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Show CUBAN OPPOSITION TO ARCHBISHOP ARCH-BISHOP SBARRETTI. Intelligences from Cuba contain the news that many of the natives are intensely in-tensely displeased at the non-appointment of a Cuban Bishop, but in hia plate an Italian, Monseigneur Sbar- i retti. Auditor of the Apostolic Delegation Delega-tion at Washington. ' The reports state further that the Cuban priests have resolved not to meet the selected Prelate, ' but have stranirelv determined to send a dele gation to President McKinley to protest pro-test against the appointment.. They apparently ap-parently imagine that our Methodist President has in some mysterious1 way acquired the power to select a Bishop for the Holy See, in an Island which is not, and may never be, part of the United States- territory. The parties protesting against Archbishop Sbar-retti's Sbar-retti's appointment have been considered consid-ered the strongest and worthiest champions cham-pions of free Cuba, and yet they show an extraordinary lack of intellect in thus appealing their case. Of course, some allowance should be made on this score, because for centuries- the Spanish Span-ish government appointed the Bishops of Cuba, which appointments Rome generally ratified. The President will doubtless look with amazement on this delegation, as he has never requested, or even so much as recommended so at least his friends affirm the appointment of any mem- oer 01 me nierarcny or oacrea uonege, from among the Churchmen of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is hardly to be supposed, therefore, that the President'vill make any representations rep-resentations to Rome regarding Mon-eeigneur Mon-eeigneur Sbarretti's- elevation to the Archbishopric in Havana. However, if he had the power, he would wisely select se-lect an Italian rather than a Spaniard or a Cuban, but If given the choice he would, in all likelihood, have chosen an American in preference to the Cuban, Spaniard or Italian. Why? The bitter hatred which years of oppression and j cruel war have produced would render any Spaniard unacceptable, to the Cubans, Cu-bans, and vice versa would seriously impair the good influence of a Cuban with Spaniards. The Church, with her usual wisdom and foresight, has seen the danger of perpetuating that hatred and continued blood feud, and most prudently 'selected one absolutely impartial to both. Its object in this appointment was to bring about a veritable peace, uniting spiritually those long separated by a fierce and fiery gulf of passion. To complete such a reunion it is obvious that no Cuban or Spaniard would be eo competent as Monseigneur Sbar-I Sbar-I retti. who by education and environ- ment has become well qualified for the position 10 which he has been elevated by the Holy See. The Intermountain Catholic extends to the new Archbishop of Havana its heartiest felicitations. |
