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Show : "' ": LS4-:''', Xsf 1 ' X ' if . 7 f I. I -' A; ' .. K 1 SEKAFINO VANTTUTEIXI, GIROLAMO GOTTI, - - : . MARIANO EAMPOLLA DEL TIND AEO, Great Penitentiary, Prefect of the Propaganda, - Pontifical Secretary of State. -1 '. . As the Day for the Conclave Approaches to Elect a Successor to Leo, Interest is Intensified-- One of These Three Cardinals May Be chosen. F. Marion Crawford, an American and the Pope's nfficial biographer, con-' con-' tributes an article in Kverybody's Magazine Mag-azine on "Pope Ieo's Successor." Mr. i. Crawford is not the only writer who indulges in-dulges in forecasts concerning- the outcome out-come of the conclave, but he is a Catholic Cath-olic writer whose views may be set down as fair and conservative. He names more than the three whose pictures pic-tures head this article as candidates upon whom the mantle of Peter may fall. Here in America the three presented pre-sented obtain most interest, because more widely known. Of Cardinal Gotti, Mr. Crawford. writes: Cardinal Gotti. Perhaps few men rre more generally looked upon as eligible to succeed Pope Leo XIII than-Cardinal Girolamo Maria Ma-ria Gotti. He was suddenly brought fiom the silence of his cell to Rome, to be raised almost directly to the eardin-' alate. and the monastic humility and simplicity, which are a second nature with him, confer upon him the sort of power which is not feared but loved. Though so long a. monk, he seems to possess a thorough knowledge of the world, and. though he has lived a great j part of his life in the solitude of the ; cloister, he has a marvelous power of ! winning affection and trust from all j who know him. He has not been long ; at the head of the propaganda, but his , management is both keen and wise. Iveo XIII esteemed him so highly, according ac-cording to report, as to designate him I as his probable successor. This may or may not be exactly true, but the Catholic Cath-olic church could scarcely have a better h(ad and leader. I think that a certain prejudice which now undoubtedly exists against the choice of a. monk for tho papal throne may r rove-an obstacle in the way of Cardinal Gotti's election; bu this is a purely personal opinion, and one which it is to be hoped will prove to be mistaken. Cardinal Rampolla. The name of Cardinal Mariano Rampolla Ram-polla del Tindaro has been before Europe Eu-rope and the world during many years, and if there are some who hope that he may succeed Leo XIII there are far more who would look upon his elevation eleva-tion to the pontificate as a disaster. His policy aims at preserving peace and friendship at. any price with foreign states, while urging an implacable warfare war-fare against official Italy. In this programme Cardinal Rampolla Ram-polla has persisted during sixteen years, through failure and success, nev.er gaining any leading advantage, yet always able to boast that he ha3 maintained intact the right of t'ia Holy See in the face of the hostile Italian slate, and that he has preserved unimpaired unim-paired the legal position of the church in anticipation of the moment, should J it ever present itseif, when the "Ro- j man question" may be finally solved. Is Cardinal Rampolla the future j pope? Many persons think so, relying upon the immense influence he has gained during the later .years of the present - pontificate, . and especially upon the popularity ; he is supposed to enjoy among, his colleague in the sa-cied sa-cied college, many of whom have been raised to the cardinalate-by him. For my own part, I believe that his chances j are not so great as might be supposed. I believe that a different political tendency ten-dency is expected from the next pope, and that the great -power so long wielded by Cardinal Rampolla will in the end do him' more-harm than good in the opinion ofvthe conclave. Gardinal Serafino Vannutelli. Cardinal Serafino Vaiinutelli ranks as second, in the seniority " of the Sacred College;, he is grand penitentiary; bishop of Porto; and Santa Kufina, and successor . in office to the late Cardinal Parrocchi. II is commanding presence, his handsome and prepossessing features, fea-tures, his exceedingly affable conversa- tion. combine to make'him one of the most conspicuous, figures in the Sacred College; his learning, and his extremely extreme-ly wary and circumspect character give him a. position of ' power among his colleagues. ; His rapid and brilliant bril-liant diplomatic career brought him the rare good fortune of. being able to apply ap-ply his talents in the service of the holy I see under ; difficult circumstances, al- ways with honor, and in many parts I of the world, as in Mexico, Ecuador, j Peru, Ravaria, .Brussels and Vienna; above oil, his , real ability and high personal qualities contributed to make him widely known as. a persona gra ta to sovereigns, governments and the diplomacy at large. During the fifteen fif-teen years of his cardinalate the . friendships thus formed and the popularity pop-ularity thus acquired have been continually contin-ually strengthened and multiplied among the foreign representatives accredited ac-credited to the Vatican. With a remarkably re-markably well balanced mind and an. even character. he combines a profound pro-found knowledge of the modern world and the gift of quick and sure intuition intui-tion in all questions brought before him. He is a- man who shuns ex-! ex-! treme opinions and never forms hasty judgments. He has enjoyed the confi-i confi-i dance and affection of the pope and the i esteem of his colleagues. He has j great influence in the government of j the church and can make it felt by i virtue of the high office he holds, being j secretary of the universal inquisition, j grand penitentiary, a member of the congregation of bishops and regular clergy, a member of the. council of the propaganda, a member of the council upon ecclesiastical affairs extraordi- nary, and of the commission on elec-I elec-I tions of Italian bishops. Cardinal . Serafino Vannutelli is clearly what the Italians expressively call "popable" a possible pope, and certainly one who would come under the designation "political." His youth will probably exclude him from candidacy at the next . conclave, though his influence will be profoundly felt. |