THE POPE'S NEW SECRETARY OF STATE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 51, 17 December 1903, Page 20

THE POPE'S NEW SECRETARY OF STATE.

The Bos;ton ' Transcript ' contains, m a recant iwrne, a well-informed account of Monsignor Merry del Val, the Pope's new Secretary of State, who, by the tune these linus reach our readers, wi,l beair the high dignity of Cardinal Monsignor Merry del Val 'is the third son of the Marquis Merry del Val, who was tor years the Spanish Ambassador to the Vat u- an The Marquis, who has had a long and distinguished career, both socially and -politically, was at one tune an non merchant in England, which accounts for the fact that his son, Raplhael, was born in Englaral The Maiqjuis, who all his life has taken the keenest interest m British affairs, had his son educated in England at St Cuthhert's College, Durham, a famous Catholic seat of learning, and in Brussels. Raphael later was honored by the Queen Regent ot Spain by being appointed tutor of her young son, Kint^ Al'phonso XII fie stayed at the Spanish court for several years and made himself extiemely popular by his distinguished manner and bearing and the faithful way in wftikh he 'persevered with his royal pupil When his [atiher, the Marquis, received his appointment as Spanish ambassador to the Vatican, Raphael left the Spanish court and went to Rome with his family. Here the young Senor del Val at once entered the Gregorian University, conducted by the Jesuit Fat heirs As the result of diligent study he was ordained to the priesthood about 1885, and a little while afterward took his degfrees in divinity and canon law with marked proficiency. At Rome the young priest seems to have come

rapidly into a .prominence unusual for so young a main. •?u 55 7'7 '« or ? hly two years aft^r coming into the priesthood, Del Val was sent, together with Monster £? f£ A a cf sec y e i a^ t0 his Eminence Cardinal Ruffo Scilla, the special delegate to Queen Victoria's Jubilee. ih* °A n h i S retU in , H? T Rome he took «P h »s residence at lie Acajdemia del Nobili. This Academy of Nobles is a 4oTr g P II 11 * 001 /" y° un g ecclesiastics of rank or wealth nr ?n~ r ° re P resent the Vatican at the courts ok foreign sovereigns. When Merry del Val entered this school fcatolh was at its head, and so lemained until l.c resigned t 0 accept the position as apostolic delegate to toe United States. At 'present the new Papal Secretary of State is its president. A'hiaut the year 1893, or only a decade ago, began that intimacy between the late Pontiff and Merry del \a». which has to-day culminated in that brilliaot yaimg. churchman's being appointed to socoind place in ilie Holy Roman Church. In 1893 Del Val received the appointment of master of the robes and acting private chamberlain to Leo XIII. There are four of these private chamberlains in attendance on the person of the Pope, corresponding in some respects to the lords-m-waiting at the English coint. As their attendance on Uie Pope, both in puolic and in private, is almost constant, they are treated rather in the light of favorites So it is not surprising that Merry del Val became one ol Pope Le*o s advisers and friends. In 1895 he was given tihe position of acting secretary and Chief cctasuitor for the Pope in the society formed for the « Religious Union of Christian Churches.' In his work for this society, Pope Leo's great scheme for a union ol all religious bodies, we get our first view of Monsignlor Merry del Val's policy. He was an indefatigable worker toward overcoming the 'difficulties bletween W Churches, and was most sanguine that good results must accrue. In 1897, or when he was scarcely 36 years of age Merry del Val first became prominent m the eyes of the v, orld at large by Ijeing' appointed apostolic deleglate to Canada The mission on which Del Val was sent Ho Canada was the peculiarly bitter one of The Manitoba Schools. That controversy is so recent that a full statement of it here Would be superfluous. It involved the qjßestiow of separate schools in Manitoba. That province in 1890 abjolished separate schools, compelling the Roman Catholics there to g/o to the public seholols, or not at all. The Catholics n[ that province appealed to the Dominion authorities and the Catholics of the other prownces, particularly of Quebec, became excited, fearing tnat their own schools would be abolished. The situation was at last brought lip to the Pope, hence Merry del' Val's mission. The feeling, grew very Witter, and the Catholic clergy even went so far as to refuse to give the Sacrament to anyone who should vote for the supporters of the Liboral policy. To make matters worse, the situation was anomalous, for the Premier, Wilfrid Laurier, appeared opposed to his own people and his own faith in leading ihei Liberal party, whereas Sir Charles Tupper, an English Protestant, was prominent in the cause of the Fiemch Catholics. Monsiainor Merry del Val so conducted his investigations thJat both the Manitoba Government modified its action, and the Catholics became reconciled to the new regime and ceased to fear for the aggressions against their religion. The Pope's Encyclical Letter, sent after Merry del Val had returned to Rome and reported to mm, closed the controversy, evidencing a signal triumph won by the young delegate. Monsi>gnior Del Val was on account of his intimacy with Leo XIII., his familiarity with the English language, and his general popularity, spoken of as the successor to Cardinal Vaughan of England. When Archbishop Mart-inelli, palpal delegate to the United Spates, was recalled, Monsignor Merry del Val was mentioned as being likely to succeed him Last July, afte- the deattli of Pope Leo, Del Val, who is a canon of St. Peter's, was elected to the pror.ir.tn+ position of secretary of the papal ''onclave whii h met to elect a new Pope When Pius X. was elected it was therefore Monsig-nor Merry dol Val's duty to kneel a,nd present to the newly-elected Pope his Avhite cap This ceremony takes kla.ee when a new Pope puts on his white robes for the first time, and it is an ancieint custom that the one Who kneels to present the Pope hit. white hat shall in turn have the Pope place the red one which he has just removed from his own head on that of the kneeling priest This ancient form Pope Leo XIII had omitted, and there was a great deal of interest manifested as to whether Pius X. would follow his immediate predecessor or follow the ancient custom lie did the la,tter, atod to the satisfaction of all present, *