, and Cardinal Satolli expressed interest in the executive mansion, and said that it afforded him much pleasure to meet the Chief Executive of the nation. Dr. Marchetti and the Rev. Father Stickney, auditor and secretary, respectively, of the papal legation, were hosts at noon to-day when Cardinal Satolli and a number of guests were entertained at luncheon at the legation in I Street northwest. Cardinal Satolli returned to his old home in Washington with apparent pleasure, and seemed to enjoy thoroughly the short time spent there. Altho the priests of the legation did not know the time of the cardinal’s arrival in Washington, it was understood that he would spend at least an hour or so at his old headquarters, and so he took luncheon there this afternoon. . . . In the middle parlor of the Arlington hotel last night, welcomed by a distinguished gathering of American citizens and dignitaries of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Satolli was the guest of Secretary of War Taft at an elaborate dinner. Cardinal Satolli attended the dinner in the Roman cardinal robes of his office. The room was decorated with cut flowers and palms. On the table were large clusters of American beauty and cardinal roses. . . . Secretary Taft made a cordial speech of welcome, which was responded to by the cardinal in happy and complimentary vein. Those present at the luncheon were: Secretary Taft, Cardinal Satolli, Archbishop Farley, of New York; General Chaffee, Mr. McCall, Charles C. Glover, Mr. Conant, Admiral Taylor, Mgr. O’Keefe, Archbishop Ireland, Secretary Moody, Admiral Dewey, Mgr. O’Connell, president of the Catholic University of America; General Sanger, the Rev. Dr. Stafford, Dr. Maurice Francis Egan, Major Ballinger, Major Porter, Chief Justice Arellano, of the Philippine Islands; and Justice Brown, of the United States Supreme Court. Considerable effort is being made to show that the visit is purely a personal affair, and that these functions are only personal compliments, but it is safe to say that it will be a long time before any Protestant ecclesiastic, however noted, will receive such attention by government officials at the capital.