PROSPECTS OF CARDINAL GIBBONS BEING POPE.
The Marquise de Fontenoy, a syndicate writer of several American papers, and a well-informed woman regarding affairs of Europe, and its courts in particular, presents the following interesting questions which have been asked her:— In the event of Cardinal Gibbons’ being elected pope at the next conclave, could he retain his American citizenship and his vote as such, and remain in this country? Would he be “compelled to reside in the Vatican” at Rome, and thus become “a prisoner of the Italian Government”? “In case our cardinal, being duly elected pope and remaining an American citizen, should, while remaining in the Vatican at Rome, be subjected to any indignity by the Italian Government, could he call upon the United States Government for protection?” Would the United States Government recognize Cardinal Gibbons, if elected pope, as sovereign and American citizen at the same time? Could the Italian Government prevent the legal election of Cardinal Gibbons? And, finally, would it not be extremely awkward for the Italian Government if a prominent citizen of a foreign power, such as the United States, should take up his residence in the Eternal City as a recognized sovereign? The marquise replies as follows (taken from the Philadelphia Press):— In the first place, while there is no law, ecclesiastical or otherwise, to prevent the election of Cardinal Gibbons to the chair of St. Peter, his elevation to the papacy is out of the question for several reasons. One is that the Roman Curia has for centuries made a point of invariably maintaining a large majority of Italian cardinals in the Sacred College, precisely for the purpose of preventing the election of any foreigner as pope. What with the numerical preponderance which the Italian cardinals already possess, and the fact that many of the foreign cardinals could not reach Rome in time for the conclave, the election of an Italian is a foregone conclusion. Then, too, the Sacred College is well aware that the Italian Government would not tolerate the presence at the Vatican of a foreign pontiff. The Italian Government has already made this thoroughly clear, and has given the church to understand that in the event of the election of a non-Italian as pope, the Vatican would have to be evacuated, and the headquarters of the Catholic Church be transferred to some other country. For the Italian Government naturally could not allow at the Vatican a pope of foreign nationality, with which the Italian Government might at any moment find itself at war. Take, for instance, the case of an Austrian cardinal being elected pope. Italy may find herself at any time at war with Austria. Indeed, there are many who are convinced that war between the two countries is bound to take place sooner or later. How, in that case, could Italy, finding herself at war with Austria, tolerate the presence at the Vatican of an Austrian pope? He would, of course, be suspected of not merely sympathizing with his fellow-countrymen, but of using his vast influence as head of the church in a sense inimical to Italy and in behalf of Austria. The situation would be intolerable. Not merely the Italian Government, but likewise the foreign powers and the Sacred College realize this,9and the election of an Italian prelate to succeed Leo XIII. is a foregone conclusion. Neither the Italian Government nor any other foreign power has to-day, however, any legal right to forbid the election of Cardinal Gibbons or of any other member of the Sacred College to the papacy. The right of veto, that is to say, of barring this or that cardinal from election, was formerly enjoyed by the Austrian, Spanish, and French Governments, but is not now. With regard to another point raised by my correspondent, I would call his attention to the fact that the pope at Rome is not a prisoner of the Italian Government. His seclusion within the precincts of the Vatican is a matter of ecclesiastical policy. The pope is not recognized by the United States Government as a sovereign in a temporal sense, but merely as a very august personage, possessed of a right to certain sovereign honors and privileges. Uncle Sam does not maintain diplomatic relations with the pope. [The Philippine church-property question is changing all this rapidly.] Were Cardinal Gibbons elected pope, he would certainly remain an American. It is not conceivable that he would naturalize himself as an Italian. As far as the United States Government is concerned, he would retain his citizenship here, tho, of course, he would not exercise his electoral rights in connection therewith. Leo XIII. in the same way remains an Italian, altho the possession of the chair of St. Peter by international usage carries with it extra-territoriality, that is to say, immunity from the jurisdiction of all tribunals and courts of law, either of Italy or of any other power. MARQUISE DE FONTENOY.