NEXT CONSISTORY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1996, 2 March 1914, Page 7

NEXT CONSISTORY.

POSTPONED. UNTIL HAY. BECAUSE OF THE POPE'S HEALTH By Telemjih—Press Association—Oopyrteht "Times"—Sjdnej "Sun" Special Cables.

Rome, February 27. In ordor to avoid endangering the Pope's healt,h the next Consistory will not be held until May..

FUTURE CARDINALS. ! There' are insistent rumours (says the "Tablet" of January 17) of an approaching Consistory—based mainly on the fact that there are now fourteen vacancies in the Sacred College, and that the important office of Camerlengo, rendered vacant by. the death of. Cardinal Oreglia, can ' only be filled in a Consistory. Neither reason is very convincing. Before the great Consistory of November, 1911, ' the Sacred College had been reduced to fortyfive members, and tho functions of the Cardinal Camerlengo devolve automatically, on the Cardinal Secretary of State iwhen tho office is vacant. As a, matter of fact thero is absolutely no inside information to be had as to the date of tho next Consistory: if it has been settled at all, which is problematical, it is known only to the Holy Father and to two or three of his Cardinals. But all this does not prevent it from being probable that tlie Consistory will be held between iiow and Easter. The-speculation, naturally, extends to the.persons of the future ICardinali—and it contnues- to be speculation, ..even when it dees not cease to be more than probable, almost certain, that among the new Cardinals will be tho Archbislmps of Cologne and Vienna, and the Primates of Gaul, Spain,, and Hungary. • These sees are almost invariably occupied by Princes of the Church, and although "cardinalitial post 3" have been abolished bv Pins X, the force of circumstances, old custom, - and con'cordatory rights still exorcise their influence. Speculation becomes more complicated when exercised over the Italian prelates likely to be chosen for the honour. .

The fact that the late Cardinal Oreglia di San Stefnno combined in his own person'the two different nosiHons, of doyen of the College of Cardinals and Canierlengo( of the Holy Church seems to have given rise to some confusion in- public opinion and speculation as to the apmintment; of his successor,, R\ys tlie"Daily Mill" of December 9. : The d"ven of the Sacred College, is the senior Cardinal in tlio' order of Cardinal BishoDS, who heroines doven, do facto, by rj>ht of seniority. In this case it. is Cardinal Sernfino Vannutelli, (lie Grand Penitentiary, created Cardinal by Lert XIIT in 1887, who becomes doyen of the Sacred College. As doyen, Sede vacantc, he, with the doyens of,-the other two orders of Cardinals, of Cardinal Priests, and Cardinal Deacons, represents the personal authority of the Piinacy. between the death of one Pope and the election of another, signing all decrees, corresponding with foreign Governments, presiding at the Conclave itself, and generally representing the Holy See, of which the power is supposed to. be invested in the whole body of Cardinals alike. ; Should the doyen of-the Cardinal Bishops, or the doyen of either of the other,two. orders, be absent from Rome or not a member of the Curia, ho is represented by the vice-doyen or the next in seniority. The post of: Canierlengo, on the other hand, depends 1 on the Pone, who appoints- whom he wishes and makes the appointment when he wishes. There is no reason why the office should not be left vacant for some months, or even longer, if the Pope so wills. Generally, however, when it has fallen vacant, "it has been filled at the next Consistory. Tlie' Camerlengo, on the death of tlie- Popfi,' is responsible for . the Vatican itslf—that is to say, he is-master of the Vatican Palace and all its officials, and servants, guards andi functionaries; he takes nossession of' the imtaroonji/>y }ie St)?,; and.'ho .nibses ,<ijl .-t'oijs for'the! Conclave in ; every .-detail; Tho 'Vatican, Sede .vacantc, is: practically at'his orders.