THE POPE'S CHIEF DIPLOMAT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10243, 4 September 1909, Page 6

THE POPE'S CHIEF DIPLOMAT.

;';;!Dwihg theiea.rlj' r iiist6r.y,pf the, ; Cathocustohi : was followed, ..of sending ■a. temporary'.! legate to, remove .Qaiige&'pf,- dijeprd. 'd»ndi .-'Jfe- ire-establish friehdl#relat™^ tie's,'hut since W. closing years;;of the fifteenth -Century, a, permanent representative ofV'the Popp'-has ,beeh stationed. -.at""the'Vapita'ls i bf.ih e various Catholic nations. •»--r'--)'& *•• ii"'" '' •-a "The supreme'lieaOnd guiding spirit pf the entire Pontifical diplomatic,.ser,-: vice 'isttheyS|6vMeigri r ,PpritifE, says ,the ifcblesiastiQallleview. 1 He marks out.the policy to be adopted "ahd.thp .course, to be!pursued, by. ,the, subaltern personnel, and ho important transaction can, be. arranged ■'■or^cQ"pbla3ed i ; : .!^%o u 'fc ledge and approval.'';' . r _'.'■■/,. ; The practical, supervision^.and manager merflTbf is, entrusted to the Secretary 'of State, wlio is aided and advised, on alLimportant .occasions by the Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical. Affairs'. 1 " : The' diplomatic cor.ps. consists of legates of various ranks accredited to some • twenty nations .of Europe and South America. Papal or apostolic, secretaries were first -employed hy'lnnocent "VI. .during i the sojourn of the Pontificial Court at Avignon.-" The.custom was retained by I His' successors, .though the number. of j these-, officials fluctuated: considerably during.the.various pontifioates. At the present time there are two Papal secretaries, the.Secretary of,,§tat& and., the J Secretary-of Briefs to Princes and ,c-f \ Lali'n Letters.. "• ■■'.'. '■•.•• -■:,. ■■ ..-\- "Before the loss .of the temporal power, !of ~ the" Secretary of State had a number t of dirties .which have fallen,; H,e negotiated i commerc'ialHreaties with foreign States, ;16oked'after the defence of the Papal ;frontiers, provided for the naturalisation.iof 'foreigners, and,- protected ~the. rights] of Papal subjects in other.countries. ' . ').,,; .••...:■

The -administxafion -of vthg- Pontifical diplomatic' servica.is,, practically speaking, in the .hands'or the, Secretary of State. With.'-the'cbnsent: of Jthe.Pope.i he "selects other representatives,, to-the different Governments which 'maintain diplomatic relations with the , Court.:. ; : He furnishes these ; .ambassadors witji; credential let-, instructions regarding the aim and objects of their, mission, and the methods they. are. to:.follow in their legatipnsi; ..!.-■'-'. .;;,..: ; ■,. ■/,;".' '-..'.\-i. .-, He receives their reports on, the state of religion;,!in their districts and* on the conduct; of; affairs in their ..'embassies, and in.iurii; keeps the nuncios in touch with the; condition of the.; relations of : Church and' State throughout, the world. He is the trusted counsellor and. mouthpiece of the Pope in devising -jand carrying. : |nto execution the. politico-reli-gious policy., of, the. Holy. See and concludes, in. the name of the, Pope, all important conventions and. concordats with; the nations. of the :world... . He must-keep-a,Vigilant eye oh the bourse of .events .in all the great .capitals of the world in order, to give the Sovereign ;P,phtiff timely" information of any, contemplated legislation which, might militate.'. against the interests of religion,.. Oh .Tuesdays and, Fridays he receives the ..'diplomatists accredited to the. Holy ..See and returns the visits of ceremony.of the Royal personages who have had audience with the Pope. ] In, addftiori to these strictly. diplomatic, functions, the Secretary pf State h|as many other'important duties. He receives and .examines the ; petitions for -the erection of dioceses and the reports on the' character and.fitness of those proposed for. vacant episcopal sees in . all countries of the world which are under the common law except Italy, and presents his opinion .and recommendation, based oh these reports, to tlie Consistorial Congregation for final'aetion. The newly created Cardinals receive ther assignments through 'the Secretary of State, who also appoints, with the knowledge and consent .of the Pope, tlje conspliors • oi these congregations. He replies to the telegrams and. letters of greeting ,ahd homage sent to the H;oly Father,, and bii his behalf sends letters pf.'.comriieridatibn and. congratulations and bestows marks of distinction on those who have performed some signal service -to religion by, their writr ings- or works'of beneficence. ; As President of the Commission .of Cardinals for the administration of the property of the Holy See it is his duty tp 4 make, upVthe annual budget of receipts arid expenditure and provide for the maintenance !of the Apostolic palaces, . The,. Vpresent. : Secretary ,of State is,a..m,ember,.o.f the following important' cpn^regations: . Consistprial, Hply Council, Sacred .Bites, and Extraordinary Affairs. .... XTntil' its. j-ecent. annexation, to .the Congregation* of the Council he was prefect of cpngregation, whiph , had the jHoly, House ,bf, ,L'or'etto. is also a member of the commissions, for Biblical .Studies and'.for the.Preservatipn> qF the Saitli in I .'.'the", city of Rqm'e'j" and 1 , sicts, as,. Cardinal Protector for, some ninei religious orders and confrdterhijies.:/ ''-