Salt Lake Telegram | 1922-08-03 | Page 9 | Pope Proposes Radical Changes

'POPE PROPOSES ' RADICAL CHANGES Leader Has New Plan for Filling Higher Positions ROME. Aug. t (By TJ. P.) Back j of pop. Plu' doci.lon to poatpon. i If po.rtbl., till Drembr hi. flr eonolatory for th. creation of new cardinal., 11m th. Intention of work- ' Ins a very radical chanm In the filling- of all th. higher political and relljrlou. office, of the church. I Hereafter, according to Intimate associate, and councillors of Pope 1 Plua, all elevation, to th. .acred ! collec. of cardinal, and all promo-1 tlona and appointment. In th. Vatican I diplomatic Knrlee, are to b. bated purely on two thlnf. cultural fitneM and merit. Efficiency and not caa-tora caa-tora la to b. th. keynote of Pope Ptu.' administration of th. Holy See. J Th. decision of his holiness to work j thla new reform In Vatican appoint- menta and to apply tt both to the aa- j cred college and the diplomatic service serv-ice la pointed out by vatlcan circles aa Indicative of Pop Plus intention to devote himself equally to the re- ' Hgiou and political sides of the church. , J Ordinarily, Pope Plue should have held a consistory as soon aa possible ' after hi coronation. Not only Is the ; sacred college reduced now by deaths from Its number number of seventy to below sixty, but custom over cen- i turiee has established that each new pope muat elevate aa quickly aa possible pos-sible to the sacred college certain prelates whose position under the preceding; pope entitled them to the sacred purple. I However, It Is precisely this elevation eleva-tion by custom and tradition, and not ' by merit, to the aacred college, that Pope Piua Intends to break up. I Centuries of custom have estab- j If shed that certain high positions in the church must lead eventually and , Inevitably to th sacred college. Here t after, at leaat -under th pontificate of 'Pope Plua these persona will only be promoted to the sacred col- lege on condition that they merit It. A similar reform will also be worked ; In the appointment to the Vatican ' diplomatic corps. Time and experience experi-ence has developed that neither th possession of a title of nobility or a special diplomatic education neces- ! sarily produced the best type of men . for the diplomatic service. In the future Vatican diplomats will be chosen merely on a basis of fitness j and merit. The first appointment under this new system Is that of Mon- ! signer Belleg;rlneltt u papal nunxlo to Belgrade. Similarly. Pope Plus has announced his Intention of making all nominations of bishops himself, sfter a personal study of fitness in each i case. I -